Ricco to Quickstep

[ttrider]

Cyclingnews article thinks he will move to do the Vuelta
Whats everyone thoughts on this?!

 

[craig1985]

Best left towards the Clinic.

He maybe a doper from day dot as a professional or as an amateur, but at least he named names, and he wasn't a bore when it came to his racing or what came out of his mouth, so I have no problem with it. And I hope Cav rides so we can how tough Cav is by punching out Ricco.

 

[Anonymous]

Just fits in with what was said four months ago. Lefevre wants to turn quickstep into a team to contend GC's.

Although when i said in february that boonen would leave QS next year and QS would try to get contador or another gc contender everyone ridiculed me.

 

[TRDean]

Just fits in with what was said four months ago. Lefevre wants to turn quickstep into a team to contend GC's.

Although when i said in february that boonen would leave QS next year and QS would try to get contador or another gc contender everyone ridiculed me.

Well, you probably deserved it...

 

[hfer07]

Lefevre got his wet dream become reality with the proper "guidance" he'll be a force to reckon with in the GT...
Ricco is without a doubt going to have a re-match with contador after all...

 

[hfer07]

Lefevre got his wet dream become reality with the proper "guidance" he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the GT...
Ricco is without a doubt going to have a re-match with contador after all...

 

[ttrider]

Totally agree about a Contador Ricco re-match convinced he still dopes though!
A rematch would be in the mould of Rasmussen-Contador in 2007, ie countless attacks and insanely awesome!

 

[ThorFolerSegSterkIDagDu]

A fully prepared Ricco is the only rider with a realistic chance of distancing a fully prepared Contador on climbs, so a duel between the two would be epic!

 

[L'arriviste]

I'd be unhappy about it. It's kind of inevitable that Ricco would someday move back up from the second division, but to QS? It just isn't right.

The last bastion of Flemish hard knocks turning itself into a May-to-July GT outfit because of one duff Classics season.

I get it, but I don't like it. Others would call it progress, I suppose.

 

[Andre.J]

I hope the rumours are false. I never liked that little weasel. Turned his girlfriend in so he could look good.

 

[jens_attacks]

it'll be just awesome.
finally the real showdown,el pistolero vs cobra.can't wait.

 

[ingsve]

Just shows that morals are no match for pure greed. If this is true I wish them all the worst.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Ricco served his time, and he should now be allowed to race. Good on QS.

 

[staubsauger]

wow. it would be fantastic to see il cobra back, going for the win in the vuelta. i know many people hate him, but if you ask me riccardo is just not one of this canting chadbands like most of the other top riders and linus gerdemann. il cobra is just the little italian arrogant macho *** he is, who not to bother with telling every tv camera how sportive and clean he allegedly is. he is just saying what he has to say and that's why he is a fantastic rider, erectly because he is a ****er.

think he would be my main favourite to win than. chavanel, devolder, cataldo, seeldrayers, barredo would be a solid team to support him. all other contenders won't be 100% fresh after the tour (sanchez). leipheimer isn't there (would have been THE main favourite otherwise). gesink will just have a shot on the vuelta, if mentsjov is riding a good tdf and gesink is just his super domestique there. it seemed like ricco have learned to tt, so he would be on eye level with mosquera, gesink, anton, rodriguez there. nibali normally won't have a chance in the mountains against him. is cunego going for the overall this time (i think the vuelta is the only gt he still would be able to win)? if franco could come back, this could become the revenge of the italians haha.

 

[Anonymous]

Its funny, that Pro Tour Code of Ethics just flew right out the window. Yea, there is a real effort to reduce doping by all involved with cycling...

Ricco is an exciting rider. It was also obvious to anyone watching that he was doped to the gills as was the rest of his team. Now, he comes back and moves up within the same year of his return. I am assuming we will see a complete return to form also. I guess winning races is Lefevere's only real concern, crap like this: http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/aug06/aug09news2 always did look like puffery.

 

[ingsve]

Ricco served his time, and he should now be allowed to race. Good on QS.

There is a difference between having the legal right to race and actually signing him to race. The first thing is a simple legal issue and I have no problems with that. The second thing is a moral issue however and there I find it highly hypocritical and immoral to simply forget what he has done to the sport. That sort of attitude towards cheaters is why people still feel it's ok to take a chance and dope because even if you get caught you'll still get treated as a hero when you return.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

There is a difference between having the legal right to race and actually signing him to race. The first thing is a simple legal issue and I have no problems with that. The second thing is a moral issue however and there I find it highly hypocritical and immoral to simply forget what he has done to the sport. That sort of attitude towards cheaters is why people still feel it's ok to take a chance and dope because even if you get caught you'll still get treated as a hero when you return.

You only get treated like a hero if you're from Italy, France, or Spain.
If you're from Eastern Europe, you're booed.

 

[Sneekes]

I find it highly hypocritical and immoral to simply forget what he has done to the sport. That sort of attitude towards cheaters is why people still feel it's ok to take a chance and dope because even if you get caught you'll still get treated as a hero when you return.

The level of acceptance seems at least in some part linked to how 'likeable' the individual is. Basso and Scarponi don't seem to get nearly the cold shoulder shown to Vino or Ricco.
If Liquigas can get themselves a Giro by welcoming Basso, why on earth shouldn't Quick Step sign Ricco?

 

[Andre.J]

why accommodate him with a good team? if he's not liked, it's for a reason or 2, let him serve more time in some ****ty team.

 

[Sneekes]

why accommodate him with a good team? if he's not liked, it's for a reason or 2, let him serve more time in some ****ty team.

If the UCI decided which team all riders would ride for then yeah, they'd stick him and all other (ex) dopers on ****ty teams and all would be fair. Even the Pro-tour teams informal code of not recruting former dopers for 2 years was fair, but as soon as Liquigas crossed that line then they all become fair game as soon as their ban ends. If Quick Step decide to honour the original agreement and don't sign Ricco for 2 yrs - then they are disadvantaged because some other team isn't going to wait that long and is going to steal him from under their noses.
You may find fault with the system, but it's not Quick Step's fault.

 

[ingsve]

The level of acceptance seems at least in some part linked to how 'likeable' the individual is. Basso and Scarponi don't seem to get nearly the cold shoulder shown to Vino or Ricco.

Well, that's part of the problem isn't it. People are to quick to forgive and that is what's stopping the sport from dealing fully with the problem. It doesn't matter if it's because the rider is likeable or if it's because of greed or something else. As long as so many teams are completely hypocritical the problem won't go away at all.

If Liquigas can get themselves a Giro by welcoming Basso, why on earth shouldn't Quick Step sign Ricco?

I'm not a fan of what Liquigas has done either so I don't see that as a good argument.

 

[flicker]

Good. That scumbag fits in properly with the promoters of the Vuelta. Hope Ricco wins by 25 minutes. I really feel bad for Tom Boonen though. He is too great a person to have the pollution of Ricco sharing his team.

 

[Sneekes]

It's not my argument Ingsve, but I bet it's LeFevre's.
I don't like what Liquigas did either, but like it or not it voids the whole agreement.

What they should have done IMO is make the pro-tour 2 yr exemption agreement legally binding.

 

[Leopejo]

There is a difference between having the legal right to race and actually signing him to race. The first thing is a simple legal issue and I have no problems with that. The second thing is a moral issue however and there I find it highly hypocritical and immoral to simply forget what he has done to the sport. That sort of attitude towards cheaters is why people still feel it's ok to take a chance and dope because even if you get caught you'll still get treated as a hero when you return.

Finally you have someone who pays for what everybody is doing - I'd say he is more entitled to race than those who haven't been caught yet.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You only get treated like a hero if you're from Italy, France, or Spain.
If you're from Eastern Europe, you're booed.

Which Eastern European were you thinking of? Sosenka? The Szczepaniak brothers?

I think you're thinking of a pair of Central Asians.