Ricco

[Libertine Seguros]

I am reminded of Vania Rossi's terrible lying back when she was busted. "I've never doped, and especially not since..."

doh.

 

[sashimono]

...Would you buy a used car from anyone in pro cycling?

Good point. Reminds me of the movie Breaking Away -- the writer managed to accurately capture everything I've come to know about pro cycling in just a few seconds of screen time.

 

[craig1985]

The guy is an idiot, clearly if it wasn't for ability to ride a bike, I doubt he would be capable of much in life. So where is the law suit against Vacansoleil for his unfair dismissal and for the remaining monies of his contract? Why would Vacan just sack him because he had kidney failure, it would be like sacking someone because they crashed and broke their collarbone? Personally I think there is a lot more to the story then what he is letting on.

Surely Vacan would (or at least I assume they do) have had some pretty good legal advice on whether they could fire him or not, as well as getting an expert to be able to analyse the results and be able to tell if it was just kidney failure or blood doping which caused kidney failure.

 

[tubularglue]

there is not one redeeming quality to this LySaOfSh.


amore & vita - fail - nailincoffin'

 

[rhubroma]

I'm not arguing for Ricco necessarily. Just that bans should be even with all riders. Second ban should be a lifetime offence, but if Di Luca didn't get one, I don't see why it should be any different for Ricco.




Well obviously he can race if someone signs him. Just think punishments etc. should be the same for everyone. As someone else just posted, why should he have been sacked when others haven't been?

Yes, there should be a certain logic and consistency applied here.

In any case, I'll bet Riccò and the Hog get hooked up next year and he goes on to win 7 straight Tours.

 

[Ferminal]

Gazzetta reporting that CONI are certain of a transfusion and have enough evidence to take action?

(Via Cyclismactu http://www.cyclismactu.net/news-dopage-transfusion-confirmee-pour-riccardo-ricco-18969.html)

 

[webvan]

Good riddance

 

[Zoncolan]

Good riddance

On the one hand yes, good riddance.
On the other, I hope he doesn't go the way of Il Pirata. I doubt he will, as they have different personalities, but still...
I hope he seeks some professional help and can find some purpose in his life.
Maybe, once he's out of the limelight, he'll become a better, more humble person.
Talk about a wasted talent.

 

[Pippo_San]

source: http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php?page=news&cod=42302&tp=n
(which is again a take on a Gazzetta dello Sport article)

According to the article, when he was brought in the hospital, he told the personnel there not to use his arm because he felt pain. It was observed that he had a big hematoma, sign of a needle which caused an infection.
Again, three specialists (Dr. Sabino Pelosi, Prof. Marco Marietta and Dr. Erica Villa) confirmed that the cause of the infection have to be looked at the attempt of a butched blood transfusion.
What's interesting though, is that Prof. Marietta confirms that he couldn't have done that transfusion alone. Marietta says that not even himself could have done it on his own.
Who was with Ricco' on that day? The attorney has the phone tappings stored, but can't use them on this specific matter. So will Ricco' finally collaborate in the end?

Questions questions. What's for sure, is that the definitive ban for him is just around the corner. Not to mention he is risking to face even jail time.

 

[Animal]

I hope he doesn't go the way of Il Pirata.

More likely to die of stupidity.

 

[luckyboy]

Aw, bye Ricco

 

[python]

<snip> Marietta says that not even himself could have done it on his own.<snip>

meh..marietta is a normal ethical medic but he's wrong.

a desperate doper without a blood brother could do it if pressed

‘Mr. Landis said he transfused the blood himself.’

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704911704575326753200584006.html

all necessary iterations can be learned via widely available medical texts and visual aides. a friendly registered nurse may come handy too.

is it hellishly risky ?

you bet, but cheating is about taking chances.

ricco may have just squandered his.

 

[Benotti69]

meh..marietta is a normal ethical medic but he's wrong.

a desperate doper without a blood brother could do it if pressed

‘Mr. Landis said he transfused the blood himself.’

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704911704575326753200584006.html

all necessary iterations can be learned via widely available medical texts and visual aides. a friendly registered nurse may come handy too.

is it hellishly risky ?

you bet, but cheating is about taking chances.

ricco may have just squandered his.

Not to contradict you python, but medical practices and doping (self administering transfusions) may be 2 different things to Italian medical professionals. A doctor maybe saying that for professional reasons.

In Italy it is very difficult to get a simple medical procedure like a Vasectomy, or so i was told by a Dr who was giving me a medical.
So for a doctor to consider that a transfusion can be done by oneself might not even be considered.

I imagine if the authorities know who helped Ricco, if indeed someone did, that person will be targeted.

 

[Race Radio]

http://translate.google.com/transla...orza/wielrennen/110905_ricco_parket_conclusie

He is looking at a lifetime ban. They have 8 people who heard him confess

 

[Merckx index]

meh..marietta is a normal ethical medic but he's wrong.

a desperate doper without a blood brother could do it if pressed

I agree. Though it now seems that some are claiming that he did have help, certainly he could have done it himself. Actually, if the hematoma on his arm was as big and ugly as the nurse implies, that tends to support that he did.

I'm more interested, though, in how they came to the conclusion that the infection was from improperly stored blood. From CN:

The Modena Procura subsequently requested the analysis of the results of bacteriological tests taken to determine the nature of the virus that struck Riccò. The three consultants – Dr. Sabino Pelosi, haematologist Professor Marco Marietta and gastroenterologist Dr. Erica Villa – agreed unanimously that Riccò’s illness showed signs of infection caused by the infusion of poorly-stored blood.

So was it a viral infection or a bacterial infection? And are they claiming that they know the kind of bacteria that grow in improperly stored blood (I'm not a hematologist, but I don't think improperly stored blood would be at risk for a viral infection)? That these bacteria couldn't be picked up in some other manner?

Probably not:

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.co...ome-less-safe-for-transfusion-as-it-ages.aspx

Refrigerated blood eventually breaks down, resulting in the release of substances that can promote inflammation, and enhance the risk of becoming infected by endogenous agents. But these endogenous agents could be picked up in other ways. I'm guessing there may be a constellation of symptoms observed in known cases of bad blood transfusion, and that the doctors are basing their conclusion on this. Nevertheless, if this ends up in court, I think Ricco should challenge the notion that his infection had to result from stored blood.

It seems they have a lot of witnesses to his confession, and that may settle the case. But if the case hinges on evidence that his infection must have resulted from transfusion, I think he has a reasonable case to argue against that.

 

[Wallace]

Talk about a wasted talent.

How do we know? By all accounts, he was a doper as a junior and he's been a doper through all his career. Maybe without dope he wouldn't have been much of a racer.

 

[Zoncolan]

How do we know? By all accounts, he was a doper as a junior and he's been a doper through all his career. Maybe without dope he wouldn't have been much of a racer.

Would have made a great Ardennes rider with or without dope.

 

[roundabout]

Who knows. Ballan's, *ahem* alledged doping doc allegedly didn't have a high opinion of his clients riding ability.

 

[Wallace]

Would have made a great Ardennes rider with or without dope.

I'm not saying you're wrong (or that you're right), but that there's no way of knowing. There's plenty of testimony from juniors who rode clean against Ricco about how he would taunt them and was absolutely unapologetic about being on another level because of the products he was taking. In other words, when you have a rider whose entire career is the result of better riding through chemistry, it's just not possible to say how he would have performed in a level playing field.


Maybe he would have been great in the Ardennes. Maybe without dope he wouldn't have even made it to the professional level. We don't know, because he was never not on dope.

 

[Pippo_San]

source: http://www.repubblica.it/sport/ciclismo/2011/09/14/news/ricc_difesa-21656168/

Here comes Riccò again, and guess what?
After the hearing, he refused to be interviewed, yet his lawyer, Fiorenzo Alessi, says: "He (Riccò) is tired of always being misunderstood" "We exposed our alternative version" he added "and we think we can say there has been no autoemotransfusion. We also brought the conclusions of our experts".

"He (Riccò) doesn't consider his career as a cyclist over, especially taking into account the low quality field nowadays. He's not going to run anymore this season, but he has no intentions of giving up".

Oh boy...

 

[Animal]

This won't end well. He appears to be in a state of delusion. This could go the way of VDB, Pantani, Jimenez.

 

[auscyclefan94]

source: http://www.repubblica.it/sport/ciclismo/2011/09/14/news/ricc_difesa-21656168/

Here comes Riccò again, and guess what?
After the hearing, he refused to be interviewed, yet his lawyer, Fiorenzo Alessi, says: "He (Riccò) is tired of always being misunderstood" "We exposed our alternative version" he added "and we think we can say there has been no autoemotransfusion. We also brought the conclusions of our experts".

"He (Riccò) doesn't consider his career as a cyclist over, especially taking into account the low quality field nowadays. He's not going to run anymore this season, but he has no intentions of giving up".

Oh boy...

LOL, i just want to punch that guy in the face though he is good entertainment with his ridiculous statements.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

I almost miss Ricco in the field...

 

[roundabout]

That low quality field line is a classic.

 

[Ferminal]

That low quality field line is a classic.

Cobo

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