GrantSeltzer said:

Well he does talk about the actual differences in training, and nutrition to optimize for that.

I watched the video. Other than saying there "were" differences I don't recall him talking about them specifically. Then again my memory sucks...

Ooof, this hurts: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/michel-hessmann-suspended-by-jumbo-visma-following-anti-doping-positive/

Jules said:

I'm glad he's talking at length again, but I find the interview pretty frustrating. If the difference between his era and today is slightly lighter riders, how are they staying so lean?

It's as if I heard the voices of a thousand skeptical fans cry out at once, and then go silent...

Exactly how I look after  a 12k climb and 4.5 hours of racing , fuck ! These lads aren’t even sweating 

What in the hell just happened in the Vuelta today??

Sepp needs to go have a conversation with Greg Lemond.

We'll see tomorrow. You know, team vibes.

On the cycling podcast they have been playing the succession theme tune , predicting this in fighting 
I’m not sure who Kendal is , Sep is obvs Roman 

Remco = kendal as he screams "I'M THE BELGIUM BOY"

Is this where we’re officially talking Vuelta?

David Yang said:

Is this where we’re officially talking Vuelta?

https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/vuelta-a-espana/2023/two-huge-egos-jonas-vingegaard-and-primoz-roglic-slammed-by-adam-blythe-for-sepp-kuss-treatment-at-v_sto9794832/story.shtml

Well, if you are then...

Ultimately, this is up to the team bosses.  I think they'd want Kuss to win, if, for no other reason than to assert control over the team--they probably want to make sure that each rider gives 100% for the team, and by letting the riders play games, they might see the advantage of withholding a bit.  And to protect the egos of Roglic and Vingegaard--If one has two Grand Tour wins this year, the other might demand that next year. 

other thought I had is that the bosses may not want Sepp to win for fear that he may start making demands to be a GC leader rather than his role as domestique from Jonas and Primoz. They choose not to give him what he wants and then come the end of his contract they could find themselves losing a very important player in the grand tour dominations

I haven't finished today's stage, but I'd be pissed if I were Sepp and Primoz and Jonas take the jersey just because they can.  There were plenty of stages in the past he could have been in the mix with them, but followed team orders instead.  

@GregHoge that's exactly what Dan Lloyd and Adam Blythe said on Eurosport yesterday. 

Prediction: Kuss' lead reduced to 0.0015 seconds.

Meanwhile, what does this mean? Get me a brioche? I need a brioche stat. 

It was a "O" for this wife Oumi.  

GregHoge said:

It was a "O" for this wife Oumi.  

That’s what he wants you to think, but secretly he really wants a brioche.

Matt Budofsky said:

other thought I had is that the bosses may not want Sepp to win for fear that he may start making demands to be a GC leader rather than his role as domestique from Jonas and Primoz. They choose not to give him what he wants and then come the end of his contract they could find themselves losing a very important player in the grand tour dominations

I think it's the other way around. The more GC contenders a team has, the more downward pressure on compensation. If they team has one, he can more or less call the shots. Three? The team gets to play the "you're getting old, and Kuss is only getting better" card.

I think it’s fully dependent on management (and Jumbo definitely did a poor job at La Vuelta). Movistar is another example where they had multiple gc riders and it was a complete mess and all but Mas left

Amateurs. They clearly should have tried honeybadger...

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/marine-worm-haemoglobin-could-be-the-new-frontier-of-blood-doping/

Prolly seen this, but I love Lemond's observation about the mutliple bike changes and how Indurain was dirty.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xq5PQvBFvI&t=3503s

Olympian.  Multi-time national champion.  One-time hour record holder.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ketones-are-bad-for-cyclings-credibility-warns-totalenergies-team-manager/

"“Everyone is aware ketones are in use among several teams but nobody knows what they really are. It's ironic. Teams who say they take ketones pretend they’re not enhancing performances. So why do they take them?”

“I meet quite a few CEOs who are concerned about ketones, CEOs of very, very important companies in Asia, who are strict about rules, ethics and transparency,” Bernaudeau said.

“Cycling has the potential to be the world's number one sport but has no real global sponsors,” Bernaudeau added, highlighting how Richard Plugge struggled to find new backers despite Jumbo-Visma winning all three Grand Tours in 2023.

“I feel sorry they can't find bigger sponsors. I have nothing against them, I just would like the biggest team to have the biggest sponsors.”

^it's a valid point, and one that highlights some deep embedded hypocrisy in sport. Performance enhancements are fine if they're with an exclusive manufacturer, but not if the manufacturer is a pharmaceutical company, except sometimes it's fine.

One thing I cannot stand though is the "I speak to lots of CEO's" line. Reads too much like a McCarthyist list - I have the names but I won't tell you. If the CEO's are that concerned they'd go on the record.

Really , cycling would be the biggest sport in the world , if it wasn't for ketones

"I never did intervals" lol!
Yeah no shit; what did you call the stuff you did....?

https://youtu.be/6CozFLOtHRc?si=Ej6WcoEYYrjVAQ2C

Time to dust off the fainting couch...

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/operation-ilex-report-suggests-athletes-are-still-gaming-the-system-a-la-armstrong/

Mark Taylor said:

One for @Jules

Spanish champion credits altitude camp, Movistar's improvements in training, nutrition

That's rich. Link?