Rebellin appreciation thread.

[Nick777]

Some of you are quick to throw the italien veteran under the bus, but in the midst of this let's not forget that he has had a great CLEAN career until this stupid mistake. He had probably been ill or injured and was struggling to regain form in time for the olympics and so choose to take the CERA in order to not let his fans down.
No positives for 16 years that says it all really. Just last wednesday he showed once again that it can be done clean, so let's not remember him for this lapse of judgement but instead for all of the great things he has done for the sport. I still remember him doing the triple (Amstel/Fleche/LBL) in 2004. Stuff of legends.

Fail......

 

[Jacques Tati]

I saw this issue hit the news last night and pondered...we've just seen a great set of spring classis's with many of what we probably all believed were worthy winners, but really how much of what we watched was real?

Who knows in eight months time was Devolders win at the Ronde, Bossan- Hagens Wevelgem or Boonens solo Roubaix win all stuff of legend or just another tick on some pharmaceutical companies chalk board.

Fantasy cycling....you dont have to play the game!

 

[Mesci76]

one more ex-gerolsteiner

http://www.radsportkompakt.de/gazzetta-dello-sport-auch-rebellin-positiv-auf-cera-getestet

 

[Greg Johnson]

It's that he's probably the most jaded, lopsided, singularly focused on doping, member on the forum.

I guess life is all about balance, right? We have a few people who want to close their eyes and pretend it's not an issue too.

Personally, I'm in the middle. There are issues that need to be constantly fought for the sport's sake - both doping related and otherwise. But equally, we can't expect a series of governing bodies and related organisations from different aspects of the sporting spectrum, and thus different interests, to have greater cooperation than similar organisations in other aspects of life - like the United Nations - has never managed to obtain.

Cheers
Greg Johnson

 

[kjetilraknerud]

I'm not sure if I agree with you, Greg. I believe cooperation is quite essential if a clean sport, or clean sports, is the goal - which it should be. I agree with your conclusion regarding organisations with different interests, but I don't think that applies to the anti-doping area, as I tend to believe that all the different organisations in reality have the same goal and thus the same interests. There might be small differences, but the ultimate goal is a doping-free world of sports, right?

 

[Greg Johnson]

I'm not sure if I agree with you, Greg. I believe cooperation is quite essential if a clean sport, or clean sports, is the goal - which it should be.

Excellent, I like a healthy debate and you've made some good points.

I'm not saying it's not essential, it is. But it's also never going to happen. We should strive to achieve it, but be realistic and know that everyone has their own goals and in many cases they won't match one another.

I tend to believe that all the different organisations in reality have the same goal and thus the same interests.

I would like to agree, however over time it's been proven to be the case that some national bodies are keener to pursue the matter than others. The other issue is that this goes beyond the sporting world. The fact that law in every nation is different means it's impossible for all positive cases to be dealt with in an equal fashion.

Why should one cyclist serve a short ban which happens to fall outside of the cycling season while others gets slapped with up to two years for the same offence? That's not only unfair, it will result in riders using the loophole and one nation ending up with all 50 of the world's best riders riding under their licence...funny that.

There might be small differences, but the ultimate goal is a doping-free world of sports, right?

Certainly is. But this should be seen as something that has a defined start and finish. It's an evolutionary matter and as a result the fight against it needs to match the issue it's taking on. It needs to be constant, it needs to evolve, but don't go walking around thinking that come a certain date sport - any sport - will be free of doping.

I’m cautious towards those on the upper-extreme against the problem, as I know they will probably realise this, lose faith and burn out one day. That does nothing to achieve the beliefs they fought for on a longer scale of time. You need people to have a strong belief in it and apply a level of pressure they can maintain, because they’re always going to need to maintain it.

Man is a competitive beast. He only needs the chance to beat a fellow man on the line to cheat, the fact that we're in a multi-billion dollar issue only further complicates the matter.

Cheers
Greg Johnson

 

[Angliru]

thats just quoting the same italian news agency source... i would be amazed if the source is wrong though...

um.. thoughts.. sod it, ban him (maybe easier to ban anyone who rode for gerolsteiner, tmobile or any german team... its amazing how the east german mentality for doping carried on after the wall came down), forget about him, lets move on...

Be careful what you wish for. Evans, Hausler, Gerdemann and others.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

I totally agree with you on the fact that the sport never will be clean - that would only happen in the Tour of Utopia. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to achieve it. The key is cooperation, which in my opinion should be organized as a hierarchy - with WADA on top - with license to overrule any decisions by lower organisations, like a national governing body.

This would also be the case in Utopia of course, but it should be possible to make small steps.

For example (non-sport warning), have a look at the law system in the Europan Union. Any disagreement regarding EU-specific law, ultimately will be decided by the EU-court - but not until the national court system have made a decision on their own.

Translated to sports, WADA is your "supreme court", and every nation has to sign an agreement or similar - to be able to compete in the worlds premier sport events.

I'm sorry if this is unclear, I find it quite diffictult to express myself as precise in english, as I have pointed out before

 

[Greg Johnson]

I'm sorry if this is unclear, I find it quite diffictult to express myself as precise in english, as I have pointed out before

Not difficult to understand at all. I agree with what you're getting at, maybe we will get there someday in decades time, but much of the issues within the sport depend on co-operation issues from outside it. Particularly legal ones.

If we can solve some of those issues the world - not just sport - will be a much better place. There's a few people out there who are long overdue to stand trial for crimes against humanity.

Cheers
Greg Johnson

 

[flyor64]

I'm sorry if this is unclear, I find it quite diffictult to express myself as precise in english, as I have pointed out before

I think you are selling yourself short...your points are clear and precise as far as I can read.

Conversely, if I were to try and explain my (english) thoughts på norsk, it wouldn't be anywhere close...

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Thanks for that. Don't get too many chances to practice my english, but forum writing is a nice one

 

[Pietro]

Some of you are quick to throw the italien veteran under the bus, but in the midst of this let's not forget that he has had a great CLEAN career until this stupid mistake. He had probably been ill or injured and was struggling to regain form in time for the olympics and so choose to take the CERA in order to not let his fans down.
No positives for 16 years that says it all really. Just last wednesday he showed once again that it can be done clean, so let's not remember him for this lapse of judgement but instead for all of the great things he has done for the sport. I still remember him doing the triple (Amstel/Fleche/LBL) in 2004. Stuff of legends.

http://www.greyhound.com/home

 

[mr. tibbs]

Some of you are quick to throw the italien veteran under the bus, but in the midst of this let's not forget that he has had a great CLEAN career until this stupid mistake. He had probably been ill or injured and was struggling to regain form in time for the olympics and so choose to take the CERA in order to not let his fans down.
No positives for 16 years that says it all really. Just last wednesday he showed once again that it can be done clean, so let's not remember him for this lapse of judgement but instead for all of the great things he has done for the sport. I still remember him doing the triple (Amstel/Fleche/LBL) in 2004. Stuff of legends.

 

[Anonymous]

Be careful what you wish for. Evans, Hausler, Gerdemann and others.

to be honest, the early season fat'el evans reminded me of ullrich.. but thats all im saying..

you can see how the temptation is there though.. someone like cadel, always the bridesmaid, five years ago, ten years ago, there would have been the temptation to take that little something to give you that little extra...

 

[ridley]

And here we go again

Rebellin: "I did not take anything"

According to the latest Cycling News entry - he is innocent !! Like the rest of them --> Schumacher, Hamilton, Landis

 

[ElChingon]

Now I'm thinking it is something in the sponsors water, no wonder they bailed on them. Why else would they all say they had no idea! Except Kohl, that is, maybe he accidentally dropped his Cera into the team water supply?

 

[Animal]

According to the latest Cycling News entry - he is innocent !! Like the rest of them --> Schumacher, Hamilton, Landis

Why do they bother? Why waste their own money? It only makes us despise them more.

 

[quadsRme]

Believe me......

According to the latest Cycling News entry - he is innocent !! Like the rest of them --> Schumacher, Hamilton, Landis

Bingo!! Who can you believe anymore? If a rider swears he didn't take anything how can it show up in a test. Of course they fixed the test. Old news just getting older by the minute. His manager and team doctors should be sacked along with him.
How can these guys look in the mirror on a daily basis?

Riders need to be honest to themselves first! That is one of the ways to break the doping.

 

[Bala Verde]

It is always interesting to see how this stuff works...

http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/rebellin-e-il-doping/32246?video

http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/rebellin-e-il-doping/32247?video

 

[ElChingon]

Yea, that's the video! Thanks Bela Verde.

I love the Black and White video, makes it look like classical Godfather type dealings , gotta love the cycling shoes on the top of the dresser. Then there's the blond, oh yea, Tin-Tin's wife?

The second video has some bad sections with the turrets type repeats. Still classic!

 

[beestrong]

can just hope that he will tell the truth!!!

 

[e-fred]

I enjoyed watching TinTin race.

I'll miss his pinache'

 

[53x11 in DC]

It is always interesting to see how this stuff works...

http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/rebellin-e-il-doping/32246?video

http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/rebellin-e-il-doping/32247?video

Positively creepy.

 

[skidmark]

Well, he's coming back...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/suspended-rebellin-aiming-for-world-championships-place

Hot damn. 2 more years? The guy will be 41! I wouldn't be surprised if he could still compete, age and lack of 'gear' notwithstanding.

Some are of the opinion that caught dopers are scum and should never be cheered for again. Fair enough. I'm not of that opinion, so it's exciting to hear Rebellin will be coming back. He has been one of the most exciting racers over the past years for me, possibly largely because he has never been dominant, but because he can't outsprint someone like Valverde or Gilbert (or Samu Sanchez, of course), he seems to be involved with every attack in every race. He's a great animator of races, and always is a threat for the victory. He may not win alot, but he'll make everyone work to beat him.

Where do you think he'll go? Uh... Vacansoleil? Seems to fit...

 

[El Pistolero]

I enjoyed watching TinTin race.

I'll miss his pinache'

He's not worthy of that nickname

But in all seriousness, I welcome him back.