Pro Rider reaction to Ricco news

[Wallace]

or maybe they're showing a bit of class and waiting until he is out of the hospital and/or are loathe to be outright hypocrites like most trashing Ricco?

I agree--but I still think it'll be interesting to see what happens when Ricco is (hopefully) out of danger, out of the hospital, and out of the sport.

 

[BroDeal]

What is the peloton's real beef with Ricco?

As many have pointed out, the pros seem to be using Ricco's doping issues as a convenient excuse to attack him. Some of the reasons given are risible at best. C(h)avendish is actually blaming Ricco for making him suffer to make the time cut on a stage, as though none of the other dopers in the top ten of a GT have not done the same. I am not buying that doping has anything to do with the peloton's reaction to Ricco. So what is the real issue? What specific things has he done to earn the hate of all of his colleagues?

 

[Oldman]

I'm just saying that I'm not going to advocate a double-standard when there isn't one written into the rules. So as long as they're free to come back according to the rules, I think that the positive economic activity from the creation of new teams is to be preferred over some sanctimonious posturing about not wanting the money of someone who might be able to create a new professional team and do so within the sporting and anti-doping regulations.

QUOTE]

Joe-just responding to the part that means something to me and might apply to you.
Coaches and DSs that facilitate doping are doing it with more knowledge and power than most of the riders they manipulate. That makes it a hangin' offense in my book, rules or not. And maybe that is the crux of the issue and again, closer to your home: the facilitators and drug dealers stand to gain whether the competitors succeed or not. They also suffer less in the general scheme of things when a sanction is actually given by UCI or whomever. An athlete's window of opportunity to return from a sanction is directly portionate to age. A crooked DS seemingly lives for f*cking ever and knows the economics of the risk they will take vs. the rewards they gain.
So here's the idea: those that facilitate the information, management, distribution or intimidation to cheat by their athletes are banned forever. In fact, to be a UCI ProTour DS you need to post a bond equal to the teams annual salary.

 

[flicker]

What is the peloton's real beef with Ricco?

As many have pointed out, the pros seem to be using Ricco's doping issues as a convenient excuse to attack him. Some of the reasons given are risible at best. C(h)avendish is actually blaming Ricco for making him suffer to make the time cut on a stage, as though none of the other dopers in the top ten of a GT have not done the same. I am not buying that doping has anything to do with the peloton's reaction to Ricco. So what is the real issue? What specific things has he done to earn the hate of all of his colleagues?

Ricco took a stand. It put the other riders in a spot of bother. Ricco being who he is put the riders careers in jeoprody. Anyone would react the way they have considering Riccos' choices. It is not about the dope, it is about Ricco making all the other pros look stupid.
Cavendish is a sprinter and he has the personality, just as Chippolini had the personality, just as Pettachi, Greipel have the personality. It is in their DNA do not hold it against them. It is not about the dope nor about getting caught or being stupid, they are athletes that is their caste.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Is saying "you're a hypocrite" in anyway abusive or offensive in reply to a rider bagging ricco about doping?

 

[NashbarShorts]

It is not about the dope, it is about Ricco making all the other pros look stupid..

Flicker, Ricco tested postive twice.

Hamilton tested positive twice, and all wished him well in dealing w/ his "depression"
DiLuca tested positive twice, and is now enjoying the Katusha kit.
No mentions there about being made to 'look stupid'.

Ricco is different, b/c most know he is a pariah now, and will not be coming back. It is simply a matter of kicking a dead dog. All the other riders want to pile on and be seen now as "tough guys".

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

I agree--but I still think it'll be interesting to see what happens when Ricco is (hopefully) out of danger, out of the hospital, and out of the sport.

I am pretty sure that if he breaks omerta they will be ready to label him a bitter, cancer loving hater who represents the old way of cycling. Not to be confused with Frodo, Aldag and Zabel who represent new clean cycling.

It could go two ways - Ricco could go the Landis/Manzano route and blow the whistle - and get shat on by the peloton and their media flunkies.

or

He could go the way that Gianetti has done after almost killing himself through doping. Take a few years off and then re-appear as a team manager. All the time keeping omerta.

As a rider he is done, but as the sport has shown - there is always plenty of room for a doper who keeps omerta.

 

[Wallace]

I am pretty sure that if he breaks omerta they will be ready to label him a bitter, cancer loving hater who represents the old way of cycling. Not to be confused with Frodo, Aldag and Zabel who represent new clean cycling.

It could go two ways - Ricco could go the Landis/Manzano route and blow the whistle - and get shat on by the peloton and their media flunkies.

or

He could go the way that Gianetti has done after almost killing himself through doping. Take a few years off and then re-appear as a team manager. All the time keeping omerta.

As a rider he is done, but as the sport has shown - there is always plenty of room for a doper who keeps omerta.

Except that... a lifetime ban means a lifetime ban: a rider who has received one cannot return to professional cycling in any capacity. If Ricco gets one, he can't return as a DS--hell, he can't even drive a team car. Gianetti was never banned from the sport (although we can always hope...).

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Pat McQuaid was given a life time ban from the Olympics in the 1980s.

Last year he was elected to the IOC...

There are life bans and there are life bans.

Barrus - It was fairly obvious that I was highlighting the contradictions in attitudes and responses towards different dopers by the peloton and media. Sorry if you were unable to see that.

 

[180mmCrank]

Pat McQuaid was given a life time ban from the Olympics in the 1980s.
Last year he was elected to the IOC...

There are life bans and there are life bans.

Barrus - It was fairly obvious that I was highlighting the contradictions in attitudes and responses towards different dopers by the peloton and media. Sorry if you were unable to see that.

I believe it was a ban from competing in the 1976 Olympics for racing in South Africa when the country was under boycott from the IOC. Sean Kelly was banned at exactly the same time for the same reason. I don't know if this was a lifetime ban at the time or not but most of the sanctions applied to athletes for these kind of reasons have been lifted since. And while a ban is a ban I think it's important to distinguish between a ban for a doping offense and this kind of rule breaking - which could be described as political grandstanding by the IOC. McQuaid continued racing for Ireland until 1982 - he was never banned from the sport of cycling as far as I know.

 

[flicker]

Flicker, Ricco tested postive twice.

Hamilton tested positive twice, and all wished him well in dealing w/ his "depression"
DiLuca tested positive twice, and is now enjoying the Katusha kit.
No mentions there about being made to 'look stupid'.

Ricco is different, b/c most know he is a pariah now, and will not be coming back. It is simply a matter of kicking a dead dog. All the other riders want to pile on and be seen now as "tough guys".

It would be interesting if Ricco could make a teflon like rebound I know this is absurd but this is cycling.

 

[who dat]

It would be interesting if Ricco could make a teflon like rebound I know this is absurd but this is cycling.

Now that would be something to see but very unlikely he has been a marked man for a while now I don't see any other outcome for him other then a life ban, but stranger things have happened especially in cycling

 

[online-rider]

Maybe the part about how the pro peloton would be "healthier place for never having known" Ricco? (Yeah, 'cause one rider is ruining an otherwise clean sport....)

Maybe the part about how "no rider, no matter how stupid or morally bankrupt" has the right to "ruin" a TdF? (Right, b/c those 1999-2005 TdFs were squeaky clean gems... CN, wanna go on the record and call Mr. Armstrong "stoopid"??)

Maybe the part about how Ricco has "taken US for a ride yet again"? (Please. Cyclingnews has been only too happy to covering this festering cesspool of a sport and tell us its a rose garden. CN, you ain't "us".)

Cyclingnews, you now want to be seen taking the high road, lamenting "oh woe is me" about Sr. Ricco?
Yet on the same day, you give press to Pozzatto and his "concern" for the sport????

POZZATO IS THE JERKWAD WHO LED THE PELOTON'S JEERING OF SIMEONI AFTER HE WAS BROUGHT BACK BY THE KING DOPER HIMSELF.

Cyclingnews, its too late to play it "straight". Only the completely mentally challenged among your readership are blind enough to not see that you are 100% complicit in this sport's race to the bottom.

Well balanced="his hematocrit is higher than his IQ?" Is that statment well balanced, a la Fox News?????

BTWWhy is CN interested in propping up Ricco? Could it be that their interviewer had done several pieces on Ricco and now looks like a fool for laughing with Ricco???
Maybe?

You cant make a serious point and jackass statements like that.

I think the opinion article makes quite plain that neither Ricco NOR THE INTERVIEWER understood who was laughing at whom at any point. Nor who would or SHOULD have the last laugh. Or maybe it was just the poor writing quality that leaves one confused.

Quiz TIme boys and girls!!

The interviewer was:

1. Enabling Ricco by laughing?
2. Encouraging Ricco to keep saying "stupid" things that he could put in the article at Ricco's expense?
3. Mouthpiece-puppet for an indefensible moron?
4. Exploiting Ricco's badboy image to gain a momentary readership for a failing website?
5. all of the above

Yup, the correct answer is:

5. all of the above.

Then when your interviewee gets trashed BY THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY KNOW WHAT THE SCORE IS, ie the riders, then we (and by we I mean the pathetic author of the op ed piece) takes the moral high ground and criticizes who? THE pro peloton riders-of all people?!?!-- for criticizing a multiple repeat doping offender.

Way to stay classy CN.

Right?

Ahhhhhh BTW... THIS article:
CN Opinion about Riccó

Man... I want to throw up... I hope to never meet you Daniel Friebe... cuz you are not going to like it... I know that is easy to say that behind a PC but I say that seriously... bah...

I think you have all read the article lazily or too quickly. Freibe isn't saying cycling was clean without Ricco, he's strongly suggesting that doping is rife in the peloton. Moreover he brings up the "warped mentality" of cycling viz; Omerta .., the anti Ricco tweeterers etc. The article was teriffic. Please read it again.

 

[ultimobici]

Interesting reaction from Friere. Suggests banning Ricco for life and isn't exactly supportive of Contador either.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/freire-calls-for-life-ban-for-ricco

 

[Boeing]

Thank you very much. I'm stunned already. Look at Adam Meyerson:



Yes Adam, and so would dying from having a guy punch a dent into your skull for your being such a complete tool. Sorry for having felt sorry for you then.

Remember when we all wished you a speedy recovery after that guy slugged you after some criterium gone bad?

@hothra thanks for that link.

BB, dude you are on the mark and I agree.

candid yet dogmatic even myopic rants as if he expects everyone to know his context

that blow to the head and all the pain killers (among other things) have taken a toll on this tool

however they are readable compared to all the "happy day" stuff

 

[Boeing]

Thank you very much. I'm stunned already. Look at Adam Meyerson:



Yes Adam, and so would dying from having a guy punch a dent into your skull for your being such a complete tool. Sorry for having felt sorry for you then.

Remember when we all wished you a speedy recovery after that guy slugged you after some criterium gone bad?

@hothra thanks for that link.

BB, dude you are on the mark and I agree in some respect

candid yet dogmatic even myopic rants as if he expects everyone to know his context is enough to bring the hate and point to hypocrisy etc

although they are readable compared to all the "happy day" feel good notes by many

I find it interesting however that he seems to have an soft spot for development of youth in cycling and inner city kids.

Do you know if he is just fronting with statements or is there a commitment to kids in the sport in his history?


(ooops my bad on the double mods.)

 

[Boeing]

Do frequent posters get edited?

yes and yes