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Vino Comeback Thread

Vino was just epic today. It's great to see him doing exactly what he promised he would do, which is fulfill super-domestique duties on behalf of AC. I like the silence from the anti-Vino brigade and their inability to continue slagging him off anymore, as there's really nothing left with which to impeach him.

bettiniphoto_0056907_1_full_600.jpg


Of course, if he's shown to be positive again, I'll volunteer to metaphorically pull the trigger.

A quick search of the forum didn't reveal a dedicated Vino Comeback Thread, so I thought I'd create this one. Feel free to discuss, though as always, posts focused primarily on the suspicion of doping by Vino or accusations therein should go to The Clinic. But anti-Vino cycling fans are certainly welcome and encouraged to post their complaints here.

Does anyone note a stage still to come that offers Vino as good a chance to win as this one just completed? I'm really pulling for the guy and if anyone "deserves" to win a stage, it's him. Vino actually animates the race, and even better is the fact that now most of his ferocious attacks are also tactically-astute (whereas before, perhaps b/c of the charge, he was just as likely to attack dramatically but ineffectively, as he was to make a calculated display of power).

I wonder if Vino will release his autobiography anytime soon; perhaps it could be sponsored by a consortium of Kazakh oil, gas and mineral companies and could feature a shot of Vino on the back cover in his honorary colonel's uniform (or whatever he is). And w/ a forward by AC thanking him for not stabbing him in the back during the Tour, a la Hinault to LeMond in '86.

Cycling is more enjoyable with Vino in the mix.

Let me close by sharing this link to a favorite Toto cartoon featuring Vino:
http://nyvelocity.com/content/toto/2008/toto-turns-7

tturns7.jpg
 
Jun 10, 2010
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on race Liege Baston Liege fans poured Vinokourov urine out of the bottle in one of the climbs I was a witness. Here's how to treat him normal fans:)
 

Barrus

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Apr 28, 2010
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I love Vino and hope that when he retires he wuld become a DS at Astana. If he, with his tactics would lead a team, it would at the very least animate the race greatly.
I also love the manner in which he puts the team and the country before himself, he seems really proud with everyone on the team and really wishes the best for them al

(also interesting that half of the posts in this topic come from people I have ignored, should I perhaps reconsider ignoring them?)
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Denkoff, half of your incredibly brief posting history is pimping out some stupid youtube compilation video you made. Go away or start posting better.

As to the subject at hand (big post incoming)...

Vino is awesome. I just can't fight it. He was one of the first guys I took a liking to when I started watching cycling on TV, and one of the guys that really broke my heart when he got caught. I think after David Millar and Ivan Basso he's the rider whose downfall has disappointed me the most.

I really wanted to hate him when he came back from suspension. He didn't make a full confession, and he certainly didn't repent for his actions. He made his return riding for a team I don't trust with riders I don't like. If he'd come back and climbed like Contador in the Vuelta or the Giro, which I was half expecting him to do, I think I'd probably still hate him today.

I'm heartened by his decidedly human GT performances, but what really converted me back in to a Vino fan was watching him ride like a maniac this May. He just can't help attacking; it's in his DNA, and it's great to watch. He animates nearly every race he enters, and doesn't seem to care if his aggression backfires on him. He may have been frustrated at the finish today, but I don't think anyone would dare allege that we have seen the last of Vino at this year's Tour.

Can he win a stage? He'll certainly try. Predicting which he might have a chance at is difficult, though. Out of those that remain, none really screams 'VINO', but I wouldn't write any off completely with the possible exception of the Tourmalet finish on stage 17. 14, 15 and 16 all have hors categorie climbs that would see him easily dropped if any of the GC heads-of-state lift the pace, but all of the summits come before the finish so there is always a chance of a GC stalemate or chasing back on the descent.

I suspect the climb up to Ax-3 Domaines on Sunday will be too much for him, but the descent of the Port de Bales the next day and the flat run-in to Pau the day after that are both finales where he could gett away from a group. If I had to pick one, Stage 16 to Pau would probably be it. I think the day before the Tourmalet will see GC riders marking each other and trying to conserve energy, and the Aubisque (though tough) is less than spectacular and more than 50km from the finish. If he can get in a move of less threatening riders on that climb, or attack the remnants of the peloton on the flat, he'll be in with a great chance.

Of course, the fact that tomorrow and the final two road stages are mostly flat doesn't preclude Vino from winning them. He could always slip in to the break of the day or make a kamikaze move inside the last 10km. With Columbia down on manpower and Farrar out of the race I think we will be seeing less organisation and urgency in both the chase and the finale of these stages, and I suspect Lampre and Cervelo will be only too happy to let breakaways eat up the big points at the finish and reduce the chances of Cav closing the gap to green.

Who knows, he might even win the ITT!
 
I love Vino and all, but he never climbed with the best climbers prior to his ban. That was the beauty of it, he was still a contender because he was constantly pulling things like what he did today. In that regard, I don't see much of a difference between his GT performances before and after the ban (allowing also for his being older now).
 
Mar 11, 2009
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hrotha said:
I love Vino and all, but he never climbed with the best climbers prior to his ban. That was the beauty of it, he was still a contender because he was constantly pulling things like what he did today. In that regard, I don't see much of a difference between his GT performances before and after the ban (allowing also for his being older now).

Oh I know, and I'm by no means certain he's riding clean these days, but he's so awesome I don't care.
 
May 15, 2010
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Jamsque said:
Vino is awesome. I just can't fight it. He was one of the first guys I took a liking to when I started watching cycling on TV, and one of the guys that really broke my heart when he got caught. I think after David Millar and Ivan Basso he's the rider whose downfall has disappointed me the most.
Broke your heart? How so?
Me, seeing little kids in cancer treatment centres breaks my heart, or when Brad (that b*stard) dumped Jennifer (shes sooooo sweet):rolleyes:. But Vino getting his @** busted for The D Word, heartbreaking? Not!;)
 
Jun 9, 2010
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Vino has been always incredible! always doing something unexpected and making our day when the day is boring and the race seems to be stucked... I love to see how other ppl say awesome things about him and they remember things that I barely remember... I cried when he won Liege - Bastogne - Liege this year... and I was really happy to see him in pink for 5 days in Il Giro...

Today's stage was epic... the only thing that missed today was his stage victory... but that is going to happen... I'm quite sure, he will win an stage doing as he only knows as to do it... as a maniac :D

That carton is soooo ******* funny!!!!

"Vino will attack at the hotel, the bus, at the buffet..." OMFG this is hilarious!

"Vino is always attacking EVERYONE, even YOU..." someone here in the forum said it... EPIC!
 
May 24, 2010
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Despite what the CN report says the only person Contador was looking for was Vino this afternoon, looking for him to get back on for the sprint and the victory he so deserved today. He has been superb this whole tour so far, playing picnic hamper last Sunday, shielding Berto and the rest of the real climbers in the squad, attacking when he can, awesome. I hope he does get a stage but if not I bet the Bertie Bonus come Paris will not be a pittance.

I can't say he's riding clean but we can't say that for any of them.
 

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