It wasn’t a comparable dominant performance last year, he was just lucky as **** that Froome and Contador crashed out, and there was plenty of doping talk last year as well.
I don’t really agree with this, it’s been rolled out as an explanation before but doesn’t really track for me. Quintana wasn’t there last year, so fair enough there was less of a quality field, but how does the crashing out of Froome and Contador last year diminish the dominance of Nibali’s performance any more than the lacklustre Nibali this year along with a clearly below his best Contador.? At this point in the race I can’t see how Contador has affected the race anymore than his absence did last year.? Similarly for last year having Froome drop out isn’t really that different to how the others approach the race this year with a very diminished Nibali.!?
Speaking of Nibali, you mention that there was plenty of doping talk at last year’s Tour.? Maybe the UK media just didn’t show it but I didn’t see much evidence of it other than a few half-hearted questions at press conference’s and how is it that Nibali and Astana aren’t being grilled about the dramatic difference in performance between this year and last.? I mean Nibali as good as said he wasn’t the same rider and the press just let that go.? I can’t imagine Froome getting the same lee-way.? Isn’t it all the ‘doping expert’ desk jockey’s that always tout huge shifts in performance as a prime indicator.!?
Just to be clear I have no reason to believe that Nibbles is dirty, I choose to believe that the actions of his team don’t necessarily reflect on the star rider that was drafted in off the back of good performances (doesn’t do him any favours though!). I’m simply using him as an example of what seems to be clearly different treatment by the media.