| He’s smashed Pantani’s record 16:36 - Jul 24 with 2033 views | BelsteadCav |
That was absolutely insane |  |
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:42 - Jul 24 with 1977 views | DarkBrandon |
It sure was.
A great stage. It didn’t look like he’d catch them for a while. If Carapaz, Sepp and Lenny had worked together they would have had a better chance |  | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:49 - Jul 24 with 1927 views | BelsteadCav |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:42 - Jul 24 by DarkBrandon |
It sure was.
A great stage. It didn’t look like he’d catch them for a while. If Carapaz, Sepp and Lenny had worked together they would have had a better chance |
He had to break the record to beat them
They must be devastated | |
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:52 - Jul 24 with 1897 views | BABLUE |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:49 - Jul 24 by BelsteadCav |
He had to break the record to beat them
They must be devastated |
He appears to be superhuman. The last one like that was Lance Armstrong hmmmm |  | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:54 - Jul 24 with 1882 views | Leutard |
I really miss at least a little suspense in these races, it felt inevitable the second he went from the bottom. |  | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:00 - Jul 24 with 1833 views | Basuco |
Unbelievable ride! |  | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:04 - Jul 24 with 1803 views | DarkBrandon |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:52 - Jul 24 by BABLUE |
He appears to be superhuman. The last one like that was Lance Armstrong hmmmm |
That’s an analogy based on ignorance.
Armstrong dominated the tour. But everyone was cheating in those days. Ullrich, Pantani etc.
Armstrong didn’t dominate because he cheated better than everyone else.
Edit: And Froome was dominant in Grand Tours for many years, more recently than Armstrong [Post edited 24 Jul 17:17]
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:12 - Jul 24 with 1753 views | BelsteadCav |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:54 - Jul 24 by Leutard |
I really miss at least a little suspense in these races, it felt inevitable the second he went from the bottom. |
Crazy that 3 minutes ahead of him still wasn’t enough | |
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:14 - Jul 24 with 1720 views | BABLUE |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:04 - Jul 24 by DarkBrandon |
That’s an analogy based on ignorance.
Armstrong dominated the tour. But everyone was cheating in those days. Ullrich, Pantani etc.
Armstrong didn’t dominate because he cheated better than everyone else.
Edit: And Froome was dominant in Grand Tours for many years, more recently than Armstrong [Post edited 24 Jul 17:17]
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They said all that about Armstrong before.
I’ve heard a couple of real cycling fans questioning Pogacar in the last couple of weeks.
Perhaps he’s found something that they don’t test for?? | | | |
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:19 - Jul 24 with 1678 views | DarkBrandon |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:14 - Jul 24 by BABLUE |
They said all that about Armstrong before.
I’ve heard a couple of real cycling fans questioning Pogacar in the last couple of weeks.
Perhaps he’s found something that they don’t test for?? |
If Pog didn’t exist you’d be smearing Vingegaard no doubt.
Without Pog he’d have won the last 6 tours. | | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:28 - Jul 24 with 1633 views | BABLUE |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:19 - Jul 24 by DarkBrandon |
If Pog didn’t exist you’d be smearing Vingegaard no doubt.
Without Pog he’d have won the last 6 tours. |
Time will tell, like it did with Armstrong.
Froome won because of the Sky train and the marginal gains that made them better than the rest.
Than they all caught up with them | | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:34 - Jul 24 with 1589 views | DarkBrandon |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:28 - Jul 24 by BABLUE |
Time will tell, like it did with Armstrong.
Froome won because of the Sky train and the marginal gains that made them better than the rest.
Than they all caught up with them |
I was listening to Johan Bruyneel who has been around cycling his whole life.
He said while Armstrong was dominating the Peloton was full of people who said they knew Armstrong (and others) were doping. They’d seen drugs being delivered/injected whatever, or they’d heard rumours.
Now he says there are basically no such rumours about the guys at the front of the peloton. | | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:53 - Jul 24 with 1505 views | bsw72 |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:14 - Jul 24 by BABLUE |
They said all that about Armstrong before.
I’ve heard a couple of real cycling fans questioning Pogacar in the last couple of weeks.
Perhaps he’s found something that they don’t test for?? |
He's a generational talent, and is setting a new baseline in cycling performance. He gets tarred because of the sport's history but in theory is no different to what Usain Bolt achieved in sprinting, Michael Phelps in the pool, Armand Duplantis is achieving in pole vault etc.
Worth noting that the doping tests used today are a world apart from what they were even 10 years ago. They now use AI to examine all chemicals in the blood / urine samples to find anything that even resembles EPO or other performance enhancing drugs. |  | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 19:50 - Jul 24 with 1318 views | Basuco |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:28 - Jul 24 by BABLUE |
Time will tell, like it did with Armstrong.
Froome won because of the Sky train and the marginal gains that made them better than the rest.
Than they all caught up with them |
As I have said in the past, in the Lance Armstrong days there was no drug problems in cycling, they were all on it. Now cycling is one of, if not the cleanest sports around. Have you forgotten about the 2AM and 5AM dope tester visits to Pogacar and Vingegaard?
The sports that have the biggest problem is those that are not detecting any doping, not those that are. It means those sports are not willing to do proper testing for fear of catching anyone and upsetting sponsors. | | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 23:17 - Jul 24 with 1087 views | stonojnr |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:04 - Jul 24 by DarkBrandon |
That’s an analogy based on ignorance.
Armstrong dominated the tour. But everyone was cheating in those days. Ullrich, Pantani etc.
Armstrong didn’t dominate because he cheated better than everyone else.
Edit: And Froome was dominant in Grand Tours for many years, more recently than Armstrong [Post edited 24 Jul 17:17]
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I wouldnt have said Froome was dominant like this, even if he won multiple grand tours, the margins were much smaller.
Pog is leading by over 7mins, still with 2 stages left, he'd basically won this by stage 6, and supposedly has got the UAE bug thats knackered most of his team too.
Froomes biggest winning margin in his career was just over 4mins, his average was more like 2mins, and only won the Giro by 46 seconds.
there was never a stage I remember where Froome was giving a strong breakaway (would have been stronger had they used their brains) 3-4mins headstart on a climb like Alpe d'Huez and not just beating them, absolutely pulverising them.
Froome was doing 6.25 w/kg estimated, Pog is doing over 7.2 w/kg estimated the average cyclist is doing about 2-3w/kg and thats someone who rides regularly not the hires a bike once a year at centre parcs cyclist. | | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 23:22 - Jul 24 with 1076 views | StokieBlue |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 17:19 - Jul 24 by DarkBrandon |
If Pog didn’t exist you’d be smearing Vingegaard no doubt.
Without Pog he’d have won the last 6 tours. |
The thing is, there is a reason they decided to test both at really ridiculous times in the morning. They must think something is going on to get a judges approval to test them both outside the usual regulation hours.
Doesn't mean there is something going on but the authorities must have suspicions.
SB [Post edited 24 Jul 23:23]
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 23:28 - Jul 24 with 1048 views | Bigalhunter |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 16:52 - Jul 24 by BABLUE |
He appears to be superhuman. The last one like that was Lance Armstrong hmmmm |
Always best to check the actual final placings in about five years time, once the testing technology has caught up with what’s lurking in the samples taken this year… |  |
| It used to great on here when people let me say whatever I wanted and giggled along - (Rough translation of post from un-named TWTD contributor, 2026) | | Poll: | September 2025. Which one? |
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 08:26 - Jul 25 with 802 views | TVRBlue |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 23:22 - Jul 24 by StokieBlue |
The thing is, there is a reason they decided to test both at really ridiculous times in the morning. They must think something is going on to get a judges approval to test them both outside the usual regulation hours.
Doesn't mean there is something going on but the authorities must have suspicions.
SB [Post edited 24 Jul 23:23]
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I believe every time a rider is awarded the yellow jersey, becasue they are leading the race after that particular days stage, they are tested by Le Tour's doping control facility.
Pogacar has been tested pretty much every day and no traces of any wrong doing have been uncovered. The reason for testing at 2-00 a.m. (Vingegaard) and 5-00 a.m. (Pogacar) is to try and uncover teams cheating overnight - I believe this is how Lance Armstrong and his team cheated back in the day. I don't think this means the authorities have suspicions, I think it's more a case of them carrying out their duties the best that they can. Hopefully, Pogacar won't be found out to have cheated in the years to come.
Is he, or his team, cheating? I would like to think not and just be impressed with how good a cyclist, and athlete, he is. Currently, he is about to equal the all time record of five TdF victories joining the likes of Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain. [Post edited 25 Jul 8:27]
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| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 11:45 - Jul 25 with 643 views | marKoffC |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 23:17 - Jul 24 by stonojnr |
I wouldnt have said Froome was dominant like this, even if he won multiple grand tours, the margins were much smaller.
Pog is leading by over 7mins, still with 2 stages left, he'd basically won this by stage 6, and supposedly has got the UAE bug thats knackered most of his team too.
Froomes biggest winning margin in his career was just over 4mins, his average was more like 2mins, and only won the Giro by 46 seconds.
there was never a stage I remember where Froome was giving a strong breakaway (would have been stronger had they used their brains) 3-4mins headstart on a climb like Alpe d'Huez and not just beating them, absolutely pulverising them.
Froome was doing 6.25 w/kg estimated, Pog is doing over 7.2 w/kg estimated the average cyclist is doing about 2-3w/kg and thats someone who rides regularly not the hires a bike once a year at centre parcs cyclist. |
"..and only won the Giro by 46 seconds"
Stage 18 that year was a bit special though | | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 12:50 - Jul 25 with 586 views | stonojnr |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 11:45 - Jul 25 by marKoffC |
"..and only won the Giro by 46 seconds"
Stage 18 that year was a bit special though |
Stage 19, and it was absolutely, but it was 1 stage out of 21, I think 1 stage on a grand tour where you look super human vs the rest, though it was basically a hail mary chips all in move theres always going to be debate about whether tactically in previous races riders had the capabilities to do that, but chose to play safe, is probably fair enough, it was a rare thing, and thats only a few years back, its not like a totally different era even though it feels like it now
but Pogs doing that every stage & every race now in a grand tour, we're in the last few stages of a grand tour, fatigue by now should be really high, and he's climbing at speeds we havent seen for 30 years, still sprinting for a finish, and then standing there like he just cycled down the shops after dropping >7.2w/kg for 35mins.
even Carapaz, two days in a mountain breakaway, is sprinting at the finish attacking like crazy all over the climbs, still did a 39ish, which alone puts him as one of the fastest riders up there in the last 20 years. Remcos time, put him between 4th/5th I think all time, between the likes of Armstrong and Ullrichs best times... | | | |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 13:13 - Jul 25 with 528 views | stonojnr |
| He’s smashed Pantani’s record on 08:26 - Jul 25 by TVRBlue |
I believe every time a rider is awarded the yellow jersey, becasue they are leading the race after that particular days stage, they are tested by Le Tour's doping control facility.
Pogacar has been tested pretty much every day and no traces of any wrong doing have been uncovered. The reason for testing at 2-00 a.m. (Vingegaard) and 5-00 a.m. (Pogacar) is to try and uncover teams cheating overnight - I believe this is how Lance Armstrong and his team cheated back in the day. I don't think this means the authorities have suspicions, I think it's more a case of them carrying out their duties the best that they can. Hopefully, Pogacar won't be found out to have cheated in the years to come.
Is he, or his team, cheating? I would like to think not and just be impressed with how good a cyclist, and athlete, he is. Currently, he is about to equal the all time record of five TdF victories joining the likes of Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain. [Post edited 25 Jul 8:27]
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Armstrong never failed a test and got tested just as regularly.
we're not in an era now where the tests can be cheated as such, but the "glow" time, ie the time something is detectable in a test, for some of the stuff they could be taking is very short indeed.
and in fact could be completely undetectable in terms of distinguishing between the bodies own natural abilities to produce the performance enhancing effects, and those that have been artificially stimulated and gained.
but the reason for testing in the night time period thats normally off limits for regular testing, you cant do that unless you have evidence that such testing is required, and it gets signed off by a judge who is presented with that evidence. ie they cant just act on their own suspicions, they have to show that its absolutely necessary.
understandably that part is not being focussed on because it would mean this was a significant step and that theres more than just suspicions, and the sport and the media would rather not focus on what that might mean.
and yep he might be about to join another rider who won 5 TdF victories, though I doubt his name will get repeated much in the roll of honour on Sunday. | | | |
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