Team Sky - Truth or Lie?

Interesting article in this month's Cyclist on the subject of Team Sky.

Also comments on the Cycle Show on Monday night.

No, no he isn't the best rider ever. He (and especially the team) had good days and bad days, but he was smart enough to peak for the start, so he had his good days while the others were still riding themselves into form. By the time they had that form, he'd sewn it up.

Don't know why I'm even bothering responding, I don't think you're willing to listen to anything that you disagree with.

To me, in the video, the guy is "dancing" the whole time, licking his lips, pausing mid-sentence etc. The questions leading up to 5:00 are things he's familiar with.

At 5:05, when the doping question is asked, he does take a swallow and pauses, stutters a bit trying to find what to say. Looks more like someone whose mind went blank when asked "the big question".

Notice the interviewer asked a trick question.. He didn't ask about Sky and doping, rather cycling and doping...

To me it looks like he's just nervous as hell about being interviewed and then someone asks the "tough question" and the mind goes blank.. I've had this before personally.

Kerrison is the reason that I believe sky are drug free. If it comes out that they are doping I will be sorely disappointed purely because the next gen of cyclists will be crushed as there heroes aren't who they claim to be

Not fair!

Very few people in the UK are crying foul after Andy Murray's great Wimbledon victory this year, so why should everyone be on Frome's back after his great stage wins so far in the TDF.

I completely understand some scepticism for historical reasons, but when the testing regime is so much more rigorous in cycling than in, for example tennis, and team sky so upfront about their training and performance, why it's frustrating that cycling gets singled out in this way.

I know this is always going to happen after the legacy of LA, and others, plus UCI's previously dubious policing of the sport, but it does get my goat!

I'd say ours much more likely for British sportsmen in, say, athletics, to be found guilty of doping today, than it is for British cyclists..

http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/7449/funny/simply-impossible-levels-of-jou...

I don't think I should have bothered posting above but I'll leave it out of politeness. Clearly we differ in view.

However I posted this in the comments on today's stage in the news section and it seems relevant.

One thing I don't get with all those so quick to shout 'drugs' at every win, etc
Why bother watching if it's all doom and gloom?
posted by Super Domestique [1228 posts] 14th July 2013 - 18:43

1) Tea stop says 'non-bike' related stuff. This is clearly bike related.

2) that comment makes no sense.

3) I was bored by the point being missed.

My final comment was just showing that I knew 'why' you'd posted. However, the classic 'tongue poke' (I counted 2) is a sign of dislike. According to body language experts this stems from childhood and being fed food we didn't like the taste of.

1) so biking content then.

2) so either all are doping at the top of GC or none are. That is what you are saying, right?

3) yawn.

I will agree he didn't look comfortable BTW, although most in cycling don't do except David Millar when talking on it tbh.

1) shouldn't this be in the bike section?

2) Team Sky's great one day, fall apart the next looks pretty clean to me. Either that or they need a refund!

3) Climb well and TT well? Possible. Big Mig anyone?

I'm not a fanboy. Was fairly bored by Skys tactic, been more a supporter recently for various reasons ncluding some more exciting racing and their (often) positive (for want of better phrase!) effect on cycling in the UK.*

* not including overly large MAMILs

In the end mate its your choice what you want to believe or not and i respect your views - sorry about the chip bit

Unless one of the Sky boys is caught with epo or whatever i will continue to believe they are clean.

Wiggins I could believe - massively strong endurance rider on the track who won the TdF because it translated to TT efforts and he had protection in the hills from a brilliant team.

Froome(/Porte) I want to believe but have my doubts - had he just transformed himself into one of the world's best climbers, that would be one thing, but to blitz the TT too?

daddyelvis, i didn't cut and paste from any forum. It was a lift from another rider's interview, there was nothing in it about Lemond so please dont try and twist to suit.

As for balance, you seem to be level headed, is that due to a chip on both shoulders about Sky

Sometimes people just see what they want to see.

@Stumpy - Right, and that's just the stuff they're willing to discuss!

@daddyelvis, no-one's suggesting that the peloton is completely clean, but like Paul Kimmage, you seem to have a thing about Team Sky, in the face of a complete lack, not just of evidence, but even of 'I roomed with x and saw him doping' rumours. I think there are several more obvious candidates for your cynicism.

I'm no expert but I'd say he was choosing his words carefully, and with good reason!

It's been argued before that traditional winter training isn't perfect and using races as training has some notable flaws. The weather in early spring is mostly crap, the riders pick up viruses from the bad weather and the cowshit they ride through (which inevitably gets in their digestive system), there's the stress of travel and competition and so on.

Brad's last book mentions his change in TT cadence but I wouldn't read too much into that being the only reason. It wasn't a huge change in cadence and will not have been the only thing they worked on. Also, he won't be willing to tell his rivals what else he changed (and which may have even made a bigger difference).

Fretting about whether Sky are doping would spoil my enjoyment of the race. They have reiterated their 'clean' stance enough times and their much-criticised hardline policy saw the departure of some key staff so they weren't afraid to (belatedly) make some tough decisions. If they are doping then it would be suicidal for all concerned and have repercussions of immense proportions for both BC's well funded Olympic programme and pro cycling as a whole.