Italian witch-hunt's results:Petacchi to race for Kazakhstan!

[jens_attacks]

there are still legal ways to combat the decision taken by the italian federation until the world champs.but this time they got too far with those unconstitutional retroactive bans.
still,if the attorneys won't beat that decision which humiliates italian pro cycling,alessandro pettachi is thinking seriously to choose another country to run for in copenhagen.

Correre contro l’Italia al Mondiale? Ci sto pensando»
Running against Italy in the World? I'm thinking.


Ma pensa che sia realistica l'ipotesi di correre il Mondiale per un'altra nazione, prendendo un nuovo passaporto?
E' un'ipotesi che sto prendendo in considerazione, non lo nascondo (si sta guardando a Paesi dell'est europeo: una possibilità sarebbe il Kazakistan
But think it is realistic the hypothesis of the World ran for another country, taking a new passport?
"And 'I'm considering a hypothesis, do not hide (I'm looking to Eastern European countries: one possibility would be Kazakhstan, ed.)

vino-petacchi for kazakhstan in copenhagen?wouldn't this be so good?

http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php?page=news&cod=40241&tp=n

 

[Chuffy]

Tough buns.

 

[hrotha]

What kind of country gives you nationality just for asking nicely?

Oh right, all of them, when it comes to sports.

 

[euanli]

Its too late to change his Nationality. Haussler had this issue and had to wait a year before he could race for Aus.

 

[TeoSheva]

Petacchi can be one of the favourite... I like to be against the clinic, but we should watch in front and not to the past!

 

[ergmonkey]

What kind of country gives you nationality just for asking nicely?

Oh right, all of them, when it comes to sports.

I suspect they're not just giving him nationality, either. Surely they're throwing a little money his way, too. Would certainly be in keeping with Astana's style. At the very least, there's got to be a big win bonus on offer.

 

[abbaskip]

Its too late to change his Nationality. Haussler had this issue and had to wait a year before he could race for Aus.

It's not even about waiting a year. It didn't matter how long he waited. The issue was that he needed to forfeit his German citizenship to be allowed to ride for Australia. The rule is put there to stop guys from switching between different nationalities they may hold - ie. basically only being allowed to change if you're no longer eligible for your first nation. So the reasoning makes sense (especially in cases like the one with Petacchi) but it was ridiculous for Heinrich. In cycling you only race for your nation once a year (sometimes twice), so it's not like football where you get capped for your nation, and then you have to keep plaing for that same side...

I agree riders shouldn't chop and change nationality, but it does make it easier for non-europeans to get pro-contracts early in their careers.

 

[canyonball]

I don't know if what they did was unconstitutional or not. Case in point, if they don't want to invite into the Worlds convicted dopers, then don't. There's no need to make a rule out of that. It seems to me it's all PR.

As far as the change of nationality goes. It's a shame what's happening across the sport. When you're watching a game or event and half the team doen's know the anthem, it just feels like a big fat joke.

 

[craig1985]

At least Heinrich Haussler can legitimately ride for Australia, he was born here FFS, and his mother is Australian, too. But it would be a joke for Petacchi to ride for Kazakhstan, has he even been there? Go on Alessandro, how do you say "hello" in Kazakh?

 

[Mambo95]

At least Heinrich Haussler can legitimately ride for Australia, he was born here FFS, and his mother is Australian, too. But it would be a joke for Petacchi to ride for Kazakhstan, has he even been there? Go on Alessandro, how do you say "hello" in Kazakh?

He's watched Borat five times.


PS This will never actually happen.

 

[DenisMenchov]

At least Heinrich Haussler can legitimately ride for Australia, he was born here FFS, and his mother is Australian, too. But it would be a joke for Petacchi to ride for Kazakhstan, has he even been there? Go on Alessandro, how do you say "hello" in Kazakh?

They don`t speak Kazakh in Kazahstan, most people speak Russian.

 

[Archibald]

What kind of country gives you nationality just for asking nicely?

Oh right, all of them, when it comes to sports.

"English" cricket team anyone?
although, like Hausler they did have some linage...

 

[Konfronto]

They don`t speak Kazakh in Kazahstan, most people speak Russian.

What a bold and absolutely false statement! I have to enlighten you: more than 50% of people in Kazakhstan speak Kazakh, Kazakhs, btw, consisute ~ 63% of the total population.

 

[rhubroma]

What kind of country gives you nationality just for asking nicely?

Oh right, all of them, when it comes to sports.

There was an interesting article in the recent l'Espresso news magazine about Italian construction companies doing business in Astana.

Makes "kick-back city" look like a child's game. With the nationalism and corruption in Kazakhstan, perhaps for a worlds win from a "citizen" they could speed the process up a bit.

 

[will10]

"English" cricket team anyone?
although, like Hausler they did have some linage...

You think the English cricket team's bad? Take a look at the Canadian team that played in the last World Cup. Laughably Indian.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Petacchi for Kazachstan lol....

Kazachstan, nr1 exporter of potassium! All other countries have inferior potassium...

 

[Tuarts]

Kazakhstan (and co) don't have the requirements like say, the USA or Australia.

As long as you want citizenship and have a sponsor, you'll get it. It's not like that they are a typical immigration country after all that wants to limit immigration.

It's still a laughable situation but Pettachi and ilk are the ones that will have to take the brunt of it because of this measure but hopefully it'll create a better future for Italian cycling.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

that's highly amusing and sad at the same time

 

[greenedge]

I find this funny as. Petacchi should retire though in two yrs. A lucrative career commentating at the Giro awaits if he retains his Italian citizenship. And Vino will win the world's in his last yr.

 

[nvpacchi]

Didn't Rebellin try to pull this same stunt with Argentina for the 2004 Olympics?

 

[Peccio89]

I think Petacchi deserves a last chance at the world championship, and if the italian federation doesn't let him run than i think that he will do the right thing by finding another national team to race with. Honestly he was banned for something that he had to take becuase of a medical problem, and that it is not illegal anymore, so not letting him run would be kind of an hypocrisy.

And as an italian i must admit that without ale-jet we won't have a chance of winning the world championship, so it would be stupid to not let him race, come on Di Rocco do you really think that Bennati can win it? He will be lucky to get in the top 5

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Didn't Rebellin try to pull this same stunt with Argentina for the 2004 Olympics?

yeah bit at least rebellins trainer was argentinean I believe and he trained/rode there as well. bit like daniel moreno used to do

 

[la.margna]

The idea of the italians to ban doped riders is fine, but it will only be efficient and make sense if UCI adapts it. Otherwise it will lead to even more ridicolous cases like this. But it happened (for other reasons) in alpine and nordic skiing from time to time, so why not cycling.

 

[Oldman]

I think Petacchi deserves a last chance at the world championship, and if the italian federation doesn't let him run than i think that he will do the right thing by finding another national team to race with. Honestly he was banned for something that he had to take becuase of a medical problem, and that it is not illegal anymore, so not letting him run would be kind of an hypocrisy.

And as an italian i must admit that without ale-jet we won't have a chance of winning the world championship, so it would be stupid to not let him race, come on Di Rocco do you really think that Bennati can win it? He will be lucky to get in the top 5

This is the problem when National Federations begin to take action: some minor infractions appear to be swept up with the more serious ones and the fans become upset about that. You can't clean up the sport and still trade in minor shades of gray and you assume Petacchi didn't have some other issue that could have been major, if publicized. It seems the Italians have had the courage to draw the line and it would be difficult and probably a bad idea to step back from that posture.
Sorry about the Italian squad but they do seem to screw up the World's even when they have 7 good riders.

 

[hfer07]

so........is he going from alessandro petacchi to "alexandre petacov"?:d