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Le Tour de France.


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Hope Wiggins will have difficulties in the mountains or it's going to be quite boring to watch the tour if there is no more suspense lol. Team sky is really impressing though. I have a question, is the Tour de France very popular in the UK or is there just a wiggins-mania ?

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Hope Wiggins will have difficulties in the mountains or it's going to be quite boring to watch the tour if there is no more suspense lol. Team sky is really impressing though. I have a question, is the Tour de France very popular in the UK or is there just a wiggins-mania ?

It's growing, the recent success of British riders has helped the tour grow over here. On another note, how are the French media reacting to Sky's dominance so far? The impression I'm getting is everyone seems to think that Wiggins and Froome are doping over there?

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It's growing, the recent success of British riders has helped the tour grow over here. On another note, how are the French media reacting to Sky's dominance so far? The impression I'm getting is everyone seems to think that Wiggins and Froome are doping over there?

That appears limited to Belgium and Italy. France have Madiot and Pinot to keep them happy for a while!

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It's growing, the recent success of British riders has helped the tour grow over here. On another note, how are the French media reacting to Sky's dominance so far? The impression I'm getting is everyone seems to think that Wiggins and Froome are doping over there?

People are quite suspicious tbh. Everyone remember the days of the US postal dominance... But time will tell if the team Sky used dope or no. But if that's the case we may have to wait a few years just like for armstrong and contador lol. People are bored of doping. Wiggins and Froome in the top 3, their total dominance at La planche des Belles filles as well as their very impressive time at the contre la montre today... They are either on top form and very well trained for the Tour, which is possible, or they might be doping, and that is also possible. I just hope they are not doping, it would rotten the tour, just like with amstrong <cr>

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That appears limited to Belgium and Italy. France have Madiot and Pinot to keep them happy for a while!

It's alway popular in France, even if we have good or bad riders ! I hoped Voeckler would do a good Tour but he injured his knees before the start in Liege thus he was not 100%...

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It's alway popular in France, even if we have good or bad riders ! I hoped Voeckler would do a good Tour but he injured his knees before the start in Liege thus he was not 100%...

He tried to attack yesterday but was soon caught, and subsequently dropped off the back. Chavanel may nick a stage after the two big days in the Alps.

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I don't believe for one second that any of team sky are doping. Utter madness to think othwrwise.

If anyone is doping in Sky then fingers will be pointed at each and every one of the team sky crew. Right down to Pendleton and Hoy.

So.. There is no way that doping is going on there. Crazy talk!

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I wouldn’t say cycling was that popular beyond the tour in the uk, Cav and Wiggins have lifted the profile, but I think people find it boring. On the sky subject, I post on an American forum where there is a guy who was an ex pro (He knows is stuff and I enjoy listening to his stories/thoughts) He is adamant that sky are doping, he says there is no way people like Richie Porte and Michael Rodgers should be destroying the field like the other day, he also mentions froome's TT yesterday. I don’t believe Wiggins is doping (especially after the other day’s press conference) however the comparisons to USPS can’t be ignored. I don’t think it helps sky that they are the new kids on the block. Hopefully nothing in it though!

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I don't believe for one second that any of team sky are doping. Utter madness to think othwrwise.

If anyone is doping in Sky then fingers will be pointed at each and every one of the team sky crew. Right down to Pendleton and Hoy.

So.. There is no way that doping is going on there. Crazy talk!

Given what has gone on before, it can't be dismissed completely, however, as you point out, that would implicate a lot of riders. I think that Brailsford and his team have done something to cycling, on both the track and the road, akin to what the Spaniards have done with football. They've approached it with a totally different mentality towards training, nutrition, bike technology and attitude and the rest of the world/teams are now playing catch-up.

As with everything, jealousy is the prime motivator in the whispering campaign and Twitter accusations.

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Surely they wouldn't be daft enough to use anything this close to the Olympics?

Sadly, Doping is about pushing to the limit what they can get away with, If they think they have a doping system that won’t show up then they will do it, Just look at EPO, people thought they could get away with it and then all of a sudden it could be traced. The thing with doping is it isn’t just taking a few injections, it’s a complex system of blood transfusions, diet, and training etc.As with the drink driving limit it affects everyone different, so riders will dope until they reach the governing body threshold. The way I look at 'clean' riders isn’t in the sense you would think i.e. they are taking PED's but in such small quantities that it will never show up in tests. For example if you look at photos of cadel or andy schlek from years ago and compare them to their current self you will notice differences i.e. Their chins are allot more square(A common trait of drug use). Just my personnel opinion and imp sure many will disagree

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French police have raided the Cofidis team hotel and arrested Remy Di Gregorio, 35th place overall, on suspicion of doping substances trafficking.

EDIT: Cofidis suspend Di Gregorio but continue with the tour in fairness to the other riders. Di Gregorio appears to have ordered supplies from a dealer.....using a bugged phone!

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Sadly, Doping is about pushing to the limit what they can get away with, If they think they have a doping system that won’t show up then they will do it, Just look at EPO, people thought they could get away with it and then all of a sudden it could be traced. The thing with doping is it isn’t just taking a few injections, it’s a complex system of blood transfusions, diet, and training etc.As with the drink driving limit it affects everyone different, so riders will dope until they reach the governing body threshold. The way I look at 'clean' riders isn’t in the sense you would think i.e. they are taking PED's but in such small quantities that it will never show up in tests. For example if you look at photos of cadel or andy schlek from years ago and compare them to their current self you will notice differences i.e. Their chins are allot more square(A common trait of drug use). Just my personnel opinion and imp sure many will disagree

I always look at the face of the riders after they do something spectacular. I clearly remember Andy Schleck not looking much tired after climbing quite easily at the Alpes d'Huez last year while Voeckler was completely red-faced and trying to catch his breath :lol:

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I always look at the face of the riders after they do something spectacular. I clearly remember Andy Schleck not looking much tired after climbing quite easily at the Alpes d'Huez last year while Voeckler was completely red-faced and trying to catch his breath :lol:

That doesn't necessarily point to doping on Schleck's part. He's a far superior climber to Voeckler. The Frenchman is red-faced and fucked this year and the real big stuff is still to come.

If anyone is caught they should face the consequences, but using a scatter-gun approach to accusations is just as bad.

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That doesn't necessarily point to doping on Schleck's part. He's a far superior climber to Voeckler. The Frenchman is red-faced and fucked this year and the real big stuff is still to come.

If anyone is caught they should face the consequences, but using a scatter-gun approach to accusations is just as bad.

(tu).

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Stage 10 - Mountain Stage - Macon~Bellegarde-sur-Valserine

194.5km - comprising of 75km of flat, easy ground, a relatively simple Cat. 2 climb, an even easier Cat. 3 climb with a downhill run to the finish before kicking up in the final kilometre.....oh, and sandwiched in between those two peaks, the Hors Categorie Col de Grand Colombier, a 17.5km monster of a climb with an average gradient of 7.1°.

This is where the likes of Evans, Nibali and Van Den Broeck will, if they are able, launch an attack on Wiggins and his Sky team. Given that there is still a good distance after the Colombier to the finish, any dangerous breakaway may be reeled in.

Allez Wiggo!

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Big stage today,perhaps not climb wise but after a day off the big guns will be up for it! Watch nibali on the descents.he will be like sh*t off a shovel!

Vincenzo Nibali: "I don't have expectations on today's stage! Serious things will start tomorrow!"
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