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Massively disappointed to see that this year’s Giro starts in Israel. I always look forward to the first of the Grand Tours too.
The Tour de France has kick started the Tour of Yorkshire big time but nevertheless should never have included England in its itinerary in my opinion.
Why on earth not?
I have been following the TdF since the early seventies, and starting the race in different countries - Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Monaco, Luxembourg etc. has been quite common as it provides the race with extra publicity. I watched the start in Rouen, France in 1997, and the London start in 2007, and the huge crowds and atmosphere at both was unbelievable.
TdF had 3 Uk stages IIRC not much difference to starting it in Corsica or the Giro starting in Sicily.
I would be looking forward to this if ITV4 covered it (I don't have Eurosport).
There is a highlights show on freeview through the Quest channel.
http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/2735/...-free-to-air-tv-with-jonathan-edwards-as-host
No mechanical assistance . They sometimes took a train or rode behind cars. But I suppose that dose not count.Looking forward to this lots.
The spring classics are great but nothing beats a 21 day tour with lots of mountains.
Personally I think it should be ridden on single speeds with boiler tube frames and definitely no mechanical assistance.- like in the good old days.
Really enjoying the race so far. Simon Yates is looking very good, but he’s not safe from Tom Dumoulin.
I’m glad Froome is already out of contention.
I don't think Froome should be racing, I think it makes a mockery of the sport. I also think that the UK press are unbelievably hypocritical about UK athletes who are under suspicion/investigation over doping offences, or have actually doped.
Yates did well yesterday.
Agree 100%.
I was doubting Froome like you and then I talked to someone who knows (really knows) pharmaceuticals. (a Dr with a Phd who is a consultant within the industry) and he ridiculed the suggestion that Frome could gain a performance advantage from this asthma treatment. I have to conclude (as he does) that this is about selling newspapers, discrediting Sky and therefore Froome. Here you have a a World class athlete who is going to get ‘dragged’ under by malicious tittle-tattle and insane pressure on anti-drug agencies to look tough.
I was doubting Froome like you and then I talked to someone who knows (really knows) pharmaceuticals. (a Dr with a Phd who is a consultant within the industry) and he ridiculed the suggestion that Frome could gain a performance advantage from this asthma treatment. I have to conclude (as he does) that this is about selling newspapers, discrediting Sky and therefore Froome. Here you have a a World class athlete who is going to get ‘dragged’ under by malicious tittle-tattle and insane pressure on anti-drug agencies to look tough.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...shane-sutton-bradley-wiggins-jason-cundy-tues
The Italian sprinter Allesandro Pettachi was suspended for having a lot less Salbutamol than Chris Froome in his system.
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/petacchi-banned-for-salbutamol-positive-96336
But does this prove they are getting a performance advantage ? or does it show that athletes are falling foul of petty, draconion anti-drug legislation ? Remember the scottish skier who used a Vick inhaler for nasel congestion and had his Olympic medal taken away ?
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/28/asthma-elite-athletes-study-swimmers-cyclist-eid
Hmm ? Snip from that last link:
" There is also no testing that shows inhaled salbutamol to show benefits for athletes. How exactly exceeding this limit of salbutamol could indicate unfair performance gains is, therefore, not as obvious as it might seem."
Frooming good show.
amazing and unbelievable.
I don`t know if Froome is on anything but hopefully all tests from Giro are clear
(out here in France, any Frenchman you talk to is convinced Froome is on "something" - but they would think that wouldn't they)
Sad for Yates, it may/could really affect him, (now 18th in GC, almost 36 mins down)......... but I'm not a fan of Froome