Giro d’Italia 2018

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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.
 
Less than a week to go. No ITV4 coverage again. As usual Eurosport will do a great job. Anyone else looking forward to this?
 
I would be looking forward to this if ITV4 covered it (I don't have Eurosport).

But that aside, it just doesn't seem right to me that Giro d'ITALIA isn't all raced in Italia! Has someone misspelt 'Italia' so badly that it's come out as 'Israel'!? Predictive text perhaps?

For what it's worth (not much) I have the same opinion about the other main national tours such as France and Spain.

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.

The Tour of Yorkshire doesn't quite sound as glamorous as The Tour de France.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItcedKDZF0E
 
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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.
 
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.

....Note that I did write "in my opinion" and "for what it's worth (not much)".

I do understand the greatly increased commercial value as well as publicity and popularity gained by including different countries. I am only expressing my purist view and preference that the Tour de France and other national Tours should follow their original tradition which started long before the 1970s and remain in their own countries.

But this is only an opinion anyway and of little importance. It is what it is and I shall enjoy watching it anyway the same as you do. :)
 
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.
 
Im happy for tours to start in other countries although they should be bordering the nation not vaguely in the same continent. TdF had 3 Uk stages IIRC not much difference to starting it in Corsica or the Giro starting in Sicily.
But starting the Giro in Ireland as it has and Israel is daft and purely for commercial gain Its not adding to the race

Enjoyed the monuments and spring classics this year, Giro for the next fix.
 
TdF had 3 Uk stages IIRC not much difference to starting it in Corsica or the Giro starting in Sicily.


Although the last time I looked, Corsica's part of France and Sicily's part of Italy while the UK isn't part of France despite Billy the B@stard's efforts a thousand or so years ago.
 
Doesn't this year's TDF start in France? Dusseldorf last year must have been great fun.
Will be in Paris when the race is on and looking forward to watching it, also noticed that the SNCF strike action finishes just before the race begins
 
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.
No mechanical assistance . They sometimes took a train or rode behind cars. But I suppose that dose not count.
 
One day a Grand Tour will start on turbo trainers in the International Space Station if they can get the right sponsorship deal in place.

It's going to be a strange one to watch with the threat of a retrospective ban hanging over Froome.

I got an entire year of Eurosport for £1.99 on Black Friday...
 
I'll give the first few days in Israel a miss and pick up when it really starts, for me in Italy. Hopefully nobody going for the win has dropped out by then.
 
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.
 
It is suggested that Yates will need at least 2 minutes over Dumoulin to compensate for the Time trail stage.
 
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.
 
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.

Agree 100%.
 
Yates did well yesterday.


He did a very impressive time trial, this Giro is going to come right down to the wire. It looks as though today could favour the sprinters or maybe a breakaway, but Thursday, Friday and Saturday will really make the legs ache, and Yates will have to counter attacks from Dennis, Froome, Doumoulin at the very least.
 
Not sure Froomes much of a threat, did a good TT yesterday but 4 minutes is a lot to pull back even over 3 mountain stages. Got to hope the YY didnt take too much from Yates but enough from Doumoulin that he cant attack, not looked too good on the hills so far. Be good to have another topflight british contender
 
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.

The minuscule amount of Clem that Contador was sanctioned for also had no performance benefit to him either. But he lost a Tour for it.
 
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.

Roy, have you thought that if there was no performance advantage, then all these athletes would not be taking TUE's?
Do you remember Shane Sutton's words to the parliamentary enquiry, when he justified the use of TUE's to get an athlete competitive?
There are so called "experts" out there who say that athletes do not get any performance advantage from EPO - that is just laughable.
Shane Sutton used to work for both Team Sky and British Cycling.

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
 
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Cant ban an athlete that has a limited career span for up to 18 months. Never get away with that in any other industry. What needs to happen is investigations need to be quick - 1 month or so - from start to finish so that a decision is made and not left hanging from months and months.
 

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 ?
 
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 ?


Seriously???
Norway created quite a stir amongst other nations at the last Winter Olympics, when they rocked up with around 6000 doses of asthma medication - strange when you consider how fit and healthy these athletes should be.

http://norwaytoday.info/sport/norway-sent-6000-asthma-doses-olympics/

Then you have the FACT that Salbutamol (which Chris Froome takes) is on WADA's list of proscribed drugs, which means that it is prohibited at all times - except when you have a TUE provided by the team doctor.

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/content/what-is-prohibited/prohibited-at-all-times/beta-2-agonists

This is what WADA says about Salbutamol - they are the experts remember.

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/4053/salbutamol-can-be-performance-enhancing-says-wada
 
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Amazing.

After Yates was closer than expected to Dumoulin in the time trial, I thought he had the race in the bag. And I think he would have deserved it. But yesterday it was worrying that Dumoulin got away from him on the climb, and today - wow, he totally imploded. I feel really sorry for him.
 
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
 
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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)
 
Quite a ride from froome but the way he’s been up some days and down the next plus all the questions over him you can’t help,wondering ..??
Such a shame for Yates but he’s had a good tour up until now and should be proud of his achievements so far. I really like tom dumoulins style and the way he rides, he just keeps on going - he’s nothing to prove as he’s already won it , ur he’s a class rider I think .
 
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