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It's frustrating... just as we get rid of one odious doper from the pro-tour peloton we get another one back.

They are the worst kind of dopers, the ones without conscience who don't dope because they feel they have to to keep up, but who dope because they actually want to, and even if no-one else was they still would. The ones who lead the arms-race rather than follow. Apparently Ricco has had rumours about him ever since his amateur days, too. Not to mention his treatment of the mother to his child. Two peas in a pod, those two. Sigh.
 
Alpe d'Huez said:
What prompted this thread?

He's been back racing for a bit now, and been discussed in several other threads.

Yeah, it was the move back to the protour and so I will have to watch him race on TV, whereas when he was with Ceramica he was at least out of sight.

Ferminal - was it all a sham? :eek:
 
May 6, 2009
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People are welcoming back because even though he's on the juice, he's entertaining, instead of the Bertie and Schleck track stands, hand holding that those two enjoy doing.

I personally think it is rather hypocritical if people denounce doping and those that like to enforce omerta, and then welcome back Ricco because of his riding style. I guess that is why we have doping, and omerta. Unless you don't care of course.
 
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can't wait for him in the vuelta. exciting racer and even more exciting personality. he's also the most popular rider in italy. largest fanclub, so smart move from quickstep.
 
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roundabout said:
So writes the man who has a picture of Vino winning a TdfF stage as his avatar.:rolleyes:

careful here...

Vino and Ricco are both proven dopers who are unapologetic about their doping.

They are, however, revered by many and the thought of the two of them racing in the same team has been described as someone's wet dream.

So, while criticizing a certain LA for being an a$$hole, abandoning his family, and being a reputed doper is a welcome event in the clinic so there can be hundreds of threads about it.

Criticizing a certain Ricco for being an a$$hole, abandoning his family. and being a proven doper leads to questions about the necessity of a thread.
 
I don't think anyone is "welcoming him back with open arms". People merely have no problem accepting that this is the situation he's done his time etc etc etc, which is what I subscribe to.

I'm happy to watch him race, which is a completely irrelevant argument to his doping/off-bike exploits. I wish Lance stayed on for another 5 years if he was entertaining on the bike.

You can try and paint it as being hypocritical just as much as I can paint your world where only sanctioned riders cheat, everyone should recieve a life ban and doping is done as an individual without any assistance from doctors or the team as being hypocritical.

I support all riders the same regardless of whether or not they have been caught cheating.
 
The difference IMO is that Vino (and Basso etc) seem to have doped only to keep up and in a clean environment would remain clean, whereas the likes of Ricco etc would see a clean peloton as easy pickings and would continue to juice to the gills. I may be wrong on the names, but there is a distinction there and I don't see it as hypocritical to accept the former when it is believed they are now clean, but not to accept the latter when it's unlikely he will ever be clean.
 
Roland Rat said:
The difference IMO is that Vino (and Basso etc) seem to have doped only to keep up and in a clean environment would remain clean, whereas the likes of Ricco etc would see a clean peloton as easy pickings and would continue to juice to the gills. I may be wrong on the names, but there is a distinction there and I don't see it as hypocritical to accept the former when it is believed they are now clean, but not to accept the latter when it's unlikely he will ever be clean.
That's a big assumption to make without knowing any of those riders personally. The whole "I doped just to keep up" excuse is no better than "I only doped that one time, not when I was winning" or "I only intended to dope."

I'm all for former dopers returning after their bans, although I still find it humorous when Riccò wins with Sella 2nd and Mancebo 3rd or whatever. It's of course a bit of a joke.
 
Doping is doping, i don't give a flying **** what the motivation was behind it. Don't think WADA does either.

Vinkourov won LBL before the suspension and after the suspension, Basso won the Giro before the suspension and after the suspension.

What exactly makes them clean now? A clean peloton? What about all the indications of a UCI cover-up?

Ricco juiced to the gills can only win a Tour of Austria in the "clean" peloton.

Sorry, i'm not buying it.
 
hrotha said:
That's a big assumption to make without knowing any of those riders personally. The whole "I doped just to keep up" excuse is no better than "I only doped that one time, not when I was winning" or "I only intended to dope."

I'm all for former dopers returning after their bans, although I still find it humorous when Riccò wins with Sella 2nd and Mancebo 3rd or whatever. It's of course a bit of a joke.

It is a big assumption, but none of us really know what goes on. Based on their personalities though, I'd be more willing to believe Basso and Vino are clean now than Ricco, the Iran of this particular arms race (LA being North Korea, of course. :p)
 

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Squares said:
careful here...

Vino and Ricco are both proven dopers who are unapologetic about their doping.

They are, however, revered by many and the thought of the two of them racing in the same team has been described as someone's wet dream.

So, while criticizing a certain LA for being an a$$hole, abandoning his family, and being a reputed doper is a welcome event in the clinic so there can be hundreds of threads about it.

Criticizing a certain Ricco for being an a$$hole, abandoning his family. and being a proven doper leads to questions about the necessity of a thread.

Nice that you brought up LA- yet missed the obvious difference between him and Ricco/Vino, they served their suspensions, Lance gave donations.


Ricco.
He has served his time - in fact he did more as he had to serve with a Pro Conti team for a year while Basso & Vino were welcomed back to the ProTour.

I would prefer if they were sanctioned for longer.
 
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craig1985 said:
People are welcoming back because even though he's on the juice, he's entertaining, instead of the Bertie and Schleck track stands, hand holding that those two enjoy doing.

I personally think it is rather hypocritical if people denounce doping and those that like to enforce omerta, and then welcome back Ricco because of his riding style. I guess that is why we have doping, and omerta. Unless you don't care of course.

I am a hypocrite then because I am glad he is back to challenge Contador and Schelecklet. Both of them are also dopers. On some level it is a matter of wanting to see exciting racing. I hope as the FLandis affair continues, and people like Matschiner and Kohl detailing doping continues to affect things, that we will see a genuine effort by the UCI to have cleaner cycling. While I am not stupid enough to believe that this year's tour was clean, it appeared to be cleaner.

All that being said, I have always said that with Armstrong (he has been brought up, so I am not introducing anything here), it is about the things he has done to other people and his usage of people with cancer to cover his doping that are the issue with me.

I guess I am a hypocrite, but then again, the one thing I know about every human is that they are too. It is kind of our thing as humans to act in ways that are not consistent with our ideals.
 
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Thoughtforfood said:
I am a hypocrite then because I am glad he is back to challenge Contador and Schelecket. Both of them are also dopers. On some level it is a matter of wanting to see exciting racing. I hope as the FLandis affair continues, and people like Matschiner and Kohl detailing doping continues to affect things, that we will see a genuine effort by the UCI to have cleaner cycling. While I am not stupid enough to believe that this year's tour was clean, it appeared to be cleaner.

All that being said, I have always said that with Armstrong (he has been brought up, so I am not introducing anything here), it is about the things he has done to other people and his usage of people with cancer to cover his doping that are the issue with me.

I guess I am a hypocrite, but then again, the one thing I know about every human is that they are too. It is kind of our thing as humans to act in ways that are not consistent with our ideals.

I`m sorry you don`t believe in miracles. :p
 

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