I just assumed everyone is doping and that it was a given that the playing field is more or less level in that regard.

is everyone is doping, then the field is far from level. in fact, if doping is in the picture, it is as far from level as possible.

And today's stage winner is .........a teenage doper 

I agree that this was a beautiful display of sportsmanship, but each race has a different Commissaire that sets the tone just like our local races (not!)... Also, Porte's an Aussi.

“They [Sky] maintained the penalty was unfair but that’s the rule and the commissaires have put out a communique where the rule is outlined clearly,” Vegni said. “For the first offence, it’s two minutes, for the second it’s five, for the third it’s ten and I believe for a fourth offence, the penalty is expulsion. So it’s not like they can say: ‘We’ll give you a discount, we’ll give you 1:30.’ http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bardiani-csf-ignore-mpcc-cortisol-regulations-at-giro-ditalia

LOL

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/giro-ditalia/twitter-goes-into-meltdown-over-contador-helmet-removal-172756

It's not really sportsmanship, as Clarke was way down on time, and thus not a rival.  Clarke is also a countryman, and benefits from Porte's UCI points at the Worlds. Further Orica-Greenedge has expressed interest in signing Porte, so it could have just been a way to curry favor.

It's also completely different than Contador removing his helmet.  Porte was losing time, and Clarke was trying to save him from that.  

And Contador served his doping ban, "losing" a tour and giro title.  Sentence served, as per the rules, he's back.  It's that Rebellin wasn't welcome that is more to the point when we discuss Contador's presence.

Yes, rules are inconsistently applied.  It is the price of human interaction.  I'd like it to be better, but it's hard.  Especially when we're probably dealing with different commissaires in every race.  

In other polemics...

While I understand the value of sleeping consistently in the same bed for three weeks, a motorhome?  Because a parking lot is a quiet and peaceful  place to sleep, said no one.  ever.

I sometimes find flawed officiating part of the charm of any sport.  I was a big basketball fan many moons ago (now only casual, and mostly only the Knicks and Eastern Conference), and every season the playoffs were pock marked with shitty foul calls or missed violations - almost as if, gasp, the officials were throwing the games.  In some instances, namely baseball, technology can do a better job than the human officials, and in fact act as supplemental officials (e.g. video reviews in pretty much every ball sport now).  

Anyway, I have no real horse in this race.  Some people get their kicks from following the fictional soap opera drama of hulks fighting each other in pro-wrestling, and others get their jollies from watching emaciated stick figures in tights pedal bikes for 3 weeks through European mountains.

Holy schmoly, I just noticed that the Giro has a 59.4K ITT. Wowswers.

Tomorrow's stage is a must-watch. It's got a monster climb with unpaved sections. 
http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/video/video-gcn-previews-giro-stage-20-and-the-colle-delle-finestre_372106

This entire race has been a must watch , fantastic 

Mark Taylor said:

This entire race has been a must watch , fantastic 

I agree mark, Contador is a masterclass. How he chased back and passed Aru on the climb a couple of days ago was incredible. 

This Giro has been the most outward display of doping in recent years. Really, Contodoper dropped after being attacked when he had a mechanical then solos up the entire field and drops everyone??  Really, for a week Aru couldn't climb a mole hill and then he solos off the front to win today at a canter?  Really, the entire of Astana has not been tired all week and always has 4 guys on every climb?  Really, Amador's success (i.e. never been top ten in a grand tour) is down to "weight loss"??  Hesjedal in the break EVERY day and not getting slower (in fact getting faster??) over 3 weeks??

Come on peeps!  This is even bad for cycling standards.  Would love to be wrong, but......I am not.  Just using historical evidence here: Cantador= convicted doper, Hesjedal= admitted doper, Astana= Team of convicted dopers.

Really, really good fun to watch though.  So I am not too bothered!

Adam I concur....with a caveat, it's not just Amador's weight loss, it's also his higher cadence pedaling style = duh.  Cycling has become wrestling on wheels.  As confirmation  of this and in the pursuit of marginal gains, I offer you....wait for it...face covers.  Below you will find Astana, Garmin and Tinkov version.

Patrick and I were discussing Contador's racing tactics. #reasonablepeoplecandisagree And while I love watching him race, I think he does not race in a tactically sound way. His spirit and fight are to be admired, but his tactics are not to be emulated. I think.

Most recently, his bizarre flight from a group that had he stayed in, he would have saved energy for following days. Yes, he gained additional minutes against his rivals (which he subsequently lost, natch), but at what cost?

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/contador-shows-weakness-but-giro-win-in-sight_372233

Would he have been able to ride more strongly yesterday or today, had he not gone on the great escape? I don't know. No one can truly know the answer to that question. However, we all know, with no question, that he was never going to bridge a 9 minute gap in 30k, never ever, EVER. Even he had to know that.

And today, when his directors are offering him gels and bottles? Our hunger/thirst centers don't always work properly. In the hospital, for example, we see, in older folks, a condition called, "failure to thrive" which starts with an elderly person not eating/drinking properly just because they don't "feel" hungry or thirsty. It doesn't mean they don't need, desperately, the nutrition.

He denies "bonking" today, but after a few days of perhaps under eating/hydrating, coupled with going deep on the "what the what?!" stage. I think it's possible it just took it's toll.

I don't know. It's easy to criticize, but from my rocking chair, that's kind of how I see it.

Now, I do honestly hope he recovers well, because I want to see some exciting racing at Le Tour. Not a Contador who is "relegated" to say 5th place because #tired #dopeytactics

The reason why I'm posting this is because I do want you to be careful with your own racing tactics. There is a time and place for being aggressive and attacking your opponents, but there is also a time when you sit within the comfort of the draft of a peloton. Not always easy to know when to do either, but you know...think before you attack!

@yacks

actua-lol

I dunno @Marc, but somewhere after someone's fifth or sixth Grand Tour win I'm more or less ready to admit they've got this bike-tactics thing down cold, if not super-frosty.

Jules said:

I dunno @Marc, but somewhere after someone's fifth or sixth Grand Tour win I'm more or less ready to admit they've got this bike-tactics thing down cold, if not super-frosty.

Yeah, good point!

Looking ahead to the tour, I can't see how el pistolero is going to manage the hat trick.  

Well I guess I can, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he has passed that stage in his career...

Marc Bertucco said:

He denies "bonking" today

Regardless, everything a grand tour contender says in the press is to be taken with a grain of salt (or many grains)

--- their statements, and attitudes off the bike, are part of the strategy. This is a tradition that is several decades old.

eloy said:

Marc Bertucco said:

He denies "bonking" today

Regardless, everything a grand tour contender says in the press is to be taken with a grain of salt (or many grains)

--- their statements, and attitudes off the bike, are part of the strategy. This is a tradition that is several decades old.

Very true - although we've seen just about every variant from total a-hole to indifference; I do think think that 'Berto has consistently shown the most respect for his competitors of the bunch.

Crafted fiction or heartfelt honesty?  I appreciate it either way.

I'm not going to weigh in on whether or how doped the various top riders are.  that written, I haven't seen any analysis of their VAM or w/kg so just watching these guys ride is not much of a tell.  I agree that 'Berto fading (a bit) on the last two mountain stages seems more plausible than Aru's sudden turn of form.  Hesjedal has never been explosive and he churned away at the right moments, though I thought when he came back from his doping admission, his days at the front were over. 

Jules said:

I dunno @Marc, but somewhere after someone's fifth or sixth Grand Tour win I'm more or less ready to admit they've got this bike-tactics thing down cold, if not super-frosty.

Old one nut (h/t to Myles) was terrible tactically until he linked up with Bruyneel.  Having Johan in his ear was a huge benefit.

With el Pistola, I think the only big tactical blunder I've seen him make was when he was riding as teammates with Lance and he missed the split toward the end of stage 3, I think, of the 2009 tour.  And his big mistake there was not thinking Lance would stab his co-leader so publicly so early.  

to me, the only thing I questioned was Tinkoff riding so hard at the front the first week.  They had climbers like Rogers and Basso, yet they rode like BMC did when Evans was the leader; take control on the flats because they didn't think they could do as much on the hills.  'Berto took seconds when he could, and minutes when he could.  That he lost a few minutes to Aru at the end was no big deal; he was tired, but it didn't seem like he was riding ragged.  

eloy said:

Marc Bertucco said:

He denies "bonking" today

Regardless, everything a grand tour contender says in the press is to be taken with a grain of salt (or many grains)

--- their statements, and attitudes off the bike, are part of the strategy. This is a tradition that is several decades old.

Remember he broke his leg in the 2014 Tour?  And then won the Vuelta.  And he separated his shoulder in the first week of the Giro?  Did the team over-play them in the press?  I wouldn't be surprised if they did.  

Contador has won Grand Tours with Discovery, Astana, Saxo, Tinkov, with very different teammates, support staffs, directors, etc.  He's won with late attacks, long attacks, in time trials.  He's got to be one tough mutha.  And he hides that pretty well.

I honestly believe that he brought squad 2 for support really Basso and Rodgers has his main support guys saving his best team for the tour 
excuse me not paying attention but ,Landa wher

Sorry, where did Landa come from

I disagree with Marc B, I think Astana had worse tactics specifically on stage 20th when they dropped AC. Aru and Landa should have worked together ttt style to try and distance themselves from conta as much as possible. Maybe it doesn't  work out but it would have been nice to see them go all out to try and win the giro and not just worry about a stage. According to landa on the spanish press the team car stopped him from going alone and told him to wait for aru. 

All in all being Costa Rican it was the most beautiful grand tour. 4th place is historical of biblical proportions. #VamosAndrey

Mark Taylor said:

I honestly believe that he brought squad 2 for support really Basso and Rodgers has his main support guys saving his best team for the tour 
excuse me not paying attention but ,Landa wher

Landa? What do you mean?  He's totally been at the front these past four years.  I mean anyone with two professional victories should expected to place on the podium at the Giro.

David Gardiner said:

All in all being Costa Rican it was the most beautiful grand tour. 4th place is historical of biblical proportions. #VamosAndrey

Was in Quepos during the Time Trial, walking down the street a key copy little shack was playing the stage on a old school tube tv.

I stopped, was offered beer, and made friends "esos Venezolanos, siempre buenos en la montaña" --- haha, not me, I said.

This niche sport not niche anymore. Awesome defined.

 

eloy said:

David Gardiner said:

All in all being Costa Rican it was the most beautiful grand tour. 4th place is historical of biblical proportions. #VamosAndrey

Was in Quepos during the Time Trial, walking down the street a key copy little shack was playing the stage on a old school tube tv.

I stopped, was offered beer, and made friends "esos Venezolanos, siempre buenos en la montaña" --- haha, not me, I said.

This niche sport not niche anymore. Awesome defined.

 

SO jealous you were in cr. Saw all the beach instagrams.

Here is a great article on amador
http://inthedrops.net/2015/05/31/who-is-andrey-amador/

Stage 8, today il Giro arrived in my home town! Had to share proudly...! 

Quite the hill. Could almost be mistaken for San Francisco!

Jeffrey White said:

Quite the hill. Could almost be mistaken for San Francisco!

ha that is true...