Contador on Eurosport

[roundabout]

For those who were "interested" enough to watch, did Contador say anything insightful or was it BB-level analysis made important because it came from the biggest name in the sport who got popped on a technicality?

 

[Caruut]

I don't follow....extrapolate your reasoning about villification onto any crime or rule breaking and you will see what I mean. Villifying Enron execs means getting caught was the problem and not the corruption?

I don't really care to go into the AFF details that have been talked to death on the AC threads. Somehow I think the casual viewer will not rationalize it out like you do. And, not putting AC on TV for an hour is not villifying him.

I think the distinction for me is that I don't believe the other oil companies were as corrupt as Enron, but I don't particularly think that Contador's competitors are cleaner than him. He should be banned, that is clear to me, he broke the rules and got caught. What I don't believe in is this "those who test positive are scum" rhetoric.

I agree that the casual viewer won't see it as I do. People often don't see things the way I do - whether that's a good or bad thing, I'm not sure

 

[Caruut]

For those who were "interested" enough to watch, did Contador say anything insightful or was it BB-level analysis made important because it came from the biggest name in the sport who got popped on a technicality?

What does BB-level mean?

 

[roundabout]

No, I thought the OP was.

I thought the OP was complaining about Eurosport.

 

[roundabout]

What does BB-level mean?

bulletin board. The kind of stuff one might read, say here.

 

[Caruut]

I thought the OP was complaining about Eurosport.

I just looked up the definition of vilify. I didn't realise it was that. I meant persecute.

 

[roundabout]

Well, rightly or wrongly unless Contador had anything more than vanilla opinions (and I am waiting from the masses of fans and haters alike who remained glued to their sets and streams to tell me if that was the case) to offer, giving him the platform would in my book be a tacit acceptance that he is more worthy of an interview than other dopers including those who don't put people to sleep or those who have done more for the sport after their positive than Contador ever will.

Edit: to stay more to the point, wondering why/not wanting to see a currently banned rider given center stage on TV is not persecution.

 

[ElChingon]

Still no link on the race review by Contador?

Guess I'll have to go search now...

 

[Caruut]

Well, rightly or wrongly unless Contador had anything more than vanilla opinions (and I am waiting from the masses of fans and haters alike who remained glued to their sets and streams to tell me if that was the case) to offer, giving him the platform would in my book be a tacit acceptance that he is more worthy of an interview than other dopers including those who don't put people to sleep or those who have done more for the sport after their positive than Contador ever will.

Edit: to stay more to the point, wondering why/not wanting to see a currently banned rider given center stage on TV is not persecution.

I feel the outrage that Contador should be allowed on Eurosport is wanting dopers persecuted against. I can see why that would be seen as good, personally I think that the bans are harsh enough, given that most of their competition are hardly clean.

 

[T_S_A_R]

Oh come on. How many wins did he get? He's no Cavendish.

your right.

he only stood on the top of the podium for the 2010 tour and the 2011 giro.

his presence in those races effected those race. the idea that we can kid on he wasn't there and acknowledge winners is a joke.

just look at the tour last year. would the schleck's have attacked in the pyreenes if contador wasn't there? would evans have hung with andy on the final mountain stage if contador hadn't attacked halfway through?

contador's presence effected every stage of the 2011 giro and 95% of the 2010 tour. without bert the 2011 giro would be one of the best grand tours evey rather than a bad joke.

 

[Ripper]

Rubbish. The CAS proceedings concluded that it is more likely that the positive was caused by contaminated food supplements than by cheating.

Ummm? The words of the final ruling were written politcally. Otherwise, it gets a bit weird that this rider rode his bike for so long when he should have been suspended.

Anyone who knows anything knows he was charging. Seriously.

 

[Ripper]

Oh come on. How many wins did he get? He's no Cavendish.

Actually, T_S_A_R makes a valid point. Of course the races would have been raced very differently if ACD had not been there. Any strong rider's presence would impact the race dynamics.

 

[AussieGoddess]

For the record - I do think he did it. I think he is great anyway

I did watch the segment, and thought it was good. It was pretty basic 'this is what I think about the contenders, the giro is hard but its a beautiful race' kinda stuff .... but interesting to get his take on some of the things.

As for Eurosport having him on ... other networks have interviews with people who have been suspended all the time. Look at some of the expert commentators and interviews they have done and you will find a whole heap. If they could get one of the big names to do it, they would.

In Australia Shane Warne spent his suspension from cricket commentating for the major tv station. Its not something new.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

If Contador had been a little more carefull with his blood fill prior to the Tour de France no one would even be having this conversation and we would have seen him on the Stelvio in a few weeks time, off course sprinting upwards.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Whether or not Contador has been treated fairly is by the by....the point I was making was regarding the impression Eurosport are giving by having Contador on tv.

I was watching Eurosport as a layman and a cyclist. I was thinking that this does not give a good impression of a doping ban. Yes he should be frowned on.

The ins and outs of his ban are not known to the average cycling / viewer so Eurosport should not, in my opinion, be giving his image/reputation any more status.

When his ban is finished fair enough. But while he is serving a ban surely the viewing public should see that as a punishment.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Edit: to stay more to the point, wondering why/not wanting to see a currently banned rider given center stage on TV is not persecution.

However, we are making the assumption that Eurosport are the only ones doing this, or that Contador is the first banned rider to have been interviewed or asked for his opinion on such matters. You could argue that his presence as a member of the all-but present péloton makes his opinions more interesting as he can speak with insight about the current riders, or you can argue that it makes it less interesting, as he can only offer vanilla comments because of not wanting to offend or alienate anybody.

However, it would be interesting to see how other banned riders have been treated by TV companies. It may be my memory playing tricks on my brain, but I'm pretty sure I've heard Valverde called up on Spanish coverage, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear the likes of Vino or Kashechkin solicited for their opinions on Kazakh coverage of races. Iban Mayo is a frequent source of information on Basque and Navarrese cycling. Although he had returned from his ban by that time, just didn't have a team, I vividly recall the HR guys doing a feature with Patrik Sinkewitz during the Rund um Frankfurt when he rode the course solo with a camera bike discussing the course and the contenders.

 

[The Hitch]

bulletin board. The kind of stuff one might read, say here.

I saw a 5 min highlight and I've seen contador analysis before. its pretty simple stuff no doubt. being political and naming all contenders etc. at the same time, i don't know even commentators whose analysis isn't bb really. more thorough than what contador has to offer but still simple.

 

[LaFlorecita]

If Contador had been a little more carefull with his blood fill prior to the Tour de France no one would even be having this conversation and we would have seen him on the Stelvio in a few weeks time, off course sprinting upwards.

Sigh... Drop it, please.

 

[Caruut]

Sigh... Drop it, please.

Aren't some posters just so tiresome and repetitive, eh?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Aren't some posters just so tiresome and repetitive, eh?

 

[Cycle Chic]

Having Contador analyse the Giro or any other interview with him is brilliant and insightful......but not while he is serving a doping ban. He should be in the sin bin.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Having Contador analyse the Giro or any other interview with him is brilliant and insightful......but not while he is serving a doping ban. He should be in the sin bin.

Officially, he isn't banned for doping. Besides, why would his analysis only be insightful when he's not serving a suspension?

 

[LaFlorecita]

If people have such a problem with Alberto appearing on Eurosport why didn't you just change channels? I'm pretty sure no one forced you to watch it.

Cycle Chic, apparently you don't, but a lot of people do care about what Alberto has to say. Out of the current peloton he is arguably the one with the most experience when it comes to winning GTs and stage races. The ban he's serving now changes nothing about that fact. Seriously, what is your problem with Alberto?

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

Having Contador analyse the Giro or any other interview with him is brilliant and insightful......but not while he is serving a doping ban. He should be in the sin bin.

I suggest you write to WADA and recommend they consider inserting a gagging clause on banned athletes.

 

[Cloxxki]

I suggest you write to WADA and recommend they consider inserting a gagging clause on banned athletes.

That might not hurt actually, with an execption made for those who've fully acknowledge guilt, and helped the investigation to satisfaction of WADA. Oh, and spend a signficant part of their ban actively fighting doping and educating youngsters. That is, if they wish to return to cycling after their ban. If they violate the gagging order, well...a year added per infriction.