Training, altitude, nutrition, equipment, marginal gains...

We've heard this before... from... Lance Armstrong.

I will say this with the same certainty I said it about Lance (and everyone else riding against him) - they are doped it the "max". And I got skeptical eyes when I said that stuff back then.

By "max" I'm saying what they can get away with. They are doped right up to that point, and taking whatever new substance isn't being tested for.

We went from a period of 15+/- years where no one cracked the Huez top 100 time on the pro tour - to having 5-6 riders pop the top 20 on one tour, and they were riding in the GC pack - not on breakaways or during a TT.

Lance - a super doped up, older more seasoned rider, with more tours and training under his belt did 6.6wkg for his TT up Huez. A clean, younger, less seasoned Pogs has turned 6.3 for 36 min.

Pantani - coke, EPO, roids and whatever else - 7.6wkg. A clean Vingo - 7.6wkg.... RIGGGGHHHHHHTTTT. Better food... sure.