Where is Kimmage??

In the immortal words of Kevin Keegan "i would just love it" if he did turn it around and win, now that would be sheer class.

It's not so much the three week turn around from his broken leg that raises my eyebrows, it's the composure he shows in post-stage interviews. Blathering on at ten to the dozen like he's just had a can of Redbull with two Baroccas in it whilst Froome, sweaty and disheveled, struggles to spin his legs back to life on the turbo whilst blurting out a few breathless words.

It is fishy but it's fun having a bit of a discussion point- with the exception of the fight the other day, it's all a little bit bland these days no?

Froome is 2nd on GC now - just sayin'!

I don't think Colin's speculation about Eric Abidal is fair - people get cancer and have heart attacks at all ages. Because he played for Barcelona doesn't mean he's a doper. Indeed, by the time he signed for them (2007), the Spanish Police had already busted Fuentes.

I am fully aware of the alleged links both Barca and the Reals (Madrid and Sociedad) have to Fuentes and also the particularly strong rumours about a certain spanish tennis-ist.

I do agree though that Spain has an endemic liberal attitude towards sports doping all the way down from royals. My money's on Valverde to perform a Landis like resurrection on the last mountaintop finish.

One explanation for the apparent jump in performance could be that riders know that they have nothing else to save themselves for so give it one last blast so they finish the season with nothing left in them, whilst at the same time riders that are pretty much finished and phoning it in get dropped easier by those riders that are leaving it all out on the road.

You could also reason that some riders want to put in a final show to put themselves in the shop window to get a new contract or team or to feature higher up in their teams plans next season.

But mainly, you have to think somethings a bit fishy and it's not just the paella.

Yes, the Spanish have a lousy record of doping control. You just have to look at Armstrong/US postal in Girona, and Fuentes in Madrid to suspect that they have no moral compunction to find sports doping.

It's little wonder they have football players dying on the pitches (from heart attacks). I did wonder about Abidal's liver cancer, but I am not sure you could necessarily make a connection without the individual confessing, and I am sure that there is plenty of hush money from the owners.

I doubt any rider is 'drug' free year round, and micro-dosing of EPO and testosterone does a lot to keep riders topped up year round. What is marked is the way the riders at the Vuelta seem a little bit more energetic up these steep climbs, when you'd expect the opposite with a season tailing race. The Spanish Armada springs up those 30%ers with a glee you just don't see sustained at any of the other non-Spanish races.

When it comes to previously banned riders AND Riis working together I have major doubts but as long as he is tested regularly that's all i can ask.

It doesn't seem as dodgy as Horner winning last year

I bloody love Digger!

yes he's a bit ranty, and goes off repeatedly, but I do think he's simply saying what a lot of people are thinking (even if they don't want to admit it even to themselves)

but yes, totally OTT , which is endearing in his own special way!

Antoine Vayer is a strange man that I can't quite figure out. I lean towards ignoring what he says most of the time.

But some of the nutcases on Twitter are frightening, that king wrong un 'digger forum' doesn't come across as a well person at all.

There is something that feels a bit funny about the Vuelta though.

I've not been following this Vuelta (the last two smelt sufficiently bad that I felt I'd wasted my time) so can't comment on it specifically, but generally speaking I think BL7 has a point. Chris Froome got less stick than Wiggo (maybe because his press conferences didn't include swearing!) during the TdF, but more than most others. I seem to recall that even where there was an actual positive test elsewhere, there was still a bunch of fools on twitter jerking off over their calculators trying to prove that a Team Sky rider had an impossible power output. The fuss isn't limited to Kimmage, but he is a bit quiet lately.

Antoine Vayer was tweeting yesterday that if you discount doped riders, it'd be Bargueil 1st, Martin 2nd. But then he would say that. There's no real way of knowing, so sitting back and enjoying the attacks is the way to go, I think.

A 'broken leg' that he managed to ride another 17km uphill on at the time.

It wasn't exactly hanging by a thread. I think the whole thing has been overplayed, but I suspect Contador also tried to lower expectations perhaps to surprise the others. Attacking has always been his style.

Rodriguez has never been good on long climbs and Valverde has never had the consistent, explosive power to be on the top step. Froome is also recovering, although I don't think he is down and out yet, and Quintana has abandoned.

If Contador wasn't in front it would be surprising.