BMC

Hail 2 Da Thief

Have just announced the signing of Gilbert. Is this a sensible addition when they've recently signed thor?
Too many chiefs & not enough indians?

moggs1972

a scary strong team on paper now, thing is they will have to make some hard decisions as to who is going for what win etc, but if they get it right:eek:

ROK ON

Hail 2 Da Thief wrote: »

Have just announced the signing of Gilbert. Is this a sensible addition when they've recently signed thor?
Too many chiefs & not enough indians?

I'm a huge Phil Gil fan, but I wonder about this move. At OPL Gilbert had Jelle Vandenert do some really grueling work in the last few climbs of almost every classic where he won, just before attacking. I wonder who exactly will occupy that role at BMC. They will need some very clear lines of communication as to who is the protected rider for what race.

For Milan San Remo is it Hushovd, Gilvert, Ballan, Van Avermet.
For Paris Roubaix, it is Hushovd - but what about Ballan?
For Flanders is it Gilbert, Ballan, or Hushovd, Van Avermet.
For Ardennes week its obviously Gilbert, or is it Evans.
For GdiL is it Evans or Gilbert.
Plus they have a whole host of other guys that can do well.

I guess the plus is that Evans and Gilbert are reputed to be close, and have worked well in the past (Worlds and Giro Lombardy). Hushovd, Van Avermet and Gilbert all train together.

More interesting, but possibly OT - in this months issue of Procycling, Paul Kimmage casts some serious doubts on whther Gilbert is actually clean. He doesnt believe that he is. TO quote Kimmage - "If I didnt have doubts before coming here I do now . . .I'm not saying that a bloke can't turn in a great performance without us thinking he's doping but when it's a series of performances . . . The killer for me, though, was his ex-team mate who's still associated with the team getting caught with doping products". (That ex team mate is Wim Vansevant.
Interesting comments given that there are some guys involved at BMC from the mgt down to riders that have an interesting past.

I hope that they are a clean team, and given that I love watching Gilbert and really admire Van Avermet and Hushovd, I hope that they have a great year.
Cack gear however.

moggs1972

jesus is that bitter p*&k kimmage still throwing muck?? why wont he go away and shut up.

happytramp

Just heard a rumor that BMC are on the verge of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hail 2 Da Thief

happytramp wrote: »

Just heard a rumor that BMC are on the verge of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

I hope they plan on buying him stabilizers to stop him falling over all the time!

Junior

I can imagine Ballan be pushed out the door..although Cadel and Gilbert didn't see eye to eye at Lotto previously ?

Slideshowbob

moggs1972 wrote: »

jesus is that bitter p*&k kimmage still throwing muck?? why wont he go away and shut up.

Would you prefer kimmage wasn't doing the job he does? I wouldn't

A few years back he was classing PG as a clean rider so isnt he entitled to reappraise things now in light of recent races?

Why is wanting a cleaner sport being a bitter pxxxx?

I'm sure he encountered more intimidation than you on here over the years.

Clearly it ain't in his nature to go away n shut up

happytramp

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Would you prefer kimmage wasn't doing the job he does? I wouldn't

A few years back he was classing PG as a clean rider so isnt he entitled to reappraise things now in light of recent races?

Why is wanting a cleaner sport being a bitter pxxxx?

I'm sure he encountered more intimidation than you on here over the years.

Clearly it ain't in his nature to go away n shut up

How does it help the sport if every time someone puts in a string of impressive results they're suspected of being a cheat? Where's the incentive to race clean, when in the eyes of the fans and the media, you're basically 'dammed if you do and dammed if you don't'? The same thing happened with Vockler when he didn't get dropped in the Pyrenees.

Junior

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Would you prefer kimmage wasn't doing the job he does? I wouldn't

A few years back he was classing PG as a clean rider so isnt he entitled to reappraise things now in light of recent races?

Why is wanting a cleaner sport being a bitter pxxxx?

I'm sure he encountered more intimidation than you on here over the years.

Clearly it ain't in his nature to go away n shut up

I would be more impressed if PK questioned and shone a light at BMC and their setup, sure Gilbert looks too good to be true, but lobbing mud at a rider like that without a firm footing is as bad as turning a blind eye to so many other problems in the sport.

Diarmuid

Kimmage's default position is to be suspicious of cycling and cyclists. Considering the history of the sport, you'd be a fool not to.

Slideshowbob

happytramp wrote: »

How does it help the sport if every time someone puts in a string of impressive results they're suspected of being a cheat? Where's the incentive to race clean, when in the eyes of the fans and the media, you're basically 'dammed if you do and dammed if you don't'? The same thing happened with Vockler when he didn't get dropped in the Pyrenees.

PK is giving his opinion as a person of considerable experience.

Do you want to live in a cocoon where performances cant be questioned until the UCI catch someone? I would not.

If what PK says is so wrong sure PG can sue for lible eh???

I like PG as a rider but I see nothing wrong with what PK is at.

The incentive to race clean is the fear that you wont get caught or found out in years to come. It is hardly a disincentive to be clean because you think someone may suspect you.

Bravo PK and PG

ROK ON

moggs1972 wrote: »

jesus is that bitter p*&k kimmage still throwing muck?? why wont he go away and shut up.

I think that you should know that Kimmage in the past has been a huge fan of Gilbert. If I am not mistaken he wrote about guys like Gilbert being the hope for cycling.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/cycling/article539978.ece

Slideshowbob wrote: »

PK is giving his opinion as a person of considerable experience.

Do you want to live in a cocoon where performances cant be questioned until the UCI catch someone? I would not.

If what PK says is so wrong sure PG can sue for lible eh???

I like PG as a rider but I see nothing wrong with what PK is at.

The incentive to race clean is the fear that you wont get caught or found out in years to come. It is hardly a disincentive to be clean because you think someone may suspect you.

Bravo PK and PG

True. Likewise I am a PG fan, but Kimmage is entitled to raise a few points. Lets remember that Gilbert has had a season in terms of classics that no one has managed (in terms of Monuments, Classics and Semi Classics). Kelly and De Vlaeminck came closest to doing what PG has achieved in one season. Arguably in terms of one day races only Merckx has done in one season what PG has done this year, and eve then I am not sure.
He has won an enormous amount of races this year. In doing so he has murdered the opposition - an opposition of people of the calibre of Evans, Contador, Sanchez, JRod, Schlecks etc etc. He is not by any means winning loads of Sh1t small races. I am not accusing him of doping - I think if he was found to dope that I would simply cease watching pro cycling. But a journalist (or anyone else) is entitled to question those performances, the fact that he has peaked numerous times throughout the year, the fact that he races a lot and doesnt seem to need recovery.
Given his past of being an outspoken critic of doping, it would be even more monumentally stupid of him to dope versus someone who has stayed schtumm for example.
Sorry for derailing this thread, but I thought the comment from Kimmage was worthy of mention, as I have not seen any other cycling source with credibility question his performances this year. The fact the PK has uttered what he did, makes it worthy of comment IMHO. I hope that in this case he is wrong.