Ricco Not Invited

[Mellow Velo]

Seems the RCS are giving the Cobra the cold shoulder. No invites to any of it's big Spring races, for his Ceramica team:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/teams-announced-for-milano-sanremo-tirreno-adriatico
Poor old Ricco.
I expect more venom from him, in the press.

 

[RTMcFadden]

Seems the RCS are giving the Cobra the cold shoulder. No invites to any of it's big Spring races, for his Ceramica team:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/teams-announced-for-milano-sanremo-tirreno-adriatico
Poor old Ricco.
I expect more venom from him, in the press.

Oops, there goes another long-time sponsor.

 

[drb716]

The team should have seen this coming.

 

[Willy_Voet]

Sucks. I feel like I'm watching the last 15 minutes of 'A Clockwork Orange'.

Granted, he's a little punk, but was handed a punishment, served and now it's time to get on with things.

 

[craig1985]

Also absent from Tirreno-Adriatico is a certain team led by a certain Texan and a certain Belgian. Footon can say hello from the blacklist that they currently enjoy.

 

[Big GMaC]

Also absent from Tirreno-Adriatico is a certain team led by a certain Texan and a certain Belgian. Footon can say hello from the blacklist that they currently enjoy.

i think that is a bit harsh on Footon, this years team is pretty a new rebuild...

At loeast it gives them time to get more drinking camp crits...

 

[craig1985]

I almost feel sorry for Footon, they are probably no worse then any other PT team out there really. Unless they were not invited because of their kits...

 

[Mellow Velo]

Also absent from Tirreno-Adriatico is a certain team led by a certain Texan and a certain Belgian. Footon can say hello from the blacklist that they currently enjoy.

Maybe they should have waited a while before snubbing the Giro?
Still, there's always Paris-Nice!

Re: Ricco and Ceramica.
It is possible that the RCS decision has little to do with Ricco, but more to do with the Simeoni flare up, last year, after they were left out, because the RCS didn't want to upset the same, certain Texan?

 

[Bluebeard]

Also absent from Tirreno-Adriatico is a certain team led by a certain Texan and a certain Belgian....

The Texas Rangers?

No, they don't have a Belgian

Club Brugges?

No, the guy I'm thinking of there is Canadian.

I give up

 

[craig1985]

The Texas Rangers?

No, they don't have a Belgian

Club Brugges?

No, the guy I'm thinking of there is Canadian.

I give up

He is a former World Champion and has won the Tour de France once. His Belgian mate has two stages of the TdF in which the last one he wheel sucked Indurain all the way to the finish line, crashed over a barrier one year, and has been the DS/Manager in this Texan's multiple Tour reign.

 

[tubularglue]

Ricco is a Tool

 

[Anonymous]

Hardly a surprise.. and not just riccos fault..

 

[tubularglue]

Ricco is a Tool

Tool as in DOUCHEBAG'

 

[richwagmn]

Seems the RCS are giving the Cobra the cold shoulder. No invites to any of it's big Spring races, for his Ceramica team:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/teams-announced-for-milano-sanremo-tirreno-adriatico
Poor old Ricco.
I expect more venom from him, in the press.

I have mixed feelings about this. If someone gets busted and does their "time" are they forever informally banned from the sport? If so, why not just make it a lifetime ban up front?

 

[Anonymous]

I have mixed feelings about this. If someone gets busted and does their "time" are they forever informally banned from the sport? If so, why not just make it a lifetime ban up front?

I think the fact that his girlfreind, who also is sister of his teammate is more the reason his team arent too welcome...

 

[BYOP88]

I have mixed feelings about this. If someone gets busted and does their "time" are they forever informally banned from the sport? If so, why not just make it a lifetime ban up front?

Well it also depends on who your friends/contacts are too. If you're BFFL with uncle Pat and his crew the door is opened fully for you.

 

[sida-mot]

I have mixed feelings about this. If someone gets busted and does their "time" are they forever informally banned from the sport? If so, why not just make it a lifetime ban up front?

Well banning Ricco and not inviting the team is not the same thing.

He was signed long before his ban was over. The team has him listed as a member of their squad for last year but as inactive, his stage wins from the TdF where he tested positive are listed as wins on their site.

If teams with this kind of anti doping policy don't get invited to races it's a good thing.

 

[fatandfast]

Well banning Ricco and not inviting the team is not the same thing.

He was signed long before his ban was over. The team has him listed as a member of their squad for last year but as inactive, his stage wins from the TdF where he tested positive are listed as wins on their site.

If teams with this kind of anti doping policy don't get invited to races it's a good thing.

At least all these posts lead to the same thing. If you did or didn't do anything..deny it. It's never over. The cycling bodies have penalties and then let some dikhed like Ricco get punished twice. Some if you love salad like Millar your welcome with open mouth,pants,arms whatever. They should come up with a punishment that is even and can be evenly applied. At this years tour they should have a reverse call up "anybody who has been fined or suspended in their career go to the back of the bunch!". Millar should have to wear knee pads or a big wooden cross while he races for the rest of his career.

 

[tubularglue]

a his and hers bracelet

 

[luckyboy]

(Putting aside the hypocrisy of how dopers are treated as they come back from bans) the less dopers there are, the better.

 

[sida-mot]

At least all these posts lead to the same thing. If you did or didn't do anything..deny it. It's never over. The cycling bodies have penalties and then let some dikhed like Ricco get punished twice. Some if you love salad like Millar your welcome with open mouth,pants,arms whatever. They should come up with a punishment that is even and can be evenly applied. At this years tour they should have a reverse call up "anybody who has been fined or suspended in their career go to the back of the bunch!". Millar should have to wear knee pads or a big wooden cross while he races for the rest of his career.

OK somehow my point seems to have been lost. What I was trying to say is that I don't see this as punishing Ricco but the team. They have taken a banned athlete and made him their front man while he still is banned. He have been allowed to train with the team and he has been part of the teams presentation.

There might not be any written rules about this, but there should be.

I also think the race organizers should have more of a say when it comes to who they want to invite. I understand that they don't want him there. No matters what would have happened on the road the stories would all have been about Ricco.

And finally Ricco is still suspended. So he didn't get an invitation while being suspended. Is that really so strange. Let him at least do his time.

 

[rhubroma]

Italy has an uncanny ability to shoot itself in the foot. Evidently there has been outside pressure put on RCS, because internally Riccò's exclusion makes no business sense.

 

[fatandfast]

(Putting aside the hypocrisy of how dopers are treated as they come back from bans) the less dopers there are, the better.

+ 1. The standard is there is no standard.