Whose performance will plunge?

[ludwig]

IMHO: The Passport thingy is not about fighting the war against doping. It is about taking the chaos out of the "anti-doping" system. Remember the bad old days, not knowing IF anyone would be caught, or WHEN, or WHO? Unpredictible, chaotic system and not good for Image, PR, or anything related to business. Enter "The Passport"!

Now they can study everyone (remember they are all guilty of something) decide WHO to bust and WHEN to bust them. Its managable, sustainable.

Lets see.... if we bust a Big Name Italian, we really need an Spaniard, and I think a Slovack would round things out. What about "rider X"? Too big, would hurt business. And "rider Y"?, too small, no press value, but next year? Under the bus!.

If you allow some French Anti- Doping Guys to do their own thing, stability is gone, chaos returns, and business does not thrive.

This theory seems highly plausible. It's certainly consistent with how the UCI thinks and how they have approached the doping problem in the past.

 

[Wattie]

bad values

Well for none sporting reasons I'm rather glad it is Pellizotti: if, as I read somewhere, it is true that he refused to kiss the black girl in the tour king of the mountains presentations. Suggests that most of his values (not just those of his blood) are dubious.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

How is he protected?

He "donates" money.

"Towards the end of his career, Armstrong made a donation to the UCI coffers, believed to be in the region of dollars500,000, claiming that it was to "combat doping". But former UCI committee member Sylvia Schenk said that it was "not clear what it was used for. It seemed to be a secret". A UCI spokesperson was yesterday unavailable for comment."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20081012/ai_n30900387/

 

[eljimberino]

OK. but 500, 000 isnt much. Perhaps the gift was to say dont go digging around?

 

[Oldman]

IMHO: The Passport thingy is not about fighting the war against doping. It is about taking the chaos out of the "anti-doping" system. Remember the bad old days, not knowing IF anyone would be caught, or WHEN, or WHO? Unpredictible, chaotic system and not good for Image, PR, or anything related to business. Enter "The Passport"!

Now they can study everyone (remember they are all guilty of something) decide WHO to bust and WHEN to bust them. Its managable, sustainable.

Lets see.... if we bust a Big Name Italian, we really need an Spaniard, and I think a Slovack would round things out. What about "rider X"? Too big, would hurt business. And "rider Y"?, too small, no press value, but next year? Under the bus!.

If you allow some French Anti- Doping Guys to do their own thing, stability is gone, chaos returns, and business does not thrive.

Yes and why it is difficult to answer the question of whose performance will drop? It's not clear what teams are confident they will recieve less scrutiny. Ag2R are probably in the clear, for now since they gave a human sacrifice. Lampre and Liquigas seem vulnerable based on recent success or associates that have been suspicious/busted. Any theories on who is protected for the Giro?

 

[Colm.Murphy]

Well for none sporting reasons I'm rather glad it is Pellizotti: if, as I read somewhere, it is true that he refused to kiss the black girl in the tour king of the mountains presentations. Suggests that most of his values (not just those of his blood) are dubious.

At first read, one might pass this off as just piling on. But the more I considered this, if true, the more sobering the moment became.

While the bulk of you in our midst are the zealot-ish, off-with-their-heads types, and while the discussions here range from the inane, to comical, to deeply philosophical, I feel very strongly about the issues of bigotry, racism and xenophobia. Very strongly.

If Pellizotti IS the kind of Italian who disdains Africans, then that behavior and mindset is far more disgusting than any sports doping could ever be. Seeing first-hand the devastation that ethnic violence, racism and hate can deliver, the world is a better place with Pelizotti out of the public eye as a "sports hero" if he carries with him such a brand of moral shallowness.

 

[flicker]

He "donates" money.

"Towards the end of his career, Armstrong made a donation to the UCI coffers, believed to be in the region of dollars500,000, claiming that it was to "combat doping". But former UCI committee member Sylvia Schenk said that it was "not clear what it was used for. It seemed to be a secret". A UCI spokesperson was yesterday unavailable for comment."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20081012/ai_n30900387/

If what you wallet insinuate is true, the "Yellow Peril" Li the RS man the rep. from the peoples' republic would have never been popped at fleche or amstel whatever.

RS wants a clean image and cycling wants to grow in Asia. If you say the white satan Armstrong paid UCI to look the other way the protection would blanket across every team member of yellow bracelet man.

That Li bust was a tough unwanted blow to shack and armband.

I disagree with the payoff theory for that reason. No China rider in tour= bad.

 

[blackcat]

sounds apocryphal.

 

[blackcat]

At first read, one might pass this off as just piling on. But the more I considered this, if true, the more sobering the moment became.

While the bulk of you in our midst are the zealot-ish, off-with-their-heads types, and while the discussions here range from the inane, to comical, to deeply philosophical, I feel very strongly about the issues of bigotry, racism and xenophobia. Very strongly.

If Pellizotti IS the kind of Italian who disdains Africans, then that behavior and mindset is far more disgusting than any sports doping could ever be. Seeing first-hand the devastation that ethnic violence, racism and hate can deliver, the world is a better place with Pelizotti out of the public eye as a "sports hero" if he carries with him such a brand of moral shallowness.

sounds apocryphal

 

[goggalor]

Myth busted?

 

[Barrus]

Myth busted?

I always thought of Pellizotti of kissing every reasonable attractive woman under the sun, so I was a bit flabbergasted by the rumour

 

[Escarabajo]

Interesting also to see who's performance remains at their consistent level... Evans and Vande Velde are often portrayed as the yardstick of clean performance (yes i know some people disagree with this, don't shoot the messenger please) and if this is true then a slump by the scared dopers should equate with an improvement in results for those guys.

Maybe then it could be proven that a clean rider CAN win a grand tour...

That's a little bias, don't you think?

What about Moncoutie or Casar.

 

[Escarabajo]

...
Now they can study everyone (remember they are all guilty of something) decide WHO to bust and WHEN to bust them. Its managable, sustainable.

Lets see.... if we bust a Big Name Italian, we really need an Spaniard, and I think a Slovack would round things out. What about "rider X"? Too big, would hurt business. And "rider Y"?, too small, no press value, but next year? Under the bus!.

....

+1.

This is what I said in the other thread about the BP bust. I think with three years data base they have enough ammunition to go after anybody if they are dirty (Which most of them are).

You see how Liquigas is fighting that the profile is not abnormal or at least natural. Now the UCI can pull out his three years data base on him and would be rather easy to prove his guilt.

 

[Escarabajo]

...

That Li bust was a tough unwanted blow to shack and armband.
I disagree with the payoff theory for that reason. No China rider in tour= bad.

No it wasn't. That's nonsense. Who cares about a low profile rider. Bearly made the news.

 

[Escarabajo]

I forgot to say whose performance will plunge.

NIBALI.

 

[BroDeal]

He "donates" money.

"Towards the end of his career, Armstrong made a donation to the UCI coffers, believed to be in the region of dollars500,000, claiming that it was to "combat doping". But former UCI committee member Sylvia Schenk said that it was "not clear what it was used for. It seemed to be a secret". A UCI spokesperson was yesterday unavailable for comment."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20081012/ai_n30900387/

The $500K was for the backdated TUE in 1999. The donation was revealed at the end of Armstrong's career when Sylvia Shenk ran for the presidency of the UCI. Armstrong's PR people then crafted a statement to make it appear like the suspicious under the table donation was recent and was used to combat doping. In a deposition for SCA arbitration Armstrong claimed to not remember how much he had given to the UCI nor how many times he had given money to the UCI.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

I don't think we're going to see any real plunges in performance.

If a rider get scared off their program, their passport number, I pressume, would or should become questionable. No?

 

[BroDeal]

I don't think we're going to see any real plunges in performance.

If a rider get scared off their program, their passport number, I pressume, would or should become questionable. No?

Maybe there are riders who are podium material in a GT if they use three or four units of blood but struggle to stay in the top ten with 100 ml transfusions every three days.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The Tour offers by far the greatest reward, so riders will have the greatest incentive to push up their numbers.
Doesn't matter, the UCI will pick on a couple and use them as a smokescreen for the rest.
No one who's first language is English need be concerned.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

Maybe there are riders who are podium material in a GT if they use three or four units of blood but struggle to stay in the top ten with 100 ml transfusions every three days.

Maybe so, but would that kind of transition return questionable numbers on a bio-passport?

 

[Willy_Voet]

After the announcement, I think the remaining Slovenian riders will improve dramatically. A few Russians will drop off, though.

 

[BroDeal]

Maybe so, but would that kind of transition return questionable numbers on a bio-passport?

I think that passport results would be exactly what the UCI wants. They know that just a few years ago every top cyclist was doping. They do not want to bust everyone. If they can make a case against a few and have others scared straight then they accomplish their goal of getting doping under control without further damaging the sport.

 

[Eyjafjallajokull]

Wiggins and Evans could be the big winners here. Only time will tell.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

I think that passport results would be exactly what the UCI wants. They know that just a few years ago every top cyclist was doping. They do not want to bust everyone. If they can make a case against a few and have others scared straight then they accomplish their goal of getting doping under control without further damaging the sport.

Just to clarify. Are you saying you think they're looking for the passport numbers to drop as an indication the message of "These are the parametres - play within them" being received?

 

[Oldman]

I think that passport results would be exactly what the UCI wants. They know that just a few years ago every top cyclist was doping. They do not want to bust everyone. If they can make a case against a few and have others scared straight then they accomplish their goal of getting doping under control without further damaging the sport.

You have to wonder if the new AFLD bust and appeal to WADA might stir things up. Certainly the UCI and Tour want to control the image for commercial purposes. Have Euro TV ratings suffered as a result of the last several years of disclosures? I don't think it's impacted the neglible US viewer ship at all.