Riis

[thehog]

“I remember the first time I had to give myself an injection. That was not doping, that was just an injection of vitamins. I sat there for hours and I couldn’t do it,” he said. “That’s the first step to maybe something else. That’s a very hard decision and a decision that can change your life forever, who knows. It did for me.

“At the time you think about it, and it’s hard, but you don’t reflect on it because you think it’s a part of that life, it’s a part of the culture, everyone else is doing it. After a while you think it’s just natural.”

He added that only when it was too late had he come to the realisation that his actions were wrong.

http://roadcyclinguk.com/news/bjarn...and-saxo-banks-2012-tour-de-france-plans.html

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

At least he had the nuts to admit it.

 

[hrotha]

A bit of a contradiction, isn't it? He found it very hard just to take a vitamin shot, but at the same time he only realized doping was wrong when it was too late? Even then, how was it too late? Too late to be able to say he was clean throughout his career? Certainly. Too late to stop? No.

That said, I think Riis gets too much flak for his doping as a rider and entirely too little for his doping as a DS.

 

[Nick C.]

Did it come off as he debated because some people just have a fear of shots in general or doing it themselves. I've read where even diabetics have a struggle the first time(s) they have to inject themselves.

 

[Benotti69]

Riis for me is a DS who is old school. He doped as a rider and knows it works to get big wins.

 

[ElChingon]

Riis for me is a DS who is old school. He doped as a rider and knows it works to get big wins.

Yea, he is from the old school and maybe that (his doping as a rider) is what connects him with the riders now. Riders know he will understand and knows their decisions will at least be judged by a boss who has admittedly been there. I'm not saying that is the best thing for the sport or the rider though.

Wonder what the sponsors think, or if it even matters to them (reality not PR BS).

 

[Michele]

I agree with the post above but I like his "tech side", as he's been a different DS compared to the traditional DS before him.
Im talking about organizing training camps where he would follow the riders closely, having some riders close to his place time by time (like doing motorpacing with them) and also getting into the bike part; Specialized seemed to dislike this.

 

[goggalor]

If there's one thing pro cycling needs less of it's "reformed" dopers as DSs. I don't really have it in for Riis in particular but I wouldn't mind seeing him and his old school colleagues booted out.

 

[Ney the Viking]

Wonder what the sponsors think, or if it even matters to them (reality not PR BS).

Riders, UCI, and DS's say the sport is cleaner than ever. If the average fan believes, why shouldnt the sponsors?

 

[Anonymous]

Riis for me is a DS who is old school. He doped as a rider and knows it works to get big wins.

Yep. Basso's 2006 Giro was disgraceful. Riis had to know.

 

[Benotti69]

I doubt few sponsors ever care how results are achieved. They would rather be associated with honest to good wins, but Festina sales rocketed after the 1998 scandal.

Banks dont seem to have problem being sponsors to teams in a well known doping sport.

 

[Maxiton]

I doubt few sponsors ever care how results are achieved. They would rather be associated with honest to good wins, but Festina sales rocketed after the 1998 scandal.

Banks dont seem to have problem being sponsors to teams in a well known doping sport.

Maybe that's because drugs are to pro sports as sub-prime loans are to banks: you know the risk is huge, and could kill you along with everything else; but the temptation is just too great to resist. Especially when all the other banks are doing it.

Banks and cycling. They really are the perfect match up.

 

[Trek1000]

All this talk about Riis been a mentor etc,

He only achieved what he did by cheating. How can this guy know about training clean, racing clean, recovery etc. His cycling life was totally different. Feeling perfect everyday. Doped to the eyeballs etc.

BTW his CSC team was riddled at that time. Doubt he didnt know

 

[DominicDecoco]

All this talk about Riis been a mentor etc,

He only achieved what he did by cheating. How can this guy know about training clean, racing clean, recovery etc. His cycling life was totally different. Feeling perfect everyday. Doped to the eyeballs etc.

BTW his CSC team was riddled at that time. Doubt he didnt know

And once again.. You haven't read anything from that book other than the few lines in the opening reply, I'm I right?...

 

[Neworld]

As long as the UCI and individual pro riders accept the quick list below(not even including doctors), cycling will be a facade of shameful doping allegations and cheats.

1. BMC -OCHOWICZ James (General Manager), LELANGUE John (DS)
2. Euskaltel -GONZALEZ DE GALDEANO (***.DS)
3. Katusha-HOLCZER Hans-Michael (Team Mgr), HENN Christian(DS), PIVA Valerio (DS), KONYCHEV Dmitri(***.DS), ZABEL Erik (***. DS)
4. OPQ-HOLM Brian(***.DS), PEETERS Wilfried(***. DS), STEELS Tom(***.DS)
5. Greenedge-WHITE Matthew(DS), LAPAGE Laurenzo (***.DS), STEPHENS Neil(***.DS), NARDELLO Daniele (***. DS)
6. Rabobank-BREUKINK Erik(DS), DEKKER Erik (***. DS)
7. Radioshack-BRUYNEEL Johan (GM), AZEVEDO José (***.DS), DEMOL Dirk
(***. DS), GALLOPIN Alain (***.DS)
8. Sky-YATES Sean (DS), ARVESEN Kurt-Asle (DS), DE JONGH S(***.DS)
9. SaxoB-RIIS Bjarne (DS), HOFFMAN T(***.DS), GUIDI Fabrizio(***.DS)

 

[ElChingon]

As long as the UCI and individual pro riders accept the quick list below(not even including doctors), cycling will be a facade of shameful doping allegations and cheats.

1. BMC -OCHOWICZ James (General Manager), LELANGUE John (DS)
2. Euskaltel -GONZALEZ DE GALDEANO (***.DS)
3. Katusha-HOLCZER Hans-Michael (Team Mgr), HENN Christian(DS), PIVA Valerio (DS), KONYCHEV Dmitri(***.DS), ZABEL Erik (***. DS)
4. OPQ-HOLM Brian(***.DS), PEETERS Wilfried(***. DS), STEELS Tom(***.DS)
5. Greenedge-WHITE Matthew(DS), LAPAGE Laurenzo (***.DS), STEPHENS Neil(***.DS), NARDELLO Daniele (***. DS)
6. Rabobank-BREUKINK Erik(DS), DEKKER Erik (***. DS)
7. Radioshack-BRUYNEEL Johan (GM), AZEVEDO José (***.DS), DEMOL Dirk
(***. DS), GALLOPIN Alain (***.DS)
8. Sky-YATES Sean (DS), ARVESEN Kurt-Asle (DS), DE JONGH S(***.DS)
9. SaxoB-RIIS Bjarne (DS), HOFFMAN T(***.DS), GUIDI Fabrizio(***.DS)

Wow, that's a good quality Clinic Team in just DS's

 

[goggalor]

As long as the UCI and individual pro riders accept the quick list below(not even including doctors), cycling will be a facade of shameful doping allegations and cheats.

1. BMC -OCHOWICZ James (General Manager), LELANGUE John (DS)
2. Euskaltel -GONZALEZ DE GALDEANO (***.DS)
3. Katusha-HOLCZER Hans-Michael (Team Mgr), HENN Christian(DS), PIVA Valerio (DS), KONYCHEV Dmitri(***.DS), ZABEL Erik (***. DS)
4. OPQ-HOLM Brian(***.DS), PEETERS Wilfried(***. DS), STEELS Tom(***.DS)
5. Greenedge-WHITE Matthew(DS), LAPAGE Laurenzo (***.DS), STEPHENS Neil(***.DS), NARDELLO Daniele (***. DS)
6. Rabobank-BREUKINK Erik(DS), DEKKER Erik (***. DS)
7. Radioshack-BRUYNEEL Johan (GM), AZEVEDO José (***.DS), DEMOL Dirk
(***. DS), GALLOPIN Alain (***.DS)
8. Sky-YATES Sean (DS), ARVESEN Kurt-Asle (DS), DE JONGH S(***.DS)
9. SaxoB-RIIS Bjarne (DS), HOFFMAN T(***.DS), GUIDI Fabrizio(***.DS)

Since you're on a roll, don't forget Saronni of Lampre (or did he quit?), Vaughters and Peiper of Garmin, Unzue of Movistar...

 

[Neworld]

Since you're on a roll, don't forget Saronni of Lampre (or did he quit?), Vaughters and Peiper of Garmin, Unzue of Movistar...

Nice!

Any owners or partial owners like Riis that we've missed. (?Vino)

 

[Ferminal]

Martinelli.

 

[Benotti69]

And people dare to even consider the peloton might be clean when we see the list of people running teams and how they got to this level in cycling.

And this is not a list including Doctors, soigneurs and masseuses who have all be part of the doping.

 

[filipo]

For me, the BS started the moment Riis said the words "as a young rider" in this video. He was what, 32 when he won the Tour? And had only started showing some Tour-winning ability a few years before -- so 28? 29? So can we assume the doping -- or the serious doping, involving EPO injections -- started then?

How is 28 years old a "young" rider? He wants us to believe that at 28 he was still a young, naive, impressionable youth? I call BS.

Riis is such a practiced liar.

 

[Ney the Viking]

For me, the BS started the moment Riis said the words "as a young rider" in this video. He was what, 32 when he won the Tour? And had only started showing some Tour-winning ability a few years before -- so 28? 29? So can we assume the doping -- or the serious doping, involving EPO injections -- started then?

How is 28 years old a "young" rider? He wants us to believe that at 28 he was still a young, naive, impressionable youth? I call BS.

Riis is such a practiced liar.

What on earth are you on about? The Hog linked an article not a video

 

[filipo]

What on earth are you on about? The Hog linked an article not a video

Front. Page. Of. CN.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-bjarne-riis-on-the-decision-to-take-epo

 

[Ney the Viking]

No need to get flippant, it was you that reffered to "this video" without a link.

 

[Benotti69]

No need to get flippant, it was you that reffered to "this video" without a link.

no need to get tetchy about the slagging of an infamous son of Denmark