Pro Rider reaction to Ricco news

[JMBeaushrimp]

Am I the only one who thinks it would be a good idea to restrict banned riders from all contact with their team, at least in any official or public capacity, until they are done serving their time?

I think it's insane that he can so casually hook up with his team at the training camp, if for no other reason than the optics. You'd think the media relations person for the team would pull someone aside and say, 'Hey, ya know what? This might make us look a bit too accepting, if not complicit'.

I fear that the fact that no one on the team thought this was questionable only reveals another clue as to how tightly woven the doping culture is enmeshed to team structure... Where's the outrage?

 

[131313]

Am I the only one who thinks it would be a good idea to restrict banned riders from all contact with their team, at least in any official or public capacity, until they are done serving their time?

I don't even understand this??

If this were USAC his ban would be restarting, at least I think that's how it works? And that's the way it should be.

Maybe someone knows better than I, but I think these rules regarding the actual terms of a ban are dictated by the federation, and I have no idea what the Spanish federation's rules are regarding stuff like this, or if the UCI superimposes any guidelines regarding this situation.

I agree this is beyond comprehension. Why the hell are the sponsors of the team not saying something??

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Am I the only one who thinks it would be a good idea to restrict banned riders from all contact with their team, at least in any official or public capacity, until they are done serving their time?

I was under the impression that this was already the case. I think UCI regs say that a banned rider can't train with his team.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I don't even understand this??

If this were USAC his ban would be restarting, at least I think that's how it works? And that's the way it should be.

Maybe someone knows better than I, but I think these rules regarding the actual terms of a ban are dictated by the federation, and I have no idea what the Spanish federation's rules are regarding stuff like this, or if the UCI superimposes any guidelines regarding this situation.

I agree this is beyond comprehension. Why the hell are the sponsors of the team not saying something??

Well it is the Nat. Fed. that wouldn't even ban him in the first place, so in a way they are only being consistant.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I was under the impression that this was already the case. I think UCI regs say that a banned rider can't train with his team.

That's what I thought. Does anybody know for sure?

 

[Aguirre]

I think the riders responde is hypocrit, and stupid, declarations such as Cav's evidences how idiot he is

I deeply dislike Riccò as person, as many of the riders do too, but this speech war is ridiculous when they shut up so many times, etc.

Kelly was got in doping too, and 30 years later he would get 2 years and maybe ruin his own carrier.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

People are people so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully?

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

And in other news. Manolo 'mine's a pint' Saiz is making a comeback. Without a whisper of complaint or comment from the peloton.

Plenty of people who don't have a problem in welcoming him back into the peloton

Saiz has already been speaking to prospective backers for his new team, and insists that his involvement in the Puerto scandal won’t work against him. “I want to return and I think that I am going to. I’m not afraid of what people say about me. That’s never bothered me. I can look all of my friends in the eye. The judge came down on my side on three occasions,” said Saiz in typically bullish fashion.

Reports suggest that Saiz has the support of Cantabria’s minister of sport and tourism, Javier López Arcano, as well as some of his former backers from his ONCE days. But he is refusing to confirm anything himself. “All that I can say is that it is important that I am motivated to return and that now I think that I can return to the cycling world again when just over a year ago I didn’t have the slightest impulse to,” he said.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/manolo-saiz-confirms-intention-to-return-in-2012

You'd think the Spanish would at least pretend to be anti-doping.

Spain obviously going for the full house today with the Dertie story.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Maybe Moisés Dueñas can get a ride at the pro level again now.

Other potential signings - Eladio Jiménez (his suspension is up in August), Santi Pérez, a few ex-Xacobeo guys (though García will be out another year)... Mancebo maybe? Vicioso, surely! Isn't Juanjó Cobo a Cantabrian too? What are Roberto Heras and Koldo Gil up to these days?

 

[roundabout]

No License-Holder who has been declared Ineligible may, during the period of Ineligibility, participate in any capacity in an Event or activity (other than authorized anti-doping education or rehabilitation programs) authorized, recognized or organized by UCI, a Continental Confederation, a National Federation, or any other Signatory, Signatory’s member organization, or a club or other member organization of any Continental Confederation or National Federation of UCI or another Signatory or Signatory’s member organization, or in Competitions authorized or organized by any professional league or any international or national level Event organization.

And that's about it from the UCI rulebook.

 

[Mambo95]

And in other news. Manolo 'mine's a pint' Saiz is making a comeback. Without a whisper of complaint or comment from the peloton.

Do you expect 'the peloton' to respond to every little story in the media, like some sort of government press office or rolling news network? They do have other things to be getting on with.

 

[roundabout]

Do you expect 'the peloton' to respond to every little story in the media, like some sort of government press office or rolling news network? They do have other things to be getting on with.

Applying the rationality argument it would make more sense for clean riders/teams/federations to focus on people with certain reputation returning to the sport instead of a doper who already has the police on his case.

 

[Mambo95]

Applying the rationality argument it would make more sense for clean riders/teams/federations to focus on people with certain reputation returning to the sport instead of a doper who already has the police on his case.

Ricco was/is a big story. The Valverde/Saiz stories are just the usual CN padding

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Do you expect 'the peloton' to respond to every little story in the media, like some sort of government press office or rolling news network? They do have other things to be getting on with.

You couldn't keep the peloton off twitter when it came to putting the boot into Ricco.

They have plenty of time to comment on everything from Flecha interrupting a morning shower (Wiggins) to tales of new conversations with Kenyan servants (Quinzato), but when it comes to dopers they like or dodgy DS's coming back there is nothing but silence.

What's Bruno Roussel doing these days?

 

[palmerq]

Do you expect 'the peloton' to respond to every little story in the media, like some sort of government press office or rolling news network? They do have other things to be getting on with.

well they respond to whatever they want to on twitter..... but you are right I think just about everything you hear from the riders is in responses to questions from journalists.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'm certain Saiz would be very welcomed back by the riders. We've discussed his potential comeback before in it's own thread. The guy is obviously a brilliant strategist and great motivator who knows all sides of the sport as well as anyone. But just having him give a blank "we made mistakes" apology wouldn't really cut it. He'd need to be on an incredibly short leash. Unfortunately with the UCI holding onto the other end it just doesn't bode well for the future. Though they did essentially blackball him (along with Heras), what's happened since he left shows just how common his actions were. What a sad reflection on our sport. Sigh.

As to the topic at hand, I'm not sure what to say that hasn't already been said, though I'm glad this topic is being discussed in the open.

 

[Aguirre]

People are people so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully?

some depeche, depeche toi

 

[luckyboy]

Had to laugh at Aldag, Kelly, Cav criticising Ricco.
Agree with what Joe said a few pages back about Cavendish and the prison ***** thing.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

some depeche, depeche toi

I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours, but I think that God's got a sick sense of humour, and when I die I expect to find him laughing.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

Had to laugh at Aldag, Kelly, Cav criticising Ricco.
Agree with what Joe said a few pages back about Cavendish and the prison ***** thing.

"Hello Pot, this is Kettle. You're black".

 

[Chuffy]

You couldn't keep the peloton off twitter when it came to putting the boot into Ricco.

They have plenty of time to comment on everything from Flecha interrupting a morning shower (Wiggins) to tales of new conversations with Kenyan servants (Quinzato), but when it comes to dopers they like or dodgy DS's coming back there is nothing but silence.

What's Bruno Roussel doing these days?

Isn't there a difference between knocking off a quick tweet about life on tour and embarking on a comprehensive PR offensive on behalf of the Clinic every time an ex-doper sneezes?

What no-one seems to want to grasp is that the riders aren't obsessive doping geeks locked in an internet forum 24/7.

 

[BotanyBay]

People are people so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully?

Don't you know how hard it is for me to shake the disease? It takes all of my time in situations like these.

Understand me.

Who do you think I am, your own, personal, Jesus?

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

I see Laura Weislo is getting upset that journalists are being blamed for their failures. Funny how its ok for Ricco, Vino, Virenque (insert name of unpopular doper here) to be thrown under the bus, but the hacks don't like it when some of the blame and criticism comes their way.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Don't you know how hard it is for me to shake the disease? It takes all of my time in situations like these.

It's just time to pay the price for not listening to advice and deciding in your youth on the policy of truth.

Never again is what you swore the time before.

 

[Mambo95]

Isn't there a difference between knocking off a quick tweet about life on tour and embarking on a comprehensive PR offensive on behalf of the Clinic every time an ex-doper sneezes?

What no-one seems to want to grasp is that the riders aren't obsessive doping geeks locked in an internet forum 24/7.

There's a line in Cavendish's book where he says: "This was a lesson Roger Hammond had taught me when I joined T-Mobile: ultimately it was safest not to even think about doping - and I don't mean think about actually doing it, but not even contemplate the issue at all".