Bjarne Riis, saved by silence?

[Le Baroudeur]

Riis speaks for the first time, in a while.. And what do he say? Nothing really..

He have now made up a excuse about that there because of the investigation based on the Chickens confession, Riis can not say anything, about any doping allegations.. http://www.sporten.dk/cykling/se-alle-hans-svar-det-sagde-bjarne-riis

Made up an excuse to follow the guidelines laid out by the ADD? thats an original take on the situation.

For example both Hamilton and Jaksche told about doping in CSC before the Chickens confession, but whatever

If Hamilton's alleged conversation had been corroborated then action would undoubtedly have been taken already. Had Jaksche's allegations not been retracted and contradicted by his own testimony then action would undoubtedly have taken already.

Asked if he have told about Riis to the authorities, the chicken just say that there was doping when he was at CSC: http://sporten.tv2.dk/tour/2013-07-01-michael-rasmussen-bjarne-riis-er-tydeligt-presset

Not really what he said is it? He said he was at CSC during a period of doping [in cycling] and he had informed them what he had taken.

Rasmussen's description of ambition realisation clearly shows the mentality of winning knowing the costs and consequences and that it was going to happen irrespective of obstacles. The fact that he and the equally ambitious Jaksche only stayed a year on the team is very telling imho. Both seem to have found exactly what they were seeking at their subsequent teams despite warnings to the teams of what was coming.

Any team in that existed in the peloton back then is guaranteed to have had riders doing all manner of things on their teams. With so much doping going on, and so little efficacy in the authorities controls to keep them out of the employment pool, Just how exactly is a small budget team supposed to guarantee that the riders they sign are unaffected? It's not as if the teams even saw their riders except at races and training camps. Very few were centralised enough to keep checks. That doesn't mean every team was run like USPS. On Balance of what we have heard in testimony the opposite was the case.

Screams volumes that he didn't turn up to the TdF till today.

Mr Omerta.

How did you conclude that professor grimm? Plenty of other managers and owners with less reason were not present at the grand depart. Plenty of athletes refuse to talk to Sporten.dk because they have a growing reputation as a self serving toilet rag, expert at alienating both their readers and their subject matter. I don't see them staying away from their jobs... I'm sure sporten.dk would love to be less irrelevant than they are, hence their spin on this.

If he is 'Mr Omerta' then why send Roman to his federation? Astana Didn't. I'm not seeing a mass scramble on other teams to to have their riders deal with their issues and unchecked baggage. Nothing tangible has come to light that suggests anything other than that the team actively tries to move the sport away from the sordid past, a processes that looks less like financial suicide then it did in the past. The credible, non-financialy compromised, non-sensationalist media, hasn't hesitated to tackle the issue when relevant.

 

[Samson777]

Made up an excuse to follow the guidelines laid out by the ADD? thats an original take on the situation.



If Hamilton's alleged conversation had been corroborated then action would undoubtedly have been taken already. Had Jaksche's allegations not been retracted and contradicted by his own testimony then action would undoubtedly have taken already.



Not really what he said is it? He said he was at CSC during a period of doping [in cycling] and he had informed them what he had taken.

Rasmussen's description of ambition realisation clearly shows the mentality of winning knowing the costs and consequences and that it was going to happen irrespective of obstacles. The fact that he and the equally ambitious Jaksche only stayed a year on the team is very telling imho. Both seem to have found exactly what they were seeking at their subsequent teams despite warnings to the teams of what was coming.

Any team in that existed in the peloton back then is guaranteed to have had riders doing all manner of things on their teams. With so much doping going on, and so little efficacy in the authorities controls to keep them out of the employment pool, Just how exactly is a small budget team supposed to guarantee that the riders they sign are unaffected? It's not as if the teams even saw their riders except at races and training camps. Very few were centralised enough to keep checks. That doesn't mean every team was run like USPS. On Balance of what we have heard in testimony the opposite was the case.



How did you conclude that professor grimm? Plenty of other managers and owners with less reason were not present at the grand depart. Plenty of athletes refuse to talk to Sporten.dk because they have a growing reputation as a self serving toilet rag, expert at alienating both their readers and their subject matter. I don't see them staying away from their jobs... I'm sure sporten.dk would love to be less irrelevant than they are, hence their spin on this.

If he is 'Mr Omerta' then why send Roman to his federation? Astana Didn't. I'm not seeing a mass scramble on other teams to to have their riders deal with their issues and unchecked baggage. Nothing tangible has come to light that suggests anything other than that the team actively tries to move the sport away from the sordid past, a processes that looks less like financial suicide then it did in the past. The credible, non-financialy compromised, non-sensationalist media, hasn't hesitated to tackle the issue when relevant.

Are you joking? Riis had plenty of time to answer doping questions, when there was no investigation..

Well if that is not enough for you,the chicken, earlier have also told that CSC knew about his doping, when he was on the team. I don't really know if your post is some kind of strange joke, or what it is

 

[mikkemus23]

It would be nice to see Bjarne Riise out of the sport. Soon, hopefully.

It seems like yesterday (or the day before lol) that "Ørnen fra/The Eagle from Herning" won the TdF `96...if we only knew then.

 

[Bumeington]

Screams volumes that he didn't turn up to the TdF till today.

Mr Omerta.

Don't be silly, he was on a cycling holiday with his family. It's not like there's 342 days of the year that don't coincide with the biggest event of the year for the professional team that he manages

 

[TheGame]

Screams volumes that he didn't turn up to the TdF till today.

Mr Omerta.

According to Gazetta on Friday, he was told by the ASO to stay away.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Don't be silly, he was on a cycling holiday with his family. It's not like there's 342 days of the year that don't coincide with the biggest event of the year for the professional team that he manages

He, like so many others, is hiding behind the appeal to family.

The responses to questions about the validity of the excuse can be met with inappropriate moral outrage, "How dare you suggest someone spend less time with their family!!!! Why do you hate vacations and happiness?"

It's good news though. The guy is so far out of touch and has so much contempt for cycling consumers he's just accellerating his bad situation.

 

[Benotti69]

According to Gazetta on Friday, he was told by the ASO to stay away.

Not surprised if that is the truth. Wonder who else was warned off.

If ASO wanted to clean up their races they could.

 

[neineinei]

Neither Anti Doping Denmark, Rasmussen nor Riis will say anything about Anti Doping Denmarks investigation into Riis and his team, but Jaksche will. He confirms that he has been interviewed and says the ADA already knew a lot about how the doping was organized on Riis's team, from what others had told them.

» Det virkede, som om Anti Doping Danmark havde enorm viden om, hvordan den organiserede doping fungerede på Bjarne Riis’ hold. Og de vidste, at Riis havde fuldt kendskab til det«

"Anti Doping Denmark seemed to have enormous knowledge of how the organized doping was carried out in the team of Bjarne Riis. And they knew that Riis had full knowledge of the doping."

http://politiken.dk/sport/cykling/ECE2012792/afhoering-riis-kendte-til-doping/

 

[Benotti69]

Neither Anti Doping Denmark, Rasmussen nor Riis will say anything about Anti Doping Denmarks investigation into Riis and his team, but Jaksche will. He confirms that he has been interviewed and says the ADA already knew a lot about how the doping was organized on Riis's team, from what others had told them.



http://politiken.dk/sport/cykling/ECE2012792/afhoering-riis-kendte-til-doping/

More federations ignoring the bleeding obvious.

No suprise after electing Hein and then McQuaid and I doubt Cookson will be much better.

 

[blackcat]

More federations ignoring the bleeding obvious.

No suprise after electing Hein and then McQuaid and I doubt Cookson will be much better.

no doubt, if RR was as wired into British cycling equivalent of US Cycling and USPS he would know ALL of what goes on there too. Or if he was a Brit and not a yank

 

[42x16ss]

I'll start to believe when i see proper testing by an independent body, a UCI where they are interested in fairness and are completely anti doping, when I read that teams are not hiring dodgy doctors, cyclists look absolutely wrecked at the end of races, barley able to get off the bike , never mind talk.

As for being told is a new era, I am not buying it. Nothing has changed, UCI, Team DS, doctors, soigneurs, etc etc why believe it is clean. Then seeing Sky do a USPS made a joke of the idea that the peloton is clean followed by an EPO era style Vuelta.

When the sport takes steps to clean itself up, not just talk, but shows a cleaner sport by uping the testing, making it independent, kill the omerta, not accept multi positive riders back in the peloton etc I'll come around to believing what I am watching.....

If you beleive in nobody, just come out and say so. Don't beat around the bush, most of us will respect you more for it.

 

[Clausfarre]

Well, the new Bjarne Riis documentary that aired on state tv on thursday shed some light on the whole "saved by silence" thing in relation to Tyler and others' accusations. Bjarne wasn't the cool cucumber most made him out to be. Instead he actually got a depression and was unable to work at all, proving to be incredibly fragile and having to get professional help and rely on family support. It was mostly about Bjarne, the person. No juicy bits about doping whatsoever.

He would not talk doping throughout the doc, following him for a long period of time (excluding his breakdown where he talked to no one). However, he did say a few interesting things at the end. He said that of course he could not be sure that doping didn't occur, that would be impossible. He then said that (paraphrasing) "if we find out in 2-5 years that things today are as bad as they were 15-20 years ago, well, then I was naive. But I was blissfully naive."

 

[pot belge]

Riis

Is there a version of the Riis documentary with english subtitles? My Danish is not so good

 

[Berzin]

I always saw Riis as an interesting character, much less mercenary than say Johan Bruyneel, who had the audacity to write a book called "We Might as well Win", as if that attitude is is so unique among sportsmen. Most people don't wake up in the morning and decide "hey, today I'm just going to lay down and lose". It spoke to the type of arrogance surrounding US Postal that it made everyone's day when they were finally exposed.

As for Riis, I can't make any apologies for whatever it was he was involved in, but I still find the documentary "Overcoming" as good a cycling doc as there is. I've never seen a film that gave the viewer such insight into how a cycling team is run, with all the myriad characters and situations. To his credit, the fact that Riis went through a period of depression over the accusations being leveled at him shows that he may have a modicum of shame, again, unlike Bruyneel.

Maybe that truth an reconciliation committee can't come soon enough. If Riis decides to take this route, will it limit his liability in terms of whatever sanctions may be handed down by the Danish investigation?

 

[Christian]

To his credit, the fact that Riis went through a period of depression over the accusations being leveled at him shows that he may have a modicum of shame, again, unlike Bruyneel.

I don't see it that way. He didn't get depressed because of remorse, but because he couldn't understand what was happening to him, and why it was happening to him. Translation: he feels like he did nothing wrong and that he is unjustly treated.

 

[infeXio]

I don't see it that way. He didn't get depressed because of remorse, but because he couldn't understand what was happening to him, and why it was happening to him. Translation: he feels like he did nothing wrong and that he is unjustly treated.

Sounds a bit far-fetched.

 

[Christian]

Sounds a bit far-fetched.

Quote: "I spent all day lying in bed with the curtains closed because it was impossible to understand these developments"

„Ich verbrachte den ganzen Tag im Bett liegend mit geschlossenen Vorhängen, weil es unmöglich war, diese Entwicklungen zu begreifen“

"Would they have taken our license, then a life's work would have fallen appart"

"Hätten sie unsere Lizenz genommen, dann wären die gesamte Arbeit und der Lebenszyklus auseinandergefallen.“

http://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_76071.htm

It's not hard to understand. You did something bad and now you have to face the consequences. The only reason why someone could fail to understand that concept is if they feel like they did nothing wrong.

Same thing with losing his "life's work". It's not like anyone is trying to screw him over. If the allegations against him are true then he screwed himself over, and now he has to face the consequences.

 

[Benotti69]

Riis's depression sounds like a smoke screen for authorities to leave him alone as he is already suffering........

 

[Netserk]

Riis's depression sounds like a smoke screen for authorities to leave him alone as he is already suffering........

What a load of crap to post.

 

[dwightyorke]

As for Riis, I can't make any apologies for whatever it was he was involved in, but I still find the documentary "Overcoming" as good a cycling doc as there is. I've never seen a film that gave the viewer such insight into how a cycling team is run, with all the myriad characters and situations. To his credit, the fact that Riis went through a period of depression over the accusations being leveled at him shows that he may have a modicum of shame, again, unlike Bruyneel.

Agreed, especially re: Overcoming.

There is a great scene where wizened physiotherapist and longtime confidante Ole pulls Riis aside and I think tells him that he needs to start trusting in others more and not let the stress get to him so much. I love that the cameraman is apparently filming that scene unseen from around the corner. You really get a sense for what Riis's continued involvement in the sport was costing him, emotionally and financially, even in those days.

And despite knowing what we know, I can't help but feel a (very) little sympathy for him--and not just because he managed Sastre's idiosyncrasies as well as anyone could have. He's a survivor, no question, but I too get the sense that cycling isn't just a numbers game for him and there is something much more personal at stake.

If that is the case and given the potential sanctions and his team's near-ruin, depression doesn't seem like such a stretch after all...

 

[Clausfarre]

Okay, so here is what was said in the end of the new doc "Riis - Forfra" about him not discussing doping:

Jung: We have specific questions about doping. Do you want to address why you won't go into any specifics?

Riis: First of all....(pause).... It may be relevant to you and many others but that is not my take on it.

Jung: Some people may have a hard time understanding why you have been silent about all this, Tyler Hamilton for example.

Riis: ....No matter what I would have said, this or that, left or right, I would have gotten beaten with a stick so it doesn't really change anything. And at a certain point I lost the overview and it was impossible for me to tell what was up and what was down.

What happened and didn't happened doesn't necessarily need to be public knowledge. I don't have that need....like so many others do. Like it has to be a public confessional. I don't buy it. I don't. I've told those that need to know what there is to be told, and that is enough for me. (long pause, no blinking, straight stare - end scene).

 

[Clausfarre]

Is there a version of the Riis documentary with english subtitles? My Danish is not so good

Hardly. It is possible to view it on dr.dk with Danish subtitles so if there exists some app thingy that can do automatic translations of the subtitles, which should be possible in freakin' 2014 (where are the flying cars already??), then yes. Other than that I'm out of suggestions.

 

[Berzin]

What happened and didn't happened doesn't necessarily need to be public knowledge. I don't have that need....like so many others do. Like it has to be a public confessional. I don't buy it. I don't. I've told those that need to know what there is to be told, and that is enough for me. (long pause, no blinking, straight stare - end scene).

Spoken like a true hardass.

Riis should have done Westerns with Clint Eastwood.

 

[hrotha]

It's just omertà with a more humane face.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

If the objective is to dope up riders to win races, the "soft manipulative" approach is just as bad as the "direct bullying".

"Depression" often kicks in when a powerful person becomes powerless and other people makes all the decisions which matters. Reduced to being a spectator. Loss of job, ownership etc are at stake.

For Riis this little down period was a tiny price to pay considering the type of fraud his empire has been build upon.

Just my opinion.