Familiar Phrase

[jimmypop]

"They controlled me a thousand time, any hour, any place, and I was never positive," Astarloa said.

From: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/astarloa-calls-sanctions-absurd-and-ridiculous

 

[Benotti69]

i am no sure whether or not Astarola's numbers were any different than others, but it does seem he was a sacrificial lamb to justify that blood passport works.

 

[ilillillli]

I know, I love this phrase. It's like being asked if you ever committed a crime and replying "Well, I've never been to jail."

 

[L'arriviste]

I liked this one:

...in this sport, even when you're retired, they don't leave you in peace

 

[jimmypop]

i am no sure whether or not Astarola's numbers were any different than others, but it does seem he was a sacrificial lamb to justify that blood passport works.

Indeed. "Hey, look, we're sanctioning a retired rider who was all but a confirmed doper! Bio passport is working!"

 

[hrotha]

Regardless of the biological passport politics, I'm glad Astarloa couldn't just retire with a relatively untarnished name. The Milram thing wasn't enough for my tastes.

 

[Berzin]

Yes, fining and suspending a rider like Astarola over some biopassport vagaries years after the fact really is doing a lot to clean up the sport.

Who's next on the UCI hit list, Massimo Podenzana?

 

[BotanyBay]

Yes, fining and suspending a rider like Astarola over some biopassport vagaries years after the fact really is doing a lot to clean up the sport.

Who's next on the UCI hit list, Massimo Podenzana?

He musta missed a payment to Pat, or forget to send a photo of his sliced-hand for the yearly Omerta renewal.

 

[Benotti69]

Regardless of the biological passport politics, I'm glad Astarloa couldn't just retire with a relatively untarnished name. The Milram thing wasn't enough for my tastes.

i imagine his numbers were pretty much the same as others and less than dodgy than some in 2009, but an easy target

 

[jimmypop]

Sanctions for Tom Simpson imminent

 

[bike_framed]

What happens now - he appeals to the CAS? Couldn't they just give him a symbolic 1 Euro fine?

 

[JPM London]

Sanctions for Tom Simpson imminent

Sorry to disappoint you - they have Vriijman on it.

They have asked him to conclude that Simpson wasn't doped and that's it was a French conspiracy based on a misunderstanding he was American.

Furthermore they'd like to announce Simpson's estate has graciously agreed to donate 5... no, 10... ah, well some unknown, undisclosed amount to the Verdrucken-McSquid Fairness Pond.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

Yes, fining and suspending a rider like Astarola over some biopassport vagaries years after the fact really is doing a lot to clean up the sport.

Who's next on the UCI hit list, Massimo Podenzana?

Shhh... You're going to bum out Pat. Look how hard they're working...

 

[sartain]

Sanctions for Tom Simpson imminent

Take down his monument?

 

[Berzin]

Take down his monument?

They're going to take samples of it to see if it comes up positive for performance-enhancing granite.

But because so many people have handled the monument, he'll probably get off on a technicality, the type an unscrupulous lawyer can hang his hat on.

 

[hrotha]

Them jokes are funny and all, but I don't see what's the problem here. Astarloa retired in 2009. As in, last year. As in, yesterday. Meanwhile, most of us are advocating retroactive testing and digging up stuff from the early 00s.

 

[biopass]

Indeed. "Hey, look, we're sanctioning a retired rider who was all but a confirmed doper! Bio passport is working!"

And more important, this shows UCI isnt protecting any riders! Hurray!

 

[jimmypop]

And more important, this shows UCI isnt protecting any riders! Hurray!

Win-win-win; clean sport, nothing to see here folks!

I like how they fined someone who didn't receive a salary, with full knowledge that he wouldn't have to pay the fine since the team didn't pay salaries.

To call this insubstantial is irony through understatement.