Rain isn’t sub optimal conditions for climbing. It’s sub optimal for cornering or descending because of loss of traction. It’s sub optimal for group riding because of the spray. It’s sub optimal if you wear a rain jacket because of the wind resistance. It’s sub optimal if it’s cold rain and you’re not working hard enough to stay warm.
But for going hard, solo, on non technical roads like a climb, rain can be fast. Rain typically means low pressure and high humidity which is exactly what you want from an aero perspective. A wet road is also faster in terms of rolling resistance as there’s less adhesion, just as long as the rain isn’t heavy enough that there’s standing water on the road which adds resistance. And from a physiological perspective, light rain adds a nice cooling effect which is a significant benefit with the amount of heat a body throws off at 400W.
I concede being off on RR here.
However, i find wet roads on particularly steep ascents sub-optimal. When charging hard out of the saddle I tend to get tire slippage on the rear wheel.
Also, Energy expenditure in the Rain increases, which can play a role at the end of a mountain stage.
Lastly, the 9 knot headwind (according to windfinder) surely still makes these conditions not optimal.
At least when compared to all time great performances.
I’ve heard this line of reasoning for 30 years now……and in every single case, the speculation has been correct.
I don’t think anyone is claiming otherwise. But I don’t accept “everyone else is doing it” as an excuse from my kids, so I’m certainly not going to accept it from a pro athlete.
There is no doubt that there is a ton of smoke around Pog right now….and based on the history of the sport, his performances and the people around him, it is only logical that questions are being asked.
So did Sha’Carri Richardson, and Michael Phelps, so failing a test doesn’t always tell the entire story (not saying Mercx was smoking pot but not every fail is for PED)
I vote to change the title of this to 2021 TDF Discussion and Conspiracies
You are taking it as a personal affront, and it just isn’t. For those of us who have followed cycling for our whole lives, it’s just the same movie over and over. To assume they are clean would be the logical leap, not the other way around.
I can still watch cycling and enjoy it, but the tell tale signs are all there. I would be disingenuous to posit otherwise.
Innocent until proven guilty, I get the speculation but think it’s simply wrong to assume someone is doping until there is proof, and watching people talk all kinds of crap about a kid likely half their age really speaks volumes. “Too good to be true” and constant desperate comparisons “Lance didn’t perform well in the heat either” are just ridiculous.
Be suspicious, question whatever you want, but don’t throw shade like anyone who does better than _____ just has to be on dope.
This isn’t a court of law. My opinion is a significant portion of the peloton is juicing pretty hard, and the problem has accelerated over the past 18 months.
There are lots of data points why I think this and and idealistic pontificating isn’t going to change my mind or keep me from voiving my opinion.
What “cases”? Nobody is on trial, I’m just talking about being a rational human being and not a paranoid one who thinks anyone who does better than ___ must be cheating to get there. There’s people who put up better numbers than me at work, my first thought isn’t “yea and Wells Fargo used to open all kinds of fake accounts too”. Come on…
Question what you want, don’t be a sheep, but don’t assume guilt without proof is all I’m saying.
For me, the biggest problem with doping in cycling is a problem it shares with other sencond-tier sports like track & field, marathon, XC skiing, etc…: selective enforcement introduces all sorts of distortions you don’t see in sports with stronger athlete rights.
I would expect modern day riders to do better than those even from a decade or two ago: better equipment (gearing specifically), better training and nutrition thanks to advances in science.
