Rumour: Kloden tested positive so he just pulled out

Originally Posted by TheDarkLord

Well, you tell me after reading this thread in full on whether there has been a monolithic response that he definitely doped or not. Your love for your fan is definitely clouding your judgement here.

Except that he seemed to be perfectly fine in the previous stage. As long as you keep swallowing the Kool aid dished out by the riders, everything will appear to be rational.

Coming back to the point of this thread, the OP posted that there is a rumour that he failed a test. Others posted that the rumour has not been verified in some reputable websites. Knowing the Hog, there is speculation about if the rumor is indeed true, why he would have failed a test. What else do you expect?

Originally Posted by RdBiker

Yes, what is this "cleaning of the peloton" we are waiting for? Many say that cycling needs "a proper clean up" but I have yet to read what that really is. Banning all the current riders above the age of 15 and waiting for the younger ones to grow? Will they be clean? Or getting rid of all the staff, team doctors and personnel? Will the new ones be any cleaner?

Originally Posted by Klodifan

Eldron makes a valid point and the best rebuttal from many is to go to another forum? What an intelligent response! If you want this forum to continue in its monolithic mindset than you are all no better than the DPF you mock.

You know what is tiresome? The predictable responses that saturate these threads, as of late.

People call for the sport to clean up its act. Spectators also need to clean up the perpetual doping accusations as well.

And to specifically get back to the Kloden rumor, anyone who was following the rider knows he has not been riding well because of illness. So he pulls out during a stage after a taxing ride the previous day. That is plausible. Or are we to adopt the mindset of this forum and say, "HA! DOPER!", because clearly Astana and Andreas forsaw a failed doping control late in race, so he feigned sickness the past two weeks as defense. Please, give me a break!

Originally Posted by TheDarkLord

We have discussed this before. How about a fundamental change in attitude and holding the team director/staff responsible to some degree when a rider pops hot? Or having a more credible agency oversee cycling? Or try to go after the dope doctors? There will still be people who dope, and the dopers will always be one steap ahead of the testers, but at least try to change doping from a team affair into an individual affair. Currently, the poor souls who are stupid enough to get caught or the poor sacrificial lambs are hung dry with the team director expressing "outrage" and going scot-free. One doesn't have to sacrifice all the current riders. Just make it hard enough to dope with more severe sanctions for even the first doping infraction to make it not worth it to dope...

Originally Posted by Klodifan

The monolithic mindset I'm referring to is the idea that anyone who likes Astana must be a Disco, DPF fanboy/girl. You and your cronies are so predictable. The culture of this forum has changed. It is seen in this thread where the best rebuttal is that I'm "swallowing the Kool aid" or to tell others to go to DPF. It is clearly seen in threads that address other websites and forums. It does not interest me in the least to go and stalk other forums and then post about them here. That action is not intelligent debate, nor is it stimulating. Quite frankly, it is rather pathetic.

And anyone who has been here for awhile knows that I am pretty objective regarding all riders. You, dark one, reveal your own simpleton way of thinking. You see my handle and immediately think my judgement is clouded. I have critisized Kloden on numerous occasions and don't follow him blindly. What I do exhibit is rational, fair judgement of situtations and resist jumping on the doping bandwagon.

Like I said, what is more plausible? Complaining that you're sick for weeks b/c you are actully sick? or complaining that you're sick because you anticipate a failed doping control and oh yeah, ride poorly just to back sickness up and screw any possile chance of winning grand tour.

Originally Posted by Klodifan

The monolithic mindset I'm referring to is the idea that anyone who likes Astana must be a Disco, DPF fanboy/girl. You and your cronies are so predictable. The culture of this forum has changed. It is seen in this thread where the best rebuttal is that I'm "swallowing the Kool aid" or to tell others to go to DPF. It is clearly seen in threads that address other websites and forums. It does not interest me in the least to go and stalk other forums and then post about them here. That action is not intelligent debate, nor is it stimulating. Quite frankly, it is rather pathetic.

Originally Posted by Klodifan

And anyone who has been here for awhile knows that I am pretty objective regarding all riders. You, dark one, reveal your own simpleton way of thinking. You see my handle and immediately think my judgement is clouded. I have critisized Kloden on numerous occasions and don't follow him blindly. What I do exhibit is rational, fair judgement of situtations and resist jumping on the doping bandwagon.

Originally Posted by Klodifan

Like I said, what is more plausible? Complaining that you're sick for weeks b/c you are actully sick? or complaining that you're sick because you anticipate a failed doping control and oh yeah, ride poorly just to back sickness up and screw any possile chance of winning grand tour.

Originally Posted by hawkeye87

I don't think it will end until you see the likes of Johan Bruyneel's teams actually riding like everyone else instead of standing out.

We all know that 1 week preparation for the Giro was bullshit. That is despite the fact that every cycling media outlet I've heard or read repeats this mantra like witless zombies. That includes a U.K. outfit, which I hoped would be more realistic than the easy-to-satisy U.S. sports media.

His team comes into the Giro with, what, a realistic one month prep and not only does well, they win it with a rider, who's good but NOT God, who's been "vacationing".

Astana was rewarded by the RCS for lighting up the pelaton. They repaid RCS by winning their Grand Tour. I heard the entire 3 weeks about how RCS wanted a great and exciting race for the spectators. I do not recall hearing, during the entire Giro, on the fact that they wanted a clean race. That is not their emphasis.

It makes me deeply disappointed to realize that cycling only preaches about wanting to be clean. The truth is, they want great performances and for the riders to not get caught or, God forbid, die from their meddling with their bodies like that.

I know it isn't just cycling. Here in the U.S. baseball fans love to cheer home runs and then, become outraged, years later when that overly muscled hero turned out to be a 'Roid-Boy. But they still want to see those home runs.

I find it difficult to read a lot of the distrust in just about all of the performances in riders all during the season. I want to believe that some of them are making an effort to clean up.

But the fact is, while some may be trying, they will lose in the end. The winners are the dopers as they take home the trophies, applause and money for their efforts.

Originally Posted by Frigo's Luggage

I hve to agree with Vader on this one. TFF and all of you naysayers are just wrong.

Originally Posted by thoughtforfood

FUCKIN" JEFF VADER RULES!!!

Originally Posted by aquatrain

No question this whole thread and rumor is nothing more than jealousy. Once again the Hog has proven that he is a tactical genius and delivered yet another grand tour winner. Face it, he learned from the best.

Originally Posted by aquatrain

No question this whole thread and rumor is nothing more than jealousy. Once again the Hog has proven that he is a tactical genius and delivered yet another grand tour winner. Face it, he learned from the best.