Vuelta de Espana

janullrich

Is it me or does nobody care much for the last of the 3 Grand Tours. Will anyone be watching it? I admit I will probably watch a little bit such as a Time Trial or a mountain stage but that is far as it goes. It is sad but professional cycling is so stained at the moment. When will the UCI and organisations like Unipublic realise that the Tours are too damn hard. When will the UCI realise that races are too damn long. Maybe I am talking to myself but who is the next person who is going to be involved in drugs??? Sad and disillusioned with it all.

justfortherecor

It has nothing to do with the races being too long, as far as I know the Tour de France in the early part of the last century covered a larger distance.

I think we need to analyse the reasons as to why cyclists are prepared to take these life threatening drugs and run the risk of tarnishing their whole careers. Floyd Landis being a regrettable case in point.

In my opinion, the pressures exerted by sponsors to gain results has become almost unbearable. Monetary rewards from winning are also, of course, a big incentive for these top class athletes to take drugs but I think at the end of the day most of these guys are just looking to hold onto their contracts and be guaranteed a good income. I think at this stage its a badly kept secret that most of the guys in the modern day peleton are taking performing enhancing substances. The culture of doping has sadly become inherent in cycling and its up to all involved to do something about it.

This years tour de france presented the perfect opportunity. Ullrich and Basso, the 2 biggest names in the sport at the moment, were unceremoniously kicked out and this showed the UCI was willing to get serious. State led police investigations (Operation Puerto) and the death of Pantani should also lead cyclists to ask the question: is it worth it? Unfortunately the Landis affair was a cruel sucker punch to the fans who had thought that the greatest tour in living memory was also a clean one.

Sponsors should get more hardline and stop allowing their names to be dragged through the mud by enforcing their own strict internal guidelines for competing and traning. The UCI needs to take a frim grip on matters and seriously impose random testing away from races and work with law enforcement agencies to instigate criminal procedures against these dopers (for, at the end of the day, its an illegal activity). Finally, Life bans should replace petty 2 year bans (David Millars return to the tour this year was disgusting IMO).

The sport of Cycling hasnt become a farce yet but after the Festina Affair and this years Operation Puerta surely the time has come to turn the corner and bring cycling out of the dark.

GP

The culture of doping has become what it is BECAUSE of the length the Tour de France and other races were in the early days. This led to cyclists trying every potion available to stay awake in the eveings / keep going longer so they could make up a few more miles on their competitors. Some of the early classics were 700km long!

I don't belive the UCI is that serious about doping at all. They do very little in fact to enforce any kind of doping controls and only get in a huff when someone gets caught out before a big race like the Tour.

If anyone on this board is in the racing scene here in Ireland, how many doping controls have you seen this year even ?

The same goes for other countries.

animal

The ould doping in cycling is a sad situation. I think it has become so deeply entrenched in cycling that is going to be a very difficult task to get rid of it.
To give my opinion on points raised earlier:
I don’t think shorter distances would solve the problem. Look 100m running events? Although the demands on the body to recover over 21 days of racing over 110 miles a day really must be unbearable. That’s what had me questioning Landis’s performance before he had failed the test after stage 17. To have blown so badly after 16 stages and come out the next day and destroy the field - I didn’t think was possible.
There is serious pressure on pro cyclists. They have to earn their money. Many of them have dedicated their lives to cycling from 18 years of age and hit their mid 20’s and have the choice – Do I quit cycling and try and get a job with no skills or experience or do I dope and stay in pro cycling? Besides the ethical issues it’s understandable why they do it…
As for racing in Ireland: I’ve ridden to quite a high level. I rode the FBD insurance Ras a few times and spent a few summers in Belgium and raced in France among other places and I have never seen doping of any kind take place with my own eyes. Although there are always rumours going around
There is very little testing in Ireland. Only the bigger races have testing – and rightly so. The Tour of Ulster, The Shay Elliot memorial, The FBD insurance Ras (Stage winners, the yellow, green and mountains jersey wearers and 2 randoms each day I think).
Doping isn’t an issue in Ireland (again in my opinion). You’d want to be a right loser really. There have been a few cases of positive tests – most of which were pure complacency on the part of the rider (Sudafed for example).
The amateur scene in Belgium is quite different. There are constant rumours of this bloke and that bloke and to be honest I’d believe there is a lot of doping going on. These would only be small amateur races with poor prize money. I also saw a bloke in Belgium with the pupils popping out of his eyes – probably on amphetamines. There are also a lot of drug tests though. Almost every race you do has it and would test the top 3 and a few randoms also and there are a fair few positive cases.
Will I still watch the Vuelta? I don’t know why but I will. I just think cycling is such a fantastic sport and love watching it. I also like to think that there are lads out there who can make it to the top without doping. I have seen raw talent in action and I think I still hold hope for these lads that the sport will clean up and the true natural talent will rise to the top. Perhaps i'm being naiive.

icom

I'll be watching the Vuelta on Eurosport, especially the mountain stages and the time trials. My favourite this year is Carlos Sastre as he was the only one to really attack in the mountains this year in the Tour de France. He seems to have a new confidence after finishing on the podium (if Landis is disqualified) and performed well in the San Sebastian classic. He should have a strong team around him. I wonder if Basso will start the Vuelta?
Looking forward to Sean Kelly's commentry and hope they keep Duffers in the studio again!

justfortherecor

David Duffield is indeed a legend. Its amazing how you can just listen to the guy for 4 hours. Its like he's just having a casual conversation with the viewers over a beer or something. Brilliant stuff.

icom

justfortherecor wrote:

David Duffield is indeed a legend. Its amazing how you can just listen to the guy for 4 hours. Its like he's just having a casual conversation with the viewers over a beer or something. Brilliant stuff.

Yes! I remember a few years back, he was still talking about the wine and cheese he had in the restaurant the night before with only 100 metres to go during a sprint finish!
Amazing guy!

There's a website dedicated to Duffers somewhere containing some of his famous outbursts.

Think this is the one, enjoy!!

http://www.addiscombe.org/features/duffieldcollection/duffieldisms.htm

janullrich

certainly beats listening to Sean Kelly. What a bore.

icom

I must admit, he performed better on the bike than he does on the microphone, but he deserves respect for everything he has done for irish cycling........:)

janullrich wrote:

certainly beats listening to Sean Kelly. What a bore.

janullrich

totally agree on that one alright.

justfortherecor

Well once you get over the shocking accent Kelly has and the mumblings every once in a while, his insight into the race proceedings is still the most informed you'll find on any channel. His tactical awareness is superb.

iregk

Well I think Sean and Duffers have a perfect balance to them. Watching Le Tour and hearing duffers talk about some 13th century castle and the history or the town or something like that until Sean pips in to let you know of some movement in the pack its brilliant.

Ok his accent is cringworthy but he gives you the viewer a brilliant insight into whats going on and where things currently stand. Things you would miss such as the way a team is shaping up in the peleton to try and control things are what he brings to the table.

icom

If you came from Carrick on Suir, you wouldn't even notice that Sean Kelly had a funny accent !!
The combination of David Harmon and Kelly during the Tour was superb. The 30 minutes of Duffield at the beginning and end of each days coverage was more than enough!

Sean Kelly's commentating skills have really improved over the years.:)