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For those who flow the TdF...


Zephyr

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I expected to see more discussion about this here, if only for the people who are tired of Froome winning every year.

I guess I follow the Tour - but I turned on NBCSN yesterday morning about 11:30 hoping to catch the end of the stage.  Uh... apparently it starts next weekend.

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33 minutes ago, TrentonMakes said:

I guess I follow the Tour - but I turned on NBCSN yesterday morning about 11:30 hoping to catch the end of the stage.  Uh... apparently it starts next weekend.

I think that they delayed the Tour because of the World Cup.

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Yeah next weekend.. I follow the race but I also understand doping is still in the sport.  I believe Sky is the new Postal and people are just sick of the smoke swirling around the team and all of the posturing by the team. just like Postal...

I guess we'll see Wednesday when the appeal is ruled upon but it will make for interesting racing if he's not there. More of the same if he is...

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I kind of stopped following after Sky's first two years of winning.  Watching them, it was just much like deja vu, I've seen this script play out already and know how it ends.  Plus it just makes for boring racing, put the team on the front, wear everyone out, who ever they decide is the designated protected riders ends up in yellow.  They could pick anyone on the team to be that person and win as on very few occasions has the leader had to actually go out and fight on his own and show he's the best rider.

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I'm interested to see the ruling on this.  Vaughters says the rules are on Skye's side, but I can see why the Tour doesn't want a rider with a pending investigation to possibly win.  If he is found guilty, are the wins since the investigation started (like his Giro win) nullified?

And thanks for the explanation of the delayed Tour start.  That makes sense - I was wondering why it was later this year.

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1 minute ago, Indy said:

I kind of stopped following after Sky's first two years of winning.  Watching them, it was just much like deja vu, I've seen this script play out already and know how it ends.  Plus it just makes for boring racing, put the team on the front, wear everyone out, who ever they decide is the designated protected riders ends up in yellow.  They could pick anyone on the team to be that person and win as on very few occasions has the leader had to actually go out and fight on his own and show he's the best rider.

That's not really an accurate representation of Sky or Froome.  It was accurate with Wiggins (Froome was the stronger rider that year), but Froome has repeatedly shown in TT, climbs, descents, tactics, etc. that he is the better rider than all other challengers and teammates.  Porte (now BMC leader) and G. Thomas are both considered top notch potential GC guys, and Kwiatkowski & newcomer Bernal are both GC types on Sky, but Froome's performance repeatedly is top notch in Grand Tours.

I think Sky and Froome are the modern Postal and Lance.  I think history will not treat their "wins" well.  Sky - specifically the team management - is stretching and breaking every rule in the book especially with TUEs ("legal") and doping (Jiffy bag, steroids, etc.).    

Long story short, I agree that Sky/Froome are a black eye for cycling, but just like I feel LA was the best rider back in the go-go drug days of his time, Froome is the best GC rider of his era. Doping gives you wings, but you have to have skills, perseverance, a mental toughness, and tactics to augment those skills above the other folks who are doping/cheating.  

And the Tour blocking Froome was their "shit or get off the pot" message to the UCI.  Froome should have been banned way back when the positive (over-the-limit) tests came back. If it was a seemingly honest mistake, six months or whatever the minimum penalty could have been handed down - retroactive to the infraction. His Vuelta would be nullified, but he would be able to ride the TdF if it started after his time out. The UCI has no balls.

Tom 

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47 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

Well, he has been "cleared" to ride.  I'm sure it will be another just one more victory for Lance, er, I mean Froome.   :rolleyes: 

All of a sudden he was banned!  And then all of a sudden he was cleared! 

This was ridiculous at best, and the end result will only be increased suspicion.

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