Ricco, if but he had a different name and PR

[simoni]

The gendarmerie brought down Virenque. The UCI of the time were a total waste of time.
He was racing again within a year.

 

[laziali]

That is not UCI who brought Virenque down, it was the results of the French!

OK, fair comment

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Ricco's wife & kid seen at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali

When the RAI eventually broadcast the highlights of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali Tuesday - they included a clip of Ricco's wife holding kid and camcorder at the beginning of the stage.

Happy Families again!

Meno Male!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I wouldn't read too much into the throw the wife under the bus debacle. Was probably an agreement the couple made to protect his return into the peloton. As the the sole breadwinner, it would be blatantly stupid to jeopardise the paychecks.

Not to mention that part of the reason he wound up at Ceramica Flaminia was that Vania's brother is on the team, and that would have made for some rather awkward team bonding moments.

 

[rhubroma]

I think it was his attitude more than anything else.

Strange thing is, I actually like the little unrepentant ****er b/c of his attitude. I hope he gets on the juice again and goes head-to-head with all the 'clean' riders at the Tour. Somebody has got to be able to match Bertie in the mountains and I don't think Rasmussen can do it again.

I need to get around to translating an interview in yesterday's Gazzetta dello Sport, and you'll like the *******o even more...

 

[rhubroma]

And here it is...

GdS: How do you feel?
RR:Thrilled. Nervous. Curious. Different.

GdS: Different, why?
RR: So much has happened, the world crashed down on me.

GdS: You?
RR: Like I had lived 10 years in 2.

GdS: It was thought you could have made your return already for Milano San Remo, instead your team, Ceramica Flaminia, wasn't invited.

RR: I didn't follow the course live on TV, but over the phone. I was at the airport in Catania. I was returing home form a period at altitude on Mt. Etna with Anzà and Celli.

GdS: An exhilerating final.
RR: I had said at the start that Friere would have won. And I have witnesses. Friere has an extraordinary capacity to gamble: he doesn't ever make a move, is never seen, is confident of always finding an ally from another team that brings him to the finish line. And he often nails it.

GdS: Instead for you, no San Remo and not even the Giro. Were you expecting it?
RR: I feared it.

Gds: Why?
RR: It's evident that they wanted to give me a suplementary year of purgatory, as if to the two years of hell wasn't enough. It's obvious they want me to atone for all my sins.

GdS: Or the sins of all?
RR: This, you have said.

GdS: Is there a persecution against you?
RR: Yes, enough, quite enough of one.

GdS: How do you see things?
RR: It's unjust. I don't see the difference between my case and all the others who were disqualified fro doping. We made a mistake, we paid. It's only that some have found the door partially open, if not wide open. Me, no.

GdS: That is?
RR: If I'm not mistaken, there existed a rule which violates , to whomever was disqualified for doping, to be hired by a ProTour team. Rather there have been some who have been hired. I'm thinking of Basso, of Vinokourov. And because the ProTour teams get to participate in the big races, they race. Instead I was only hired by a second rank team. And because the second rank teams get to participate in the big races only when invited, I don't race them. Technically I'm ok with it, legally no.

GdS: Well then?
RR: Patience. I'll do other races. Now it's Coppi&Bartali, then the Settimana lombarda, the Giro di Trentino, the Giro dell'Appennino. And with the team we'll evaluate if it will be possible to participate in some foreign races.

GdS: Unhappy, tortured, mad?
RR: Resigned. And most unhappy for the team, that believed in me, and for my teamates who deserved to do the Giro. I'm thinking of Andrea Noè, who never stopped training to be prepared for the Giro. And he's 41 years old and an example of dedication and honesty.

GdS: How's the peleton going to welcome you?
RR: There will be he that pretends not to see me, he that won't say hi, he that will give me a pat on the back and he that will be welcoming. To some I'll always be unlikable. Someone else will give me their solidarity.

GdS: What are your thoughts about it?
RR: That I wasn't the only one to make a mistake.

GdS: There are those who still criticize you because they say you were never sorry.
RR: It's not true. I have always said I'm sorry to everybody: teamates, adversaries, fans. What should I have done, thrown myself out the window? I said I was sorry to cycling, to the cycling community, to the cycling world. It's just that...

GdS: It's just that?
RR: It's just that I'm not diplomatic.

GdS: What do you mean?
RR: There are those who are so good at playing the "nice guy" game. Instead I just can't do that.

GdS: Is it diplomacy or hypocrisy?
RR: That's a play on words.

GdS: They say you are reckless and abrasive.
RR: In these past months I never responded to their charges. I sustained acuses and insults. Like a boxer, in the corner, with bowed head, I took the blows.

GdS: Physically how are you?
RR: I've had good sensations in training. But training isn't racing. I'm desirous to test myself. It will be the road that gives the final verdict.

GdS: Homelife?
RR: Slowly, slowly (piano, piano) things are falling into place.

GdS: How's your son?
RR: Up till now, between camps and problems, I haven't gotten to enjoy him much. Alberto is crawling, almost walking. He's a wild one. He wobbles. He says hi to me. He's starting to understand I'm his daddy. And this moves me.

 

[goggalor]

GdS: Instead for you, no San Remo and not even the Giro. Were you expecting it?
RR: I feared it.

Gds: Why?
RR: It's evident that they wanted to give me a suplementary year of purgatory, as if to the two years of hell wasn't enough. It's ovious they want me to atone for all my sins.

GdS: Or the sins of all?
RR: This, you have said.

GdS: There are those who still criticize you because they say you were never sorry.
RR: It's not true. I have always said I'm sorry to everybody: teamates, adversaries, fans. What should I have done, thrown myself out the window? I said I was sorry to cycling, to the cycling community, to the cycling world. It's just that...

GdS: It's just that?
RR: It's just that I'm not diplomatic.

GdS: What do you mean?
RR: There are those who are so good at playing the "nice guy" game. Instead I just can't do that.

GdS: Is it diplomacy or hypocrisy?
RR: That's a play on words.

I like this guy.

 

[Jonathan]

I like this guy.

I like the fact that the forum refers to him as a series of *s. No other rider has achieved that. It's the best nickname ever.

 

[trompe le monde]

Thanks for transcribing that interview rhubroma.

 

[tubularglue]

he is making money for his family, regardless of the tabloid malaise.

he loves what he is doing. fact

 

[python]

Thanks for transcribing that interview rhubroma.

X2

either i read bad translations before or ricco has matured real fast.

wish him the best.

 

[hfer07]

but most of his "attitude" reputation, came after his positive. He was outspoken, but even Gilbo Simoni, who is universally loved, said he would thump StrongArm in the mtns at the Tour. Cav has a massive mouth. Pots Boonen, and every opportunity to put the boot into Kenny Van Hummel, Cav relishes. He even pushed a Skil guy at the Tour last year, in a sprint, but dont think it was Van Hummel. I am sure Cav said it was him and thought it was, but I think it was a different guy if I recall.

No one hates Cav for being a pri<k.

No one hates StrongArm. Horner and Landis have had fueds with him, Horner rides for him now.

The notoriety of "the Cobra" has come post doping positive, and lots of post hoc justifications, "the guy is a pri<k" read false and disingenuous.

Manzano, Sink, Jorg Jaksche, Kohl, all have been marginalised too, after speaking out, and telling the truth.

that's very laughable

 

[zapata]

RR: It's just that I'm not diplomatic.

GdS: What do you mean?
RR: There are those who are so good at playing the "nice guy" game. Instead I just can't do that.

GdS: Is it diplomacy or hypocrisy?
RR: That's a play on words.

I think this part is very true. Good interview, thanks for the translation!

 

[blackcat]

I like this guy.

Merkins by Santini

 

[Ferminal]

GdS: Is it diplomacy or hypocrisy?
RR: That's a play on words.

Classic...

Thanks rhubroma

 

[BroDeal]

Brodeal repeats to himself:

"I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia", "I will never visit Australia".

 

[trompe le monde]

http://www.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/tour-du-trentin/2010/ricco-pete-le-feu_sto2298960/story.shtml

The Cobra strikes again! Third win this season at the Giro del Trentino, it was to win the second stage. He sits 26 seconds behind Vinokurov for the over all classification. Scarponi and Basso lie third and fourth overall.

 

[drb716]

What's not to like? Ricco is better now - "clean" - than he was before. I think he just took 8th(!) in a TT ahead of Basso, and won a stage today. The sight of Ricco, Vino, and Basso finishing together at the front was, I'm sure, coincidental.