le grimpeur

The good old days2
Guy WR posted in Classic Stages, Doping on September 25th, 2007

In these troubled times for cycling, there’s always the temptation to feel nostalgia for the good old days.

Somewhere around the late 70s and early 80s might be a popular choice. Pro cycling might currently be grappling with widespread (but declining) blood boosting and doping, but the drugs of that era were more out-of-sight and less pivotal. We might never know the exact effect, but the increasing speeds of the peloton in the 90s give some indication.

“In my day as a rider we had dope, sure; but it was nothing like today. Nothing like EPO. For the riders EPO is like kerosene,” said then Tour de France director Jean-Marie Le Blanc in 1999. (more…)

Grimpeur of the year1
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs, Climbers on September 19th, 2007

Should le grimpeur de l’année award be added to the UCI’s list of accolades, Leonardo Piepoli would surely be a strong contender for trophy honours. In doing so, he would beat two other major contenders from the 2007 season: Michael Rasmussen and Mauricio Soler. (more…)