Caruut said:
They certainly still got a raw deal compared to others, and given that "raw deal" is an entirely subjective concept, it's not out of this world that they might be considered to have gotten a raw deal. Compare the way Rasmussen has been handled to the way someone like Scarponi is and it's hard for me not to feel a bit sorry for the poor Chicken.
And that goes to show that omerta and keeping doping alive is not just down to the peloton and everybody else behind the scenes. When fans feel sorry for cheats being caught that's the fans perpetuating the vicious circle...
Raw deal in itself is not subjective. You choose to make it subjective.
You can obviously define raw deal any way you want and relate it to any situation you choose and as you see fit, but the thing is objectively speaking he's not got anything he didn't deserve. He actually never got suspended for doping, merely for his whereabouts. That he was unable to get a ride following his suspension speaks more about him than about the teams who wouldn't hire him.