Ricco

[42x16ss]

You wanna show me there was "widespread doping" in 2008??

Let's see, 2008 positives and scandals:

Off the top of my head there was

Ricco
Sella
Kohl
Schumacher
Leipheimer (confessed later)
Duenas
Piepoli
Gusev
Fofonov
Beltran
Rebellin
Priamo
Vila
Richeze
Carini
Bossoni
LA-MSS Raid
Oil for drugs

And that's before we start taking into account the circumstantial evidence and/or future positives on guys like Menchov, Evans, Schleck, Contador etc.


Come on Doc, when did you get that naive

 

[MarkvW]

Why not, it would be hilarious! If you dangle the carrot just close enough, Uniball and Il Cobra might spill ALL the beans for once. Think of the red faces, the denials, the excuses, the slander. Months and months of limitless entertainment. If those two go nuclear half the pro peloton and most of the management will retire on the spot in the hope of reducing the damage.

The sport would have to completely rebuild afterwards but it would be a fun ride

It would be a great subject for a comic novel!

 

[42x16ss]

Someone get hold of the guys at NYVelocity, Toto has been a little quiet lately

 

[Alex76]

Hail Ricco - the king of the Strava segments!!!

Hope he does this, will be amusing / interesting to watch. Of course, all unofficial times as none will be UCI ratified.....men in grey suits won't like this from Ricco.

 

[42x16ss]

Hail Ricco - the king of the Strava segments!!!

Hope he does this, will be amusing / interesting to watch. Of course, all unofficial times as none will be UCI ratified.....men in grey suits won't like this from Ricco.

I didn't think it was possible but Ricco may just be even better than Vino - he's a troll extraordinaire! I've gone out of my way to try and hate this guy more than once but everytime he opens his mouth I p!ss myself laughing until I almost pass out

If he does this without doping it could have some interesting reactions from Sky and the UCI.

Doesn't Ricco hold the fastest ascent time for Super-Besse?

 

[Ferminal]

If he does this without doping

..................

 

[Ferminal]

Ok, maybe he can do a Catlin setup to make it the perfect troll.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

He could dope again to become faster, then get clean and become even faster, then dope again, etc etc in an infinite loop of performance improvement. Is that the secret?

lol, very nice.

 

[42x16ss]

..................

Yeah ok, I laughed when I re-read it

 

[del1962]

Il Cobra lays into the chicken

Asked for his reaction to Michael Rasmussen's autobiography and news today of the numerous damning claims therein, Riccò sounded distinctly unimpressed.

"If I do a book, it'll be about me, my personality and cycling," he said. "It certainly won't be a book [like Rasmussen's]. They are completely pointless, in my opinion.

 

[martinvickers]

Why not, it would be hilarious! If you dangle the carrot just close enough, Uniball and Il Cobra might spill ALL the beans for once. Think of the red faces, the denials, the excuses, the slander. Months and months of limitless entertainment. If those two go nuclear half the pro peloton and most of the management will retire on the spot in the hope of reducing the damage.

The sport would have to completely rebuild afterwards but it would be a fun ride

If you want comedy, watch Chris Rock.

I want sport. YMMV. I find it hard enough to stomach the ex dopers who might, just might, have caught a grip and not taken the ****.

C***s like ricco and Arsmtrong can burn.

Funny, yeah?

 

[martinvickers]

I agree. The Italians are mistreated and forgotten by the UCI.

I still view there needs to be a rehabilitation program for those suspended.

They need to demonstrate they want to come back to the sport.

2+ years of isolation does nothing to help the situation.

a lifetime of isolation would be better.

 

[The Hitch]

If you want comedy, watch Chris Rock.

I want sport. YMMV. I find it hard enough to stomach the ex dopers who might, just might, have caught a grip and not taken the ****.

C***s like ricco and Arsmtrong can burn.

Funny, yeah?

Same opinion on Millar, Hejsedal?

 

[thehog]

a lifetime of isolation would be better.

Better for you maybe. And many others who want to pretend the drug issue doesn't exist.

But I feel it's better we assist and help those to rehabilitate.

Why did Ricco do a home transfusion? Because we let him sit it out in isolation for 2 years.

Would have been better to understand why he doped and put him through a program to assist in not needing drugs to compete.

Sportspeople have addictive personalities.

Repeat and serial offenders, yes maybe.

But the sport was (is) covered in dope.

Italian boys don't have many good guides on this front. This is not the UK.

Way too many pushers hanging around junior races.

Kid needs a break.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Better for you maybe. And many others who want to pretend the drug issue doesn't exist.

But I feel it's better we assist and help those to rehabilitate.

Why did Ricco do a home transfusion? Because we let him sit it out in isolation for 2 years.

Would have been better to understand why he doped and put him through a program to assist in not needing drugs to compete.

Sportspeople have addictive personalities.

Repeat and serial offenders, yes maybe.

But the sport was (is) covered in dope.

Italian boys don't have many good guides on this front. This is not the UK.

Way too many pushers hanging around junior races.

Kid needs a break.

Cycling doesn't have a character strong enough who can handle a guy like Ricco at this time.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Hopefully his record attemt(s) will be filmed.

 

[martinvickers]

Better for you maybe. And many others who want to pretend the drug issue doesn't exist.

But I feel it's better we assist and help those to rehabilitate.

Why did Ricco do a home transfusion? Because we let him sit it out in isolation for 2 years.

Would have been better to understand why he doped and put him through a program to assist in not needing drugs to compete.

Sportspeople have addictive personalities.

Repeat and serial offenders, yes maybe.

But the sport was (is) covered in dope.

Italian boys don't have many good guides on this front. This is not the UK.

Way too many pushers hanging around junior races.

Kid needs a break.

Better for the sport.

I'm sorry, but Ricco is just in a class, almost, of his own. Why was he doing his own IVBlood? Because he is incorrigible. Even now, as a pariah, unemployable and a laughing stock, he is unrepentant. Openly, brazenly, unrepentant.

I'm an Irish catholic. I do forgiveness and absolution, and all that - but you need something approaching contrition. I understand the risk of crocodile tears, I understand the 'Dave Millar' tour of self-flagellation leaves a bad taste in the mouth, I do.

But, to paraphrase Chris rock -

Ricco just does not give a f***. He just does. Not. Give. a. F***. If you were hanging from a cliff, and all you needed was a F*** to save your life. He wouldn't give you one. He'd just say "No, sorry, didn't you hear? I don't give a f***"

Yes, you're right - junior racing in italy seems a cesspit to the casual observer. UK racing? Meh, don't know the sport well enough there at that level. But Italy? Not sure how you fight that culture when you make a martyr of Pantani.


now, more generally, second chances?

Look how much grief Hesjedal is getting today, rightly or wrongly. and then tell me that such anger is consistant with a way back for Ricco. It isn't. It's just 'picking your favourite dopers' - usually, it seems (not you personally, hog, generally) the ones for who English is a second language, for reasons that defy me. And I can't and won't do that - there has to come a point where you say no more chances - for me, it ought to be foul 1, but I can just about live with foul 2. I can live with one story of seeing the light.

How many 'incidents' has ricco had - all the way back to junior days?

He is, clearly incorrigible - more to the point, he's a danger to himself.

He's best away from cycling. Cycling is best away from him.

 

[MartinGT]

Nobody gives two hoots about racing in the UK unless it has to do with wearing a yellow jersey are winning medals around a velodrome......

 

[martinvickers]

Same opinion on Millar, Hejsedal?

No. I don't. At he moment.

In a perfect world we'd never see their doping asses again.

But there is some small hope that having been caught, Millar mended his ways. You may well not believe that, that's your right - but it's a belief, not a fact. But if he fouls, or has fouled, a second time, he should be gone permanently,and he can burn in hell while he's about it.

I'm perfectly consistant. One second chance. No more than that. And that only grudgingly.

 

[martinvickers]

Nobody gives two hoots about racing in the UK unless it has to do with wearing a yellow jersey are winning medals around a velodrome......

I think RideLondon and Revolution series might beg to differ. It's a niche sport, of course it is. But it's obviously growing. Has been for some time.

 

[thehog]

Rocco's sentence was reduced because of information he gave to the authorities.

He cares. He's a simple kid. Not very well educated. Has a young child to support.

Italian racing scene is like nothing else. It's like modeling school. So many scumbags hanging around promising to make "stars" out of these young men.

The economy and job prospects in Italy are far worse than the UK.

The kid deserves a break. It's like blaming a teenager from the Bronx or East London for getting involved in drugs.

It's not a individual problem but one or society where we are all contributors.

Not a case of "not my problem" here.

Look at the team he was on. Older riders like Cobo and Pipeoli. Geez.

 

[MartinGT]

I think RideLondon and Revolution series might beg to differ. It's a niche sport, of course it is. But it's obviously growing. Has been for some time.

Otley Town Centre race which is local to me (ex winners include Cavendish) also get MASSIVE crowds. Apart from that, nobody really gives a f@ck.

The night the OTC is on people complain about the closed roads & diversions etc.

We have tried for months and months with BC to organise RR but they are not interested. Local lads like Josh Edmonson & his younger brother have had to goto places like Italy to learn the trade.......

 

[martinvickers]

Rocco's sentence was reduced because or information gave to the authorities.

He cares. Look he's a simple kid. Not very well educated. Has a young child to support.

Italian racing scene is like nothing else. It's like modeling school. So many scumbags hanging around promising to make "stars" out of these kids.

The economy and job prospects in Italy are far worse than the UK.

The kid deserves a break. It's like blaming a teenager from the Bronx or East London for getting involved in drugs.

It's not a individual problem but one or society where we are all contributors.

Not a case of "not my problem" here.

Look at the team he was on. Older riders like Cobo and Pipeoli. Geez.

I appreciate all that, and it's all very well made points. But in that case, in all honesty, he's better off out of the sport. and for what it's worth, employment prospects in Ireland aren't exactly fantastic either - and it's not a good enough reason.

Look, i can go with you on the sympathy for the man - that's not a problem, hell can live with one less burnee, really, armstrong will keep the place warm for ages - but I just can't accept he's got a place in the sport.

He got a second chance. To some extent, he broke Omerta. He could have done something unique with it - made himself an example. Instead he nearly killed himself. I'm sorry, but sport is not the place for 'care in the community' - if the man needs help, cycling isn't the world to give it to him.

 

[martinvickers]

Otley Town Centre race which is local to me (ex winners include Cavendish) also get MASSIVE crowds. Apart from that, nobody really gives a f@ck.

The night the OTC is on people complain about the closed roads & diversions etc.

That is, shall we say, a British disease. I mean no insult, but it is - maybe because its a crowed urban country - or parts of it are.

I was on holiday in Wicklow the week of the Rás (can I just add, wicklow is f***ing gorgeous; food for the soul), and was, accidentally driving through when i had to stop at the foot of the wicklow hills for the race, with a dozen other cars, for ages (the peleton had split). Nobody was remotely bothered, indeed, they all thought it was 'lovely to see'

We have tried for months and months with BC to organise RR but they are not interested. Local lads like Josh Edmonson & his younger brother have had to goto places like Italy to learn the trade.......

The history of BC involves a decades long antipathy to road racing as opposed to TT which would bend the head of most 'continentals'. I agree there's more to be done - but now is the time to do it. The Tour series seems to be expanding; and with the Women's tour that could double. the key, hopefully, is not to 'drown' one or two towns with races.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I appreciate all that, and it's all very well made points. But in that case, in all honesty, he's better off out of the sport. and for what it's worth, employment prospects in Ireland aren't exactly fantastic either - and it's not a good enough reason.

Look, i can go with you on the sympathy for the man - that's not a problem, hell can live with one less burnee, really, armstrong will keep the place warm for ages - but I just can't accept he's got a place in the sport.

He got a second chance. To some extent, he broke Omerta. He could have done something unique with it - made himself an example. Instead he nearly killed himself. I'm sorry, but sport is not the place for 'care in the community' - if the man needs help, cycling isn't the world to give it to him.

I will let you clarify or amend this - but taking it at face value this is the wrong way at looking at the Ricco dilemma, IMO.

I am actually happy that the guy is considering getting on the bike and back in to shape - he appears a vulnerable sort so reading that he is in positive spirits and looking forward is good.

But - and this is the but, his aspirations on the bike should be ignored by the media (as well as the broader cycling community). The need to be in the spotlight appears to be his greatest flaw and we know from his history of what he will do to get that.
Highlighting his attempts to break records doesn't encourage him to cycle - it encourages him to dope.