aerodynamics is different to VAM… now do the national hill climb improvements.
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In the past, whenever we’ve seen someone able to sprint clear of the reduced peleton, they’ve always been on drugs.
Yesterday, Pog sprinted clear of the second best rider, who in turn left the third best rider behind.
3 minutes faster than Pantani who was drugged up to the eyeballs.
Yesterday was the first time I’ve moved firmly into the ‘definitely doping’ camp.
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Late adopter in his case. No way I could match my times from 20 years earlier. I won the 2016 Fowey Tri in 1:58, yet in 1997 had gone 1:49 aged 23 coming 2nd on that occasion.
Exact same course and similar weather iirc. I lost close to 4 min each on the bike & run; swim was similar.
I knew you’d have something to say 
1979 Haytor Vale - 12:44
2018 Haytor Vale - 12:24
Madness.
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Oh contraire. He was only ALWAYS good at the Tour. He barely featured in any races outside of the 3 weeks in July. He realised that was his mistake and tried to do other races in his “comeback” and well, the rest is history.
I find it more believable the way Pog races. Compared to our mate LA from the example above. So he’s got to build to a goal therefore likely to have off days in the build but not be completely out of it in all early season races because of the “natural” talent he has.
It’s an interesting set of questions. With everything in life, people choose to believe what they want to believe and then can become fixated on that info. It’s a good trait in a person if they question what they believe. We’re a pretty intelligent bunch round here, so there’s always questioning. It’s a good thing.
I’ll keep questioning for a while and see where it all goes.
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At it.
We’ve for 6.84W/kg for the whole climb, but he didn’t go full gas until the final third.
Why should these three dudes be that much better than everyone else in the history of cycling, including those who were off their faces? Oh yes: stiffer aero frames, wider tyres, more carbs. That’ll be it. Would you like to buy a bridge?
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It would have been interesting to see how strong ‘Vinegaar’ would have been without his bad crash in April; I think he had over 2 months off? That’s some comeback.
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Salt and Vingegaard by any chance?
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You need to Walkers away.
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Just found this on twitter. Clickable extreme climing graph. Greatest Performances of All-Time In Road Races | Created with Datawrapper
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There’s also a new weapon in their training arsenal, according to Escape Collective.
Carbon monoxide loading. VLAB and UAE are giving riders measured doses.
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I heard about the carbon dioxide thing years ago ( early sky days).
I went to a talk with Michael Hutchinson last year, when he was coming out of retirement to do a 24hr tt. He was saying he was doing turbo sessions in a hot room then sitting in a hot bath to get heat adapted. He said it was horrible but better than altitude training.
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Heat training is established and very normal. Breathing Carbon Monoxide has passed me by though, that’s a new one. Sounds potentially harmful and is hardly in the spirit of sport, and guess they’re doing it because they claim it’s performance enhancing? Wonder what the mechanism would be 
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Didn’t they used to think smoking opened the lungs a very long time ago
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Presumably the intended effect is to simulate less oxygen availability - sounds safer just to train at altitude which is less likely to kill you?
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Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin more preferentially than oxygen so the body “thinks” it’s becoming hypoxic - as per altitude training - which stimulates EPO production and thus more Hb produced. Ergo - more Hb to carry oxygen to the muscles.
As you say, it’s not exactly in the spirit of the sport but not illegal either.
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I’ll stick to EPO. It sounds safer
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At first I was thinking the preferential CO binding means less oxygen released to tissues so detrimental, but clicked later if might be a training benefit rather than competition.
So essentially trying to mimic roxudastat, the drug Simona Halep is in a protracted legal battle about, yet probably a lot more risky.
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So I just need to train in the garage with the car engine running and the doors closed ?
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Yes. Preferably with an RBC level of 49%.
Rub some T-Gel everywhere, for the saddle sores.
Load up with FostAir for the asthma.
Add some of your own blood back in, just keep it in the freezer, no need for these ice vests.
Yeah. That’s it.
No doping since 2015, though, eh.
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