here's Lance Armstrong today. He's retro isn't he

[7Speed]

He still won 7 tdf. It was a level playing field. All of em druggies, Lance was just the better druggie.

lance had a massive VO2 Max - one of the highest ever measured. If you increase his O2 absorption ability through EPO or blood replacement he will gain a disproportionate benefit vs someone that has lower O2 processing capacity. I know this is also true of training response etc - but it’s not true that doping was done by everyone so it was a level playing field. No one came out of that era looking good except maybe A couple of the Z guys, Frishy…

 

[wynne]

Maybe even the better rider...

I've always thought this. You can have all the drugs in the world, but you've still got to go round corners and downhill like a nutter - and off road occasionally. At any level of bike racing you've got to get to the finish line.
He's a pretty low rent human being, but he was a great bike racer.

 

[7Speed]

He was a great rider. World Champ pre-TdF focus. The boy wasn’t without talent.

 

[novocaine]

He could ride. He was also an arrogant twat by his own account.
He may have won in an equal playing field without the drugs.
We will never know, because 1, It was never an equal playing field and 2, he took the drugs.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Maybe even the better rider...

We'll never know because they all took drugs.
Edit, even those that said they didn't. I'm a fan, I've a bookshelf full. Still a druggie twat. Oh and a bare faced liar.

 

[7Speed]

I like to think a couple of them didn’t. Andy Hampsten was the TdF white jersey winner back in the mid 80s but it never really happened for him after (OK - he won, but not to the level of his early promise) because he was never willing to dope in the EPO fueled peloton. I think I read somewhere he eventually threw the towel in. An exceptional raw talent and maybe a good example of the other side of the coin to the fun of watching the epic battles between Jan, Marco and Lance.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I like to think a couple of them didn’t. Andy Hampsten was the TdF white jersey winner back in the mid 80s but it never really happened for him after (OK - he won, but not to the level of his early promise) because he was never willing to dope in the EPO fueled peloton. I think I read somewhere he eventually threw the towel in. An exceptional raw talent and maybe a good example of the other side of the coin to the fun of watching the epic battles between Jan, Marco and Lance.

I believe he builds very nice frames now. I'll find the link and edit.

G

Post in thread 'Not vintage or French, Worldwide Tourers, Campeurs, Porteurs, Audax, Randonneurs, Commuters'

Feb 2, 2023

Hampsten Team Pro, American builder. This looks like a nice, fast Audax bike to me.

• Guinessisgoodforyou

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[LondonClassic]

I like to think a couple of them didn’t.

Cristophe Bassons didn't and there would have been others. If even one from 200 didn't it destroys the argument that 'they're all at it' and somehow it was all fair in love and war. This is before you take in all the riders who never made it to the top because the top was out of reach with run of the mill natural athleticism, their places taken by potentially lesser riders hopped up on EPO. Everytime this discussion surfaces I think of those guys

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Cristophe Bassons didn't and there would have been others. If even one from 200 didn't it destroys the argument that 'they're all at it' and somehow it was all fair in love and war. This is before you take in all the riders who never made it to the top because the top was out of reach with run of the mill natural athleticism, their places taken by potentially lesser riders hopped up on EPO. Evertime this discussion surfaces I think of those guys

My cynicism has been corrected fair comment

 

[LondonClassic]

My cynicism has been corrected fair comment

You don't have exclusive rights on it - I've said it before myself.