How did you read gutierrez letter?

[karlboss]

With the references to some other riders such as Armstrong and Contador, and no protestation of innocence only never failed a test, how do you read this letter?

 

[Supervet]

Gutierrez Letter - a view

I think this letter reflects the Spanish attitude to the affair and I read it as saying "why pick on Valverde, everyone was at it".

However, the author was spotted entering Fuentes' clinic by surveillance cameras as were Botero and Sevilla so he has no credibility. It is very regrettable that the Spanish judiciary are blocking further action, no surprise really given the high profile Spanish football, tennis and athletic names involved.

It is also quite revealing to compare the performances of these three from before and after the affair broke, the same goes for Spanish distance runners.

 

[hektoren]

His letter reveals the shocking level of illiteracy in the peloton. He states that "Alejandro is a champion to whom the right to race will be denied. And if I tell you the truth neither I nor the majority of us know why".
"A bag with Valverde's blood mixed with synthetic EPO" is evidently too hard to read and comprehend.

 

[ExRower]

follow the evidence Guittierez! this guy needs to watch more CSI.


The evidence don't lie!

 

[Roland Rat]

Never tested positive.

Most tested athlete.

Most naturally gifted.

Only levelling the playing field.

Raking over the past is ruining the sport.




Yawn.

 

[python]

i said this before and will say it again: valverde is a magnificent rider i will miss.

but he gamed the system.

when the system caught up with him, he got crushed.

morale of the story: don’t get caught. and if you do don’t game because bureaucracies are stupid and therefore vindictive.

oh, and dont whine too much either coz being paid 2.5 mil a year aint bad for a cheat.

 

[frenchfry]

The day when riders make passionate pleas for an end to doping will be a great day for cycling.

This letter is just more of the same "let us dope and leave us alone" status quo doper bs. The dopers figure that being caught and sanctioned is killing the sport, not the doping. They are wrong.

 

[mikkemus23]

It`s ugly and disgusting and enforces omerta in the worst way. F**k I hate all these fools for ruining our sports and making it impossible to trust any great sports achivement as we should.

 

[wee westy]

Gutiérrez needs to get real. We don't want dopers, and if they get caught, however long after the event, tough luck - give them the hardest penalty possible.

 

[Mellow Velo]

MMmmm....."I've just lost my gravy train, now who is going to pay for my medical programme?"
The Spanish riders just can't get the hang of the new language of dope speak. They'd make lousy politicians.

 

[Stavros]

If you didn't know that was actually written by a professional cyclist, you'd think it was a piece of satire and you'd be having a giggle at it, thinking "yeah, that's probably the attitude of a lot of professional cyclists - yo ho ho"

 

[Indurain]

Here is what the UCI should do to end doping. Forget investigating the past doping offences and start new. Have immunity to anyone that on their own comes forward and confesses to past doping and signs contracts to stop now. However, if they don't confess then they get banned if proven later on.

For those that confess, they can get even greater rewards (ie make their confession confidential) if they give evidence against those that choose not to confess including info on the doctors, managers, or practices, etc involved that will aid the fight against doping. So basically it is either confess and race again with no consequences or risk being found out and banned.

Maybe have a confession week so there is a cut off date. If the cyclist are serious about giving up doping then let their actions show. No use taking riders results away because it just goes to another doper.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Dear Mr Gutiérrez,

I agree with you when you say 'I call on all the sporting authorities... S.O.S... Cycling is dying... Help us. Now.'. However, you seem to have gotten mistaken between the problem and the solution to the problem.

Scum like Valv Piti is what is killing cycling, not the authorities for trying to catch he cheats.

Having written a letter defending the undefendable I now hold you in the same regard as rapists and murderers.

Kind regards

The Reverend.

Next week on defending the undefendable, Ivan Gutiérrez attempts to defend the nazi's actions in Poland and why being raped can be a good thing.

What a moron.

 

[Cerberus]

Dear Mr Gutiérrez,

I agree with you when you say 'I call on all the sporting authorities... S.O.S... Cycling is dying... Help us. Now.'. However, you seem to have gotten mistaken between the problem and the solution to the problem.

Scum like Valv Piti is what is killing cycling, not the authorities for trying to catch he cheats.

Having written a letter defending the undefendable I now hold you in the same regard as rapists and murderers.

Kind regards

The Reverend.

Next week on defending the undefendable, Ivan Gutiérrez attempts to defend the nazi's actions in Poland and why being raped can be a good thing.

What a moron.

ehm, wow.

 

[El Imbatido]

This blog here is a pretty good response to Jose Ivan Guttierriz letter.......

http://theinnerring.blogspot.com/

It address' some of the things we have already been debating.

 

[brianf7]

Sooner the better we all cyclists stand up to UCI and WADA and tell them we are not signing the commitment to take all our arguments to WADA and CAS we do it properly through the civil courts or criminal courts with proper Judges and laws that rule the land we live in.

CAS is hardly a proper place to air many cases but we agree to go that way when joining a UCI club.

In a normal legal argument you may have other opportunities in different laws that govern your defence or prosecution.
Either it will make dopers more accountable and others who are prescribed meds that WADA don't like will have a fair go also.

Remember the UCI are elected by grass roots cycling and without that there is no racing whatsoever.

 

[workingclasshero]

Dear Mr Gutiérrez,

I agree with you when you say 'I call on all the sporting authorities... S.O.S... Cycling is dying... Help us. Now.'. However, you seem to have gotten mistaken between the problem and the solution to the problem.

Scum like Valv Piti is what is killing cycling, not the authorities for trying to catch he cheats.

Having written a letter defending the undefendable I now hold you in the same regard as rapists and murderers.

Kind regards

The Reverend.

Next week on defending the undefendable, Ivan Gutiérrez attempts to defend the nazi's actions in Poland and why being raped can be a good thing.

What a moron.

harsh

but fair

 

[Jan the Man]

Omerta in action.

 

[thehog]

Omerta in action.

I think the letter has merit. Perhaps the translations is poor but what he is saying is that we the cyclists have to dope. And the UCI allows us to dope a little bit. That’s what the passport is. Its not an anti-doping program is a doping monitoring program. A program to ensure that something like Puerto doesn’t happen again. A program so the UCI can ensure that whilst the athletes will still dope they won’t go to ridiculous levels like in the 2000’s. The UCI doesn’t want the police smashing a large doping ring again. You can dope but keep it in the realms for recovery and keeping the show going.

The other point he’s trying to make is why use Valverde as an example? Why do athletes like Armstrong and others have protection whilst Valverde is chased down and busted? Is there really a difference between a blood bag marked “Valv.Piti” and 6 samples marked “34378454” belonging to Armstrong? Why is one tracked down by the UCI and the other has mountains moved to prove his innocence by the controlling body. Its sad. Valverde doped. No doubt about. So does most of the peloton – many to just hang on to the back of the bunch to those who are doping the most. So why punish them? If you’re going to force the cyclists down the clean route then make sure it’s a level playing field for all. And that’s what he’s asking for. The UCI got their man but I think this time they’ve really p*ssed off a lot of cyclists in the way they treat some of them compared to others.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Why do athletes like Armstrong and others have protection whilst Valverde is chased down and busted?

Th UCI are scared stiff of Armstrong being done for doping. He is such a figurehead of the sport (whether you like it or not), they fear that the day he gets busted is the day the sport loses all its credibility thus effectively killing it.

The lesser of 2 evils really.

 

[lean mean &green]

The dopers (and authorities complicit with doping) figure that being caught and sanctioned is killing the sport, not the doping. They are wrong.

slight edit in bold i think most will agree with.

such a simple statement but so true. PED users and those complicit with them see the short term and medium term effects. their careers only last approx 10 years. they'd like to exploit the system that exists for a decade or so and after that they don't care. it's not ok but i understand it.

most passionate fans of the type who post in this forum would like to see long term solutions and don't mind disgracing a generation of riders to do it. the riders who are members of THAT generation will resist change as tho their livelihoods depend on it, because they do. they may even write idiotic letters before thinking about the "omerta script" they should be reading from (which is often saying nothing at all).

 

[3rdWheel]

I've said it before, the riders are the ones that can stop all this doping. It's on them and will always be on them. Letters like Gutierrez leads further proof to me they (or the majority of riders) really don't want to stop it.

 

[rikdewy]

"I rode against Armstrong, Contador and many, many riders who are still today still part of the world's elite. I therefore believe I have the right to claim that to prevent Alejandro to practice the sport for which he was born is absolutely unfair."

Translation... How can you ban Alejandro and not these guys? He never cheated TOO much, he always stayed within the rules you set (bio passport). He never tested +ve after all. No fair.

I agree with Indurain above. Unfortunately they'll never do it cos there's too much money involved. ie. too much corruption. If there's that many pro's doping, then in all probability there is the same proportion of officials taking bribes.

Maybe the entire pro peloton should go on strike and demand a complete change of the UCI. Get someone in like Lemond or an Elliot Ness character and clean house. From then on all Grand Tours should have dorm rooms at night with cctv surveillance and audio. Eat, sleep and ride together then they all know each other is pure.

Pretty drastic, but if it was the same for everyone, Why not??

 

[UlleGigo]

Just seems like he's a friend trying desperately to help his mate. Although, they must not be bffs since he's not quite willing to lie for his friend and say that he thinks Valverde is clean. Pity.

This letter will be as effective as any pointless letter can possibly be, namely, not very.

However, he should be congratulated for his satirical description of Valverde as the quintessential clean athlete who has 'never failed a doping test' and is the 'most tested man in sport'. At least he stopped short of putting 7-time winner etc... before his name. That would have been too obvious.

 

[UlleGigo]

Maybe the entire pro peloton should go on strike and demand a complete change of the UCI. Get someone in like Lemond or an Elliot Ness character and clean house. From then on all Grand Tours should have dorm rooms at night with cctv surveillance and audio. Eat, sleep and ride together then they all know each other is pure.

Pretty drastic, but if it was the same for everyone, Why not??

How many hours a day do they get in the yard for exercise?
Are they allowed to vote?
How would we tell the teams apart if they're all wearing orange jumpsuits?