Can remember a mate telling me about this freak skinny teenager kicking everyone's **** at VFL Park in the mid 90s, lapping the field, with fields containing international reps. Cadel Evans. Dad saw him win that Tour of Tassie up Mt Wellington, I think 98. Smashed Neil Stephens.
I've come across a few freaks. Used to train a little with Clively. 7th in a Vuelta as a 20yo. Out behind the moto I'd be hanging and blowing up all over the joint while Clively was breathing theough his nose. Saw lots of Dean Woods when he was a junior. Rode a state points score title I think in 1992 and he ripped everyone's legs off, went off the front for 20 laps and it was one big line chasing. Proud of that ride. Only 10 blokes out of a big field of 30 odd finished on the same lap, I was one of them but I digress.
Everyone knew Shane Kelly was going to be a champion from the time he was 14. Raced Brett Aitken as a junior. He was a freak. Danny Clark another. 40 years old and still winning six days and national events in Oz.
I've come across a few freaks. Used to train a little with Clively. 7th in a Vuelta as a 20yo. Out behind the moto I'd be hanging and blowing up all over the joint while Clively was breathing theough his nose. Saw lots of Dean Woods when he was a junior. Rode a state points score title I think in 1992 and he ripped everyone's legs off, went off the front for 20 laps and it was one big line chasing. Proud of that ride. Only 10 blokes out of a big field of 30 odd finished on the same lap, I was one of them but I digress.
Everyone knew Shane Kelly was going to be a champion from the time he was 14. Raced Brett Aitken as a junior. He was a freak. Danny Clark another. 40 years old and still winning six days and national events in Oz.
Last edited:
My takes from the Movistar documentary.
JJ Rojas is a cunning funt. The bit where he threatened to punch Dan Martin in the mouth and straighten his teeth was gold. Valverde is likeable. So is Carapaz.
Other than that the team is a ****ing rabble. The average team at the local council or a commonwealth department is more organised and aware of their role, goals and functions on a daily basis.
JJ Rojas is a cunning funt. The bit where he threatened to punch Dan Martin in the mouth and straighten his teeth was gold. Valverde is likeable. So is Carapaz.
Other than that the team is a ****ing rabble. The average team at the local council or a commonwealth department is more organised and aware of their role, goals and functions on a daily basis.
He looked fresh after the stage. It almost looked during the finale that he was just figuring out Jonas's watts. Pogi doesn't sprint like that. I've never seen him rev like he's stuck in the smallest gear going down hill.
Well, Dan is a English wannabe Irish guy so there is a near automatic urge to slap him. Same with Ben Healy. Is the midlands of England so bad that Ireland seems better?
Even though he was on the juice, like pretty much everyone else, I always liked watching Valverde.
My final week prediction.
Jonas cracks. I think he spent all the matches in the box on that final climb to the point of almost wandering into the barriers. It's amazing what the lad has done after his lay down at the Basque Country and hats off that that effort but if he pushes one more stage like that I think we're seeing a small Jonas mushroom cloud in the Alps.
Jonas cracks. I think he spent all the matches in the box on that final climb to the point of almost wandering into the barriers. It's amazing what the lad has done after his lay down at the Basque Country and hats off that that effort but if he pushes one more stage like that I think we're seeing a small Jonas mushroom cloud in the Alps.
If you don't believe in freakish physiology then what about Jonas? Broken collarbone, ribs and a collapsed lung and other complications and he wipes a couple of minutes off Pantani's record and only a minute behind Pogi. I find that to be the big story. Dude beat Lance's best time by 6 minutes on that last hill.
Pogi's had Covid a few times - UAE were hit hard during the UAE Tour at the start of the pandemic. Apparently he's had it a few times. I had it three times and then again this May. First time in May 2020 was grim. Two weeks glued to any horizontal thing I could lay on. This May, sniffles, tested positive didn't even feel that bad. Work required that a test be done so I did it to humor them. But everyone is different I guess.
I've always had the attitude that the burden of proof of doping is on those doing the testing. In a perfect world it would be on the rider but I don't think we will ever get there. Pogi was in pink for 20 days in the Giro, that's 20 tests. 12 stages in yellow in the Tour, that's another 12 tests. I know Lance dodged that bullet for 7 Tours but the burden is still there...
Besides fancing himself as a tactician, psychologist and great man manager, had AG2R riders work in the breakaway while Hndley (an overall contender) was in the break with them. Can't blame O'Connor for cracking at him when the ****head tried to justify it later. It made no sense in any way, shape or form.
Having said that O'Connor looked like a challenge to manage but that dud wasn't anywhere near close to dealing with it.
I need to qualify this. Until late in the race when I chased a bit and tried to contest a couple of sprints I sucked wheels harder than a Kardashian sucks black ****.
Hinault claims 93 when he was fit.
Guimard reckons Hinault was the biggest talent he worked with. http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8...k-extract-Guimard-on-Hinaults-brilliance.aspx
Yes, the Hindley thing had me scratching my head at the time and I know nothing of cycling race tactics.
Ben O'Connor is a management nightmare.
I got the 90 figure from this video article... a vid I stumbled on during the unspeakably dull stage after the first rest day.
What an amazing athlete. Rather prickly character, but I admire his extraordinary talent and obdurate competitive spirit, along with his intolerance for anything that would smack of "woke tosh".
Do you get the impression that riders back then were a lot more 'chunky'? Today's riders seem to look emaciated by comparison.
They were still lean. Lemond would get under 6% body fat at peak form. Riders now though get even leaner.
Can remember an article on Andrea Tafi. He got to 3.5% before the Lombardia he won, but said he’d always risk getting crook and falling off a cliff getting that low.
Can remember an article on Andrea Tafi. He got to 3.5% before the Lombardia he won, but said he’d always risk getting crook and falling off a cliff getting that low.
Similar threads
- Dorfus Dippintush
- Australia and New Zealand 2
