CYCLING

[Jack Jack 415]

Vuelta a Espana will be on SBS. Not sure if they'll have the whole tour, but they've previously showed about 8 of the stages plus highlights for everyday

[Cards13 9,117]

Massive withdrawals!!!

[Cards13 9,117]

Ah Stuaie.... Doped on the 98 tour of shame. Massive career shame it ends with this.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/stuart-ogrady-admits-to-tour-de-france-doping-20130725-2qk04.html

[jazza 1,323]

Ah Stuaie.... Doped on the 98 tour of shame. Massive career shame it ends with this.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/stuart-ogrady-admits-to-tour-de-france-doping-20130725-2qk04.html

say it aint so cards

this sport gets hammered every day, maybe they should declare it drug induced and take the innuendo out of it

its very scary for future news on evans mckewan and others now

seems the statute of limitations brings forward admittance after 10 cooling off period or retirement

Edited July 25, 2013 by jazza

[Cards13 9,117]

say it aint so cards

this sport gets hammered every day, maybe they should declare it drug induced and take the innuendo out of it

its very scary for future news on evans mckewan and others now

seems the statute of limitations brings forward admittance after 10 cooling off period or retirement

Robbie Mc and Jonks were on the 98 Tour and not named apparently, Stuaie was the only Aussie from 98 named. In saying that there is talk they may look to other tours and samples from those so who the hell knows what else.

It is a bit of "well deeerrrr we know they ALL doped" in that period but for blokes like Stu and to think Robbie Mc or an Evans did would just about push me out of the sport all together.

[Macca 16,972]

Robbie Mc and Jonks were on the 98 Tour and not named apparently, Stuaie was the only Aussie from 98 named. In saying that there is talk they may look to other tours and samples from those so who the hell knows what else.

It is a bit of "well deeerrrr we know they ALL doped" in that period but for blokes like Stu and to think Robbie Mc or an Evans did would just about push me out of the sport all together.

I think we're all getting tired of that lousy excuse that because others doped, it somehow justifies an athlete cheating themselves. It's a cop-out and it doesn't cut it with me. All these individuals make a choice. Though we do know that some 'teams' have doped, as a whole, I still can't blame the sport or the tours.

It's not like all the thousands of volunteers and organisers of the Tour de France wanted all this. On the contrary, they're most probably all dead against doping. It's a shame that innocent athletes are getting tarred with the same brush. It's unfair.

Here's the latest from the arguably the biggest cheat of all ... Armstrong: U.S. Postal Service got 'what it bargained for'

Under the False Claims Act, the government could recover triple damages – possibly as much as $120 million – if it succeeds in proving its case.

The government's case is not going to hinge on whether Armstrong doped. Instead, it will hinge on legal issues such as whether Armstrong violated his contracts with the USPS, whether the USPS was damaged by it and the statute of limitations.

I've got my fingers crossed for a truthful and just outcome.

[Cards13 9,117]

Yea I know Mac and I agree, there were not enough Bassons, who has been found guilty of doping too, in cycling at the time. The sycophant's who run the sport have so much blame and disgust to wear.

Fark me I could not believe one of Armstrong lawyers arguments was "you heard all the rumors you should have known."

[Cards13 9,117]

And so do the riders for allowing it to happen.

Really good article by Sam Lane

http://m.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/ogradys-secret-fails-his-team-and-all-it-claims-to-stand-for-20130725-2qngc.html

[Jack Jack 415]

It's certainly disappointing to hear O'Grady's confessions. It was a bit spineless of him to wait until he had announced his retirement and was named as a suspected doper. He had a chance to step forward, admit his guilt and take whatever sanction came his way. Obviously his reputation is tarnished either way, but an open admission of guilt without duress is the way forward for the sport, for the greater good.

[jazza 1,323]

It's certainly disappointing to hear O'Grady's confessions. It was a bit spineless of him to wait until he had announced his retirement and was named as a suspected doper. He had a chance to step forward, admit his guilt and take whatever sanction came his way. Obviously his reputation is tarnished either way, but an open admission of guilt without duress is the way forward for the sport, for the greater good.

thought it was embarrassing

[Cards13 9,117]

It is galling he denied/lied again about it to the OGE review but now comes out and "admits" his guilt after he retires and only AS he was about to be outed by the French... FFS.

Also here are the 18 that tested positive out of the '89 tour for EPO. There has alos been mention that they may test/release more names from other tours. Where the fark is the pathetic UCI in all of this still, how those clowns can still be running the UCI and sport is beoynd me. How the rest of people involved in the sport can allow it to happen is insane.

The 18 cyclists who tested positive are:
Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich, Mario Cipollini, Laurent Jalabert, Erik Zabel, Bo Hamburger, Manuel Beltran, Andrea Tafi, Marcos Serrano, Jackie Durand, Jens Heppner, Jeroen Blijlevens, Nicola Minali, Fabio Sacchi, Eddy Mazzoleni, Abraham Olano, Laurent Desbiens and Kevin Livingston.

[Cards13 9,117]

Livestrong not doing so well....

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lance-armstrong-livestrong-struggling-athletes-590883

Flogs like Stiller and Robin Williams annoy the hell out of me too, when it was cool to be sniffing LA fa rts they followed him and Livestrong religiously, now not a peep. In saying that, the charity is/was not following it's own mission.

[Macca 16,972]

The thing that has to be remembered is that in some sports (like Cycling and Track & Field) there is a lot of testing done. In some sports like those 2 examples, an athlete might be tested 50 or more times a year (Craig Mottram reckons he gets tested every week - on average)

In other sports (especially team sports) there is hardly any testing done in comparison. Transparency vs non transparency needs to be factored in. Boomer Harvey of the Roos said a couple of years ago that over a 10 year period, he was never tested. Not once.

Whilst not excusing O'Grady, I often wonder how many athletes in some team sports have gotten away with taking PED's for their entire career's. Baseball is in the news in the States but their drug testing and actions against PED's is getting quite strong (compared to other team sports around the world)

Why should sports which take a pro-active stance against PED's be copping it when other sports who often only have 'token' testing, escape the same scrutiny?

Those who think we should just give up and let the chemists and scientists control sport haven't thought of the end result. Many or most sports followers would lose interest and it would then become a battle between the athletes who can withstand the most 'roids in their system. It doesn't bear thinking about.

Oh and Cards, I agree with your sentiments on the UCI but we could point the finger at a number of other organisations in other sports. Many sports still don't test for HGH or do blood testing. Cycling and Track & Field catch the most cheats because they test the most.

[Cards13 9,117]

Fair points Macca. There is no standard across all sports to testing so it is apples, oranges, carrots and watermellons we are comparing.

[Jack Jack 415]

Slightly off topic, the MFC website is running a survey with the chance to win a once off MFC fixie. Get on board all you cycling fans.

[Cards13 9,117]

.... Just like the Dees only go one speed ffs.

[Cards13 9,117]

........ http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/07/27/is-michael-rogers-a-cheat/ ?

[Macca 16,972]

Rather than start another thread, thought I'd post a bit about 'La Vuelta' on this thread.

2 stages to go and it's coming right down to the wire (both stages are being broadcast by SBS from about midnight) Horner leads Nibali by just 3 seconds with tonight's mountain stage to possibly decide things ... General classification

Tonight's stage ... click on 'Live Stage' via this link for full coverage from the official site ...

"For the sixth time in its history the Vuelta a España will finish a stage at the Alto de l’Angliru. For many, this is the toughest climb you can face in any race throughout the entire cycling calendar and it will surely mean another unforgettable chapter in the history of the Spanish tour. Crossing this particular finish line first is a challenge for many riders. The winner will not only have another victory under his belt, but will have conquered one of the mythical climbs in the cycling world - Its ramps, as well as the atmosphere that always surrounds the race as it passes through this mountain, guarantees a spectacle worthy of a truly outstanding Vuelta. The Cordal, which will have to be tackled before l’Angliru, will be the icing on the cake for the stage winner."

Profile ...

[Jack Jack 415]

Looks like a great finish to the stage.

I haven't seen a lot of the tour so far, but managed to see the end of Stage 18. I must admit that, apart from being an incredible finish (Kiryienka holding on from a fairly early breakaway was quite a feat, and our own Adam Hansen coming in 3rd), seeing Chris Horner take time on Nibali, Velverde et al was a bit of a surprise, particularly considering his age.

Will be interesting to see what happens tonight.

[Macca 16,972]

Great news for cycling fans ... SBS and SBS HD are showing "live" every stage of the Giro d'Italia. Coverage starts on May 9 (in Belfast) and continues right through until June 1. Coverage will normally begin at about 10.30pm - 11.00pm.

Cadel could well be a real threat to win it if the following article rings true ... Cadel Evans lauds "best ever" team for Giro d'Italia tilt

... Official site (there are a dozen or so grueling climbs in 5 of the last 8 stages)

[Cards13 9,117]

Uh live? The usual last 2-3 hours of each stage Macca?

[Macca 16,972]

Yeah Cards, I suppose they'll do a quick catch-up of the first couple/few hours when the coverage begins. The SBS website might have the event live from the get-go but I'm happy to just watch the last few hours (or until I fall asleep on the couch!) Most of the mountain stages fall on Fri/Sat/Sun so that's a plus.

I guess the "le tour" coverage doesn't usually get rolling until about 10pm so it's on a par in some ways. Wonder if we'll have an Italian chef like Gabriel Gaté to introduce us to the culinary delights of mediterranean?

Excited that Cadel is still in the running to win a big tour. Even a podium finish would be an achievement. The last week will sort them out though - some big climbs. Nairo Quintana is the favourite whilst Joaquim Rodrigues is 2nd favourite. Evans is 3rd favourite.

I've not tuned into this event previously (to a great extent) so I'm looking forward to it. Apart from the racing, the lure of these big tours is the fantastic scenery, historic buildings, towns, cities and such like.

[Cards13 9,117]

Looking forward to the Giro and le Tour even more this year having spent time and driven through the south of France and into the Swiss and Italian alps recently. In awe of these guys even more.

[Macca 16,972]

Good start for the Aussies and Cadel is only 7 seconds off the pace after his BMC team came third in the team time trial ...

Orica-GreenEDGE wins opening stage of Giro d’Italia

Orica, which was the overwhelming stage favourite, clocked a time of 24 minutes, 42 seconds along the 21.7km course, which was lined by more than 140,000 fans.

Cadel Evans looked strong for BMC and is one of the favourites after last year's third-place finish. His BMC team finished 7 seconds behind Orica. Tour de France runner-up Nairo Quintana is another of the race favourites and his Movistar team finished eighth, 55 seconds behind Orica.

One of his rivals, Joaquim Rodriguez, had a poor start as his Katusha team struggled throughout and only finished 19th. Rodriguez is 1 minute, 33 seconds behind Tuft and 38 seconds behind Quintana. But Irish rider Dan Martin crashed after just 15 minutes, leaving him with a suspected broken collarbone.

Stage 2 (Belfast - Belfast) Live coverage every day from about 10.30pm - SBS & SBS HD.

[Macca 16,972]

Aussies 1 and 2 in the Giro! ... Cadel is in a great position and Michael Matthews has done superbly well.

First of the mountain stages happens tonight ... here's a preview (which includes the "profile") ... stage 8

.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Macca