Ricco

[Susan Westemeyer]

The UCI has now denied this story, saying that the Croatian federation did not issue him a licence.

Susan

 

[snackattack]

All'udienza del 19 aprile


http://coni.it/?dettaglio_news_&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=11622&cHash=12727c117d

 

[luckyboy]

Ricco's team want one of the board changed?

Can someone please sum this up because Google Translate is doing a terrible job on that article?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

The Italian Nat. Doping Agency says no the Ricco's peoples' request to delay the hearing - when Ricco' objected to one of the members of the hearings board or "Collegio. The hearing goes ahead on 19th April.

The body of the article is peppered with legal jargon that even Italians might find difficult to understand and which I haven't the skill to tackle with any certainty.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Ricco banned for 12 years, says Gazzetta. Details to follow.

Susan

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Ricco banned for 12 years, says Gazzetta. Details to follow.

Susan

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...r-ends-with-a-twelve-year-ban-for-doping.aspx

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

One of our times greatest talents, such a waste

 

[will10]

+ 1

 

[Fetisoff]

So when does the suspension start?
Is he going to make a comeback at 39 or 40 years of age??

 

[TeoSheva]

One of our times greatest talents, such a waste

stupidity and talent are often together, unfortunately

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Stokes :-
Ricco apparently had an exemption to the 50% limit from the time he was a junior...so likely doping since even then

 

[Zam_Olyas]

stupidity and talent are often together, unfortunately

Yep...a super thin line.

 

[will10]

So when does the suspension start?
Is he going to make a comeback at 39 or 40 years of age??

It's a shame we have to wait 12 years before the rumours start

 

[Zam_Olyas]

All jokes aside i hope he doesnt end up like some other famous riders before him... i hope his mental well being will be alright.

 

[Cloxxki]

Stokes :-
Ricco apparently had an exemption to the 50% limit from the time he was a junior...so likely doping since even then

Smart, it's the way to go.
Now let's see who made the same arrangements.

Edited to add: Ricco likely wishes he were Spanish.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Poor guy

 

[ExRower]

Hope he doest make like a korean soccer player. All the best on his new life.

 

[Caruut]

All jokes aside i hope he doesnt end up like some other famous riders before him... i hope his mental well being will be alright.

He just seems desperate to become the same kind of flawed yet adored genius that Pantani was.

 

[rickshaw]

Ricco mentally alright?

All jokes aside i hope he doesnt end up like some other famous riders before him... i hope his mental well being will be alright.

To be mentally "alright" he would first have to admit that doping is NOT alright. Is that likely?

And what's this bull-kaka about him being some great talent? How can anyone know if he himself has talent, or if his talent comes from the pharmacy? I'd guess is is better than average at best. His arrogance and conceit are obviously real.

Lastly, since this is a SECOND offense, why didn't he get a a lifetime ban? Or is that just another UCI joke? Good riddance. He belongs on the trash heap with all the other phoney cyclists-dopers.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

To be mentally "alright" he would first have to admit that doping is NOT alright. Is that likely?

And what's this bull-kaka about him being some great talent? How can anyone know if he himself has talent, or if his talent comes from the pharmacy? I'd guess is is better than average at best. His arrogance and conceit are obviously real.

Lastly, since this is a SECOND offense, why didn't he get a a lifetime ban? Or is that just another UCI joke? Good riddance. He belongs on the trash heap with all the other phoney cyclists-dopers.

Mentally alright as in he doesnt go the vdb and pantani path. Yes, he was talented enough.

 

[Caruut]

To be mentally "alright" he would first have to admit that doping is NOT alright. Is that likely?

Would he? I would say "mentally alright" is something along the lines of "unlikely to cause himself or others serious harm due to his mental state". Admission of whether doping is wrong or not doesn't have too much to do with that.

And what's this bull-kaka about him being some great talent? How can anyone know if he himself has talent, or if his talent comes from the pharmacy? I'd guess is is better than average at best. His arrogance and conceit are obviously real.

He is obviously not a fantastic person, and it seems pretty likely that he's been doping since he was a junior. To say that he was an average rider is pulling the wool over your own eyes. Yes he was on a lot at the time, but it's not like all the guys he was beating (at a very young age) were on nothing but bread and water.

Lastly, since this is a SECOND offense, why didn't he get a a lifetime ban? Or is that just another UCI joke? Good riddance. He belongs on the trash heap with all the other phoney cyclists-dopers.

That confused me as well - the only thing I can think of is that his case was ruled on by the Italian national committee, rather than the UCI - maybe they have different punishment systems in place. 12 years is until is until the guy is 40 - I don't think that he's going to come back to racing after that, unless he wants to race masters when he's older.

For all his faults, I think that in the eyes of the UCI, his biggest crime was being stupid and arrogant enough to get caught.

 

[BroDeal]

I don't see how anyone can say 12 years is just when the sport is filled with dopers and all the people connected with the sport still stick up for Armstrong. Slipstream is a team built with dopers from Team Postal and none of those riders are asking to be held accountable.

They all hate Ricco not because he doped but because he embarrassed the sport and was not humble enough to pretend he was sorry.

 

[Caruut]

They all hate Ricco not because he doped but because he embarrassed the sport and was not humble enough to pretend he was sorry.

This sums up for me why the whole Ricco saga makes me feel kind of split. On the one hand, the fight against doping must start somewhere. Yet on the other, if he'd played the UCI's games and pretended to be repentant, he would probably be winning GTs by now.

If he'd called it "youthful naivetie due to personal issues" or some similar BS, then he'd be given his mandatory 2 years and a slap on the wrist, contribute a healthy sum to the UCI's anti-doping trust fund and get back on his bike.

I'm aware this seems to contradict what I said about Galimzyanov. I think what set DG apart is that he confessed and said sorry before that was his only route out. With every other rider it just seems to be this procession: "B sample, national federation, CAS, apology".

 

[wirral]

I wonder what he'll do with himself. I think we can expect a book from a sympathetic Italian journalist.

 

[hektoren]

Good riddance!