Lance won a race in Netherlands

TrekDedicated said:

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Word

Don't get too excited- read the following

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Perro Loco said:

Don't get too excited- read the following

cyclingnews.comfeaturesOpen ↗

Sounds like the exhibition tennis matches that I use to go watch when I was younger, McEnroe vs Vilas. The outcome was usually decided before they played the match.

Jakebrake said:

Sounds like the exhibition tennis matches that I use to go watch when I was younger, McEnroe vs Vilas. The outcome was usually decided before they played the match.

interesting story...never knew this existed!
but at least its good $

That's just bizarre! I'd heard about the crits that the riders do following the TdF before. But I had no idea they were fixed! It kinda defeats the purpose of having a "competition" doesn't it? Strange!

meehs said:

That's just bizarre! I'd heard about the crits that the riders do following the TdF before. But I had no idea they were fixed! It kinda defeats the purpose of having a "competition" doesn't it? Strange!

well, i'm from Belgium, and the article points out correctly, that it's part of folklore.. Most spectators are aware that it's fixed.. By the way, not only these after TdF criteriums are fixed, also other races in the 'Kermesse' circuit are often fixed in some way or another.. Not upfront, but according to the situation in the race, money is being paid (for instance in the lead group) .. Money being paid in cycling isn't an exception by the way.. In the last Tour de Suisse, Lotto Domo (with McEwen) promised the Bookmaker-Palmans team a bonus of 5.000euro if they would provide help in chasing the lead group .. These things happen.

lyot said:

well, i'm from Belgium, and the article points out correctly, that it's part of folklore.. Most spectators are aware that it's fixed.. By the way, not only these after TdF criteriums are fixed, also other races in the 'Kermesse' circuit are often fixed in some way or another.. Not upfront, but according to the situation in the race, money is being paid (for instance in the lead group) .. Money being paid in cycling isn't an exception by the way.. In the last Tour de Suisse, Lotto Domo (with McEwen) promised the Bookmaker-Palmans team a bonus of 5.000euro if they would provide help in chasing the lead group .. These things happen.

I wonder if any of this is done in the Tour de France. I know that certain riders and teams agree to help each other toward a common objective at times, probably usually on the fly, but I wonder if they ever exchange money for it.

gntlmn said:

I wonder if any of this is done in the Tour de France. I know that certain riders and teams agree to help each other toward a common objective at times, probably usually on the fly, but I wonder if they ever exchange money for it.

I honestly don't know if it still happens nowaday (since it has become much more important to win a stage in the TdF) but I've heard it happened earlier in history ( in the eighties for instance)..