Ballan and Santambrogio free to race...again!

[auscyclefan94]

Ballan and Santambrogio free to race...again!

BMC Racing Team Official Statement

What are your thoughts about it?

 

[hrotha]

"To date, the BMC Racing Team has never been notified by any authorities regarding these alleged actions and conversations,"

In other words, what made us suspend them still applies, but we're going to let them ride anyway because justice is slow.

 

[Richeypen]

If there is evidence against them charge them, if not then let them race. You cant suspend riders indefinatly without somesort of formal charges (unless they are Ezequiel Mosquera)

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Ballan and Santambrogio free to race...again!

BMC Racing Team Official Statement

What are your thoughts about it?

To quote Jim Ochowicz from earlier this year "blah, blah, blah."

 

[luckyboy]

Damnit, they suspend Ballan WHO IS ON MY CQ TEAM for his home GT. Thanks a lot BMC, you suck.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Does this mean Hincapie will be free to race too?

 

[Parrulo]

Damnit, they suspend Ballan WHO IS ON MY CQ TEAM for his home GT. Thanks a lot BMC, you suck.

indeed <_< bmc doesn't seem to get anything right

 

[usedtobefast]

Does this mean Hincapie will be free to race too?

no, he is quite expensive to race.

 

[Kazistuta]

Damnit, they suspend Ballan WHO IS ON MY CQ TEAM for his home GT. Thanks a lot BMC, you suck.

Exactly as they did last year when the same case was brought up in the media... almost hilarious...

 

[Frosty]

Who else wasnt allowed to start? Bruseghin on Movistar. Anyone else? I dont think any Lampre who were around in 2008/9 started but i dont know if Cunego was going to start anyway?

 

[greenedge]

If there is evidence against them charge them, if not then let them race. You cant suspend riders indefinatly without somesort of formal charges (unless they are Ezequiel Mosquera)

Or ricco. They are REACTIVATED, it sounds kind of creepy, like they are Robots or something. Now Cadel gets ballan back there is no way he shall not go well. He sounds confident before the TDF saying Contador will have weaknesses. He's also knocked back Greenedge.

 

[Richeypen]

Ricco is free to race though isnt he? Just doesnt have a team

 

[Exroadman24902]

is it fair in principle to have some evidence to back up the allegations? Or can journos and ambitious career investigators pick the teams by producing allegations?

 

[Dewulf]

Or ricco. They are REACTIVATED, it sounds kind of creepy, like they are Robots or something. Now Cadel gets ballan back there is no way he shall not go well. He sounds confident before the TDF saying Contador will have weaknesses. He's also knocked back Greenedge.

OOh yeah, not robots man, they are....

UNIVERSAL SOLDIERS.....

----------------
PS. I think the way the investigation has been handled, with premature accusations leaked in papers etc, is so ridiculous i have no problem with Ballan and Santambrogio riding atm. Fer crissakes if you're gonna accuse someone, do it when you're ready to charge them, not in public 1 or 2 years before.

PPS. But I just couldn't resist posting the UniSols up there, taking their meds

 

[DISTRICT 9]

Super, it was indecent to put them off racing. Good they needed a break to support Cuddles. Hopefully they have trained and will make their mid-June preparation in support of Cuddles!

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I was wondering which would be allowed to race first, Ballan and Santambrogio or the BMC Impec, which was announced over a year ago.

 

[movingtarget]

And the problem is ? Contador has been racing and they have not even been charged with anything, just implicated like Scarponi etc.........they really have to get the suspension business sorted out. One minute out, next minute back it seems. Don't blame BMC. What the hell are the UCI etc doing to sort out such procedural mess ? They can't keep stringing people along indefinitely. Even Contador's appeal seems to be taking much longer than it should. I doubt that any new evidence was submitted. BMC acted before other teams and some teams did nothing at all.

 

[therhodeo]

I was wondering which would be allowed to race first, Ballan and Santambrogio or the BMC Impec, which was announced over a year ago.

Cadel rode an Impec in last years tour. Possibly the ugliest bike I've ever seen built from legos.

 

[dlwssonic]

so would ballan and santambrogio be riding the tour, it was previously not in their scheldule but they missed this years giro.

 

[ElChingon]

I do blame BMC! They have let Hincapie race all this time and also after the 60 Minutes info. Ballan and Santambrogio have also been named but no charges so I'm sure those guys called up management and said, "well you still let Hincapie race and we're just rumored to be involved just like him so why can't we race?"

Green lights for Balan and Santambrogio. If another rider is rumored to be involved in some doping scandal I suspect they can use the Hincapie excuse/case to continue to race.

Total lack of consistency of rules for BMC.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Exactly as they did last year when the same case was brought up in the media... almost hilarious...

I don't get it. The prosecutor hasn't laid charges on Ballan and Santambrogio yet it has been over two months. i thought he said he was going to lay charges on them in the next few days after it came public?

If he hasn't laid charges for over two months then why should they be suspended?

"At the moment, those of the team involved and their lawyers have not yet received any communication or notification of this, so it's obviously not possible to make any comment. If the news was confirmed, the team will act without hesitation in order to clarify its position with the investigating judge.”

Cadel rode an Impec in last years tour. Possibly the ugliest bike I've ever seen built from legos.

It won many big awards last year regarding road bikes.

I do blame BMC! They have let Hincapie race all this time and also after the 60 Minutes info. Ballan and Santambrogio have also been named but no charges so I'm sure those guys called up management and said, "well you still let Hincapie race and we're just rumored to be involved just like him so why can't we race?"

Green lights for Balan and Santambrogio. If another rider is rumored to be involved in some doping scandal I suspect they can use the Hincapie excuse/case to continue to race.

Total lack of consistency of rules for BMC.

Actually the inconcsistency is from other teams not suspending their riders (yes lampre) when they were under investigation. Again, Hincapie is not under investigation.

 

[ElChingon]

Actually the inconcsistency is from other teams not suspending their riders (yes lampre) when they were under investigation. Again, Hincapie is not under investigation.

No, other team suspend riders if they test positive or are proven to be involved in doping. BMC suspends riders if there is a rumor or are noted in a case, Hincapie is noted/mentioned/implicated in the case against lance. Following BMC protocol he should be banned due to that like Ballan was.

 

[Frosty]

Bruseghin (Movistar) wasnt allowed to race.
Bandiera (Quick Step) wasnt allowed to race
Numerous Lampre riders werent allowed to race.

All because of this investigation so BMC are not the only ones who reacted. Are they allowed back too?

According to the article below, Ballan was due to appear before the pre-trial magistrate on May 12th which i guess would have made riding the Giro awkward.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/team-bmc-pull-ballan-and-santambrogio-from-racing

 

[Mellow Velo]

No reason for Lampre to keep their bunch of implicated riders suspended, since Ballan was suspect number one.
They can point to BMC's decision and let them take any heat.
Looking forward to seeing the likes of Cunego and Gavazzi back in the saddle, since they actually win races, from time to time.

 

[hrotha]

Hincapie's involvement is not official. No official source has confirmed his confession, and sure as hell neither has he. You can't compare his situation to Ballan and Santambrogio's. Now, if I were Och or Rihs... scratch that, if I, with my own morals, were in charge of BMC, I'd question Hincapie and suspend him unless he explicitly denied the leaked info, but if he did that what can you do?