Gian's p*ssed, what's your take?

[JMBeaushrimp]

No ProTour for his team, and some frustrated comments at the UCI criteria for PT selection. Could this end up in some sort of 'clean' ranking to get teams PT status?

What do you think?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gianetti-slams-uci-proteam-decision

“I think this decision is bad news for cycling,” Gianetti told Cyclingnews.

“Carlos Sastre is the only Tour de France winner since 1996 not to be involved in a doping scandal and yet that’s been ignored and the only thing that matter seems to be the points riders have scored in the last two years.

“Riccardo Riccò caused huge damage by testing positive during the Tour de France. It cost me a major sponsor and stopped another sponsor coming into the sport. So how can the points he scored in 2010 after making a quick comeback, be more important that what Sastre or Denis Menchov has achieved?

“The UCI isn’t coherent. Its decision gives the message that the important thing isn’t ethics but points. That’s crazy. And they don’t seem worried about how those points are earned. They seem to accept points at any price.”

 

[washedup]

He makes an amazingly huge point. The system is designed to fail.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

Gotta love the Ricco reference. If his points count, how is that right?

Oh yeah, I forgot the 'UCI wants to stop doping' comment is only another example of 'talking points'. Obviously they don't...

 

[washedup]

It will be interesting to see what happens if/when Radio Shack and Astana collapse. Maybe the BMC slot will open up too .

 

[biopass]

I dont understand the new point system either.

I mean, in what other sports are the points, gathered by the players, transfered with the players to another team at the end of the season?

Imagine Manchester City finishing 6 at premiership, ending up as champions because suddenly they bought all the key players from Chelsea.

 

[BroDeal]

I am trying to get over Gianetti complaining about doping. That is funny stuff right there, but it gets even funnier when he bring Dennis "Humanplasma" Menchov into his argument.

Half the points should go to the team and half to the rider.

 

[surgical_spirit]

I'd refuse his right to a pro tour license based purely on the fact that he must have had some sort of say in that abysmal kit the fs team wore. Seriously beige?

 

[Race Radio]

This is the same Mauro Gianetti who almost died because he transfused some Perfluorocarbon? 2 weeks in the hospital.

A buddy of mine rode for him.....when he was going bad he was always ask if he "Needed some help"

How is it a team that gets 10 Millions Euros a year from One Sponsor is unable to field a competitive team? Simple, most of the money goes into Mauro's pocket.

The formula is simple get a sponsor who is a cycling groupie (Saunier Duval, Prodi) or even better a groupie with money (Geox) sign a bunch of cheap guys and have them attack often......oh, and make sure they get all the "Help" they need.

The sooner guys like Mauro are out of the sport the better.

 

[Race Radio]

I'd refuse his right to a pro tour license based purely on the fact that he must have had some sort of say in that abysmal kit the fs team wore. Seriously beige?

To be fair....in photos that is some of the worst kit in history, but up close it is awesome. The cars, bikes, racks, etc also look great. It just does not translate on TV or print

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

To be fair....in photos that is some of the worst kit in history, but up close it is awesome. The cars, bikes, racks, etc also look great. It just does not translate on TV or print

Yup, but being dirty and looking good seems to be worth a lot of money...

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

This is the same Mauro Gianetti who almost died because he transfused some Perfluorocarbon? 2 weeks in the hospital.

A buddy of mine rode for him.....when he was going bad he was always ask if he "Needed some help"

How is it a team that gets 10 Millions Euros a year from One Sponsor is unable to field a competitive team? Simple, most of the money goes into Mauro's pocket.

The formula is simple get a sponsor who is a cycling groupie (Saunier Duval, Prodi) or even better a groupie with money (Geox) sign a bunch of cheap guys and have them attack often......oh, and make sure they get all the "Help" they need.

The sooner guys like Mauro are out of the sport the better.

Haha! You got my 'clean ranking system' comment...

 

[hrotha]

I am trying to get over Gianetti complaining about doping. That is funny stuff right there, but it gets even funnier when he bring Dennis "Humanplasma" Menchov into his argument.

Half the points should go to the team and half to the rider.

It's also amazing that he seems to be attacking Riccò, as if Saunier Duval (the team of Piepoli, Cobo, Perdiguero, etc) didn't have a clue about what was going on with him at the time.

Actually I'd say Saunier Duval was one of the dirtiest teams of the second half of the decade.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

And noone's commented on CN's bi-line: "Geox-TMC manager suggests points are more important than ethics".

Taken with a grain of salt, that might actually be funny...

 

[Wallace]

The whole idea of Mauro Gianetti talking in any way about ethics or even, for half a second, pretending to be against doping is either hilarious or vomit-inducing, depending on your tolerance and/or sense of humor about the whole subject. That he is still involved in the sport is that worst thing I could ever say about this sport.

 

[frenchfry]

Gianetti has always thumbed his nose at anti-doping - just another Bruyneel wanna be.

He can whine all he wants.

 

[Jethro Tull]

I see some of his point in that Schlux does not exist and is so highly ranked. At least BMC's results were from the 2009 buys (mostly Evans). Still what happened to FDJ?

 

[BotanyBay]

“Riccardo Riccò caused huge damage by testing positive during the Tour de France. It cost me a major sponsor and stopped another sponsor coming into the sport. So how can the points he scored in 2010 after making a quick comeback, be more important that what Sastre or Denis Menchov has achieved?

“The UCI isn’t coherent. Its decision gives the message that the important thing isn’t ethics but points. That’s crazy. And they don’t seem worried about how those points are earned. They seem to accept points at any price.”

I think this is perhaps some of the best evidence pointing to how flawed the ProTour selection process is, and why the UCI needs to be dismantled.

On one hand, teams that have any doping history floating around are excluded from grand tours (by the organizers), yet a team that doesn't have enough doping can't even be a member of the sport's upper level.

Damn, do I ever hate McQuaid and Verbruggen.

 

[la.margna]

This is the same Mauro Gianetti who almost died because he transfused some Perfluorocarbon? 2 weeks in the hospital.

A buddy of mine rode for him.....when he was going bad he was always ask if he "Needed some help"

How is it a team that gets 10 Millions Euros a year from One Sponsor is unable to field a competitive team? Simple, most of the money goes into Mauro's pocket.

The formula is simple get a sponsor who is a cycling groupie (Saunier Duval, Prodi) or even better a groupie with money (Geox) sign a bunch of cheap guys and have them attack often......oh, and make sure they get all the "Help" they need.

The sooner guys like Mauro are out of the sport the better.

you are right and a few others as well, Gianetti is ridiculising himself with the "clean" argumentation. But is any other guy better in this business? Don't all these omertà cheaters and their managers (often ex-cheaters, dealers or omertà freaks too) don't deserve any better than the highly corrupt Pat McQuaid and UCI's intransparent, arbitrary and unprofessional approach to select these teams?

 

[frenchfry]

Interesting story on Saur-Sojasun and their manager Stéphane Heulot:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/heulot-hopeful-for-saur-sojasun-tour-de-france-invite

Having retired as a rider in 2002, Heulot worked briefly in a PR role for his former Française des Jeux team-mate Mauro Gianetti’s Saunier Duval team. That association ended badly with Saunier Duval rider Riccardo Riccò’s positive test for CERA at the 2008 Tour. “Doping is so ingrained in certain managers, like Gianetti, that they can't conceive of cycling any other way," Heulot said at the time. “With people like Gianetti, we're heading straight for an impasse […]When people ask me if there's a risk of organized doping at Saunier Duval, I say 'yes' because I believe it, I feel it.”

Asked on Wednesday whether the prospect of vying with Gianetti’s Geox-TMC team for a Tour de France start provided added motivation, Heulot did his best to remain diplomatic. “He has his life and I have mine. I’ll just concentrate on our team,” he replied.

Gianetti’s complaint last week that his team merited a ProTeam licence on “ethical grounds” prompted a more forthright reaction. “I didn’t read that…but the man’s obviously got no shame,” Heulot smiled.

 

[L'arriviste]

Stéphane Heulot:

Doping is so ingrained in certain managers, like Gianetti, that they can't conceive of cycling any other way

Strikingly similar quote to another made by the Xacobeo doctor after he was fired by that other great manager Alvaro Pino (Kelme, Phonak, Xacobeo) at the start of the year...

Pino [is] only being able to understand cycling with doping

... and we all know what happened to Xacobeo after that. Two positive pingers in the Vuelta and the riders unpaid now for four months.

Talkin' bout that generation...

 

[Mellow Velo]

Team Geox-TMC is dead. Long live Team TMC.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/6...ut-as-major-sponsor-of-the-Geox-TMC-team.aspx

Anyone for Dennis?

 

[sniper]

Gianetti has always thumbed his nose at anti-doping - just another Bruyneel wanna be.

He can whine all he wants.

Gianetti's accusations (as hypocrit as they may be) do raise fundamental questions. The UCI's got some clearing up to do, some transparency to provide, cuz denying Menchov and Sastre in favor of Riccò is indeed laughable from a (anti-)doping point of view.
...unless the UCI knows about the dirt on the hands of Gianetti, but then again, transparency is called for, cuz now they leave too much room for speculation.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

you are right and a few others as well, Gianetti is ridiculising himself with the "clean" argumentation. But is any other guy better in this business? Don't all these omertà cheaters and their managers (often ex-cheaters, dealers or omertà freaks too) don't deserve any better than the highly corrupt Pat McQuaid and UCI's intransparent, arbitrary and unprofessional approach to select these teams?

Interesting story on Saur-Sojasun and their manager Stéphane Heulot:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/heulot-hopeful-for-saur-sojasun-tour-de-france-invite

Nice job frenchfry. That is probably one of the better evidence-supporting posts I've seen. That really helps fill in the picture.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Team Geox-TMC is dead. Long live Team TMC.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/6...ut-as-major-sponsor-of-the-Geox-TMC-team.aspx

Anyone for Dennis?

Yes, I like Denni. Enough that I'm really sad Team Goux did not get one of the Pro Tour licenses. I also like Carlos. It's really unfortunate when some of the top performers are left out. There was a lot of talk last summer in this forum about the Goux lineup, and I think a lot of people were expecting them to get a PT license.

BUT, on the other hand, no rider (and I really mean NONE) is more important that the sport. Goux not getting a license may be more about the team's organization (Gianetti etc) and their reputation in regard to doping practices than it is about the talent on the team. So the message to riders is, if you want to get onto a Pro Tour team make sure it has a team structure and program that supports anti-doping.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

The post above is my take on Melo Velo's question on Menchov. Now back to the thread topic (our take on Gianetti being p!ssed). Just as no rider is more important than the sport, I also feel NO manager is more important than the sport. So the G-man can try to defend his team and himself all he wants, but if he wants a Pro Tour team he's going to have to do some work to change the minds of those in positions of authority who award licenses. He should probably start with his rep (whavever that is) vs anti-doping.