Wasn't it CSC that was involved in the giant doping cover-up last year?
Edit: The one that involved Spanish, German and Italian riders?
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Tour de France 2007
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Wasn't it CSC that was involved in the giant doping cover-up last year?
Edit: The one that involved Spanish, German and Italian riders?
Yes, Basso was one of the highest profile figures in Operación Puerto. But to CSC's credit, they have stepped up and are now one of the leading teams in terms of fighting doping. They have to be, given their past and the fact that Riis is the manager.
Yeah that's what I was getting at, that once you hit a low you have to change your image dramatically otherwise you'll lose sponsorship.
But just because they post their findings on the web, doesn't mean those findings aren't manipulated.
I used to wonder if riders from the 80's were riding today, if they would get their a"·$% kicked or if they would kick a"·$. Now, I just wonder if they were doping just as much but no one cared about it back then unless someone overdosed.
Rasmussen's out! Kicked out by his own team.
Linky
And, not entirely unexpectedly, the rest of the Cofidis team follows Moreni out the door.
Brave step if it's true,TheAge seems the only one reporting it so far.
It is true BBC are reporting it as well.
Sorry you posted as I edited.I think it's a good move,judging by Rasmussens shifty looks the last couple of days he knew it was coming.
I think your answer was above your post.
The robot comes off as a cycling fan, so I don't get your beef with him. And yes, American sports have pretty high doping levels - that doesn't make cycling good, just everybody bad.
I think the problem for cycling with all of this is that beyond soccer, attention from the American media is almost essential to getting fat paydays. The TDF could break out and get those big money sponsorships (and the purse that would come with it), but the image that filters back to the US is one of a sport that will work to antagonize a guy who has come up clean for years while what appears to be half the field is getting tossed for doping. American sports are plagued with doping, but those that are caught (or even suspected) are ridiculed by the media and public, even if sanctions and testing aren't going far enough. Just ask big Barry...
Personally I think Millar would be better with his head down and keep his new found anti-doping rhetoric to himself.
This cycling farce looks more like a bad episode of Eastenders than anything related to sport.
I have enjoyed a day off today, relaxing and watching the (what should have been) best stage of this year's tour.
As I am Dutch, I like to cheer on the Rabobank squad, and I would like to see Rasmussen keep the yellow jersey in Paris.
I hate the usual doping-*****, and this year seemed to be so different.
But, we all know what has happened (Vino et al), and today was the climax: The Rabobank squad kicks Rasmussen (yep, the yellow jersey) out of their squad.
Come one.
WTF is happening?
Who in their right mind is going to believe anyone is clean is this cheap cyclo-*****??
Is the current nr. 2 suddenly yellow jersey-worthy? Wasn't he banned from last year's Tour like Ullrich and Basso? Yes, he was!
Whatever.
What a farce.
What a cheap bit of thrill the TdF has become.
Yuck!
I have enjoyed a day off today, relaxing and watching the (what should have been) best stage of this year's tour.
As I am Dutch, I like to cheer on the Rabobank squad, and I would like to see Rasmussen keep the yellow jersey in Paris.
I hate the usual doping-*****, and this year seemed to be so different.
But, we all know what has happened (Vino et al), and today was the climax: The Rabobank squad kicks Rasmussen (yep, the yellow jersey) out of their squad.
Come one.
WTF is happening?
Who in their right mind is going to believe anyone is clean is this cheap cyclo-*****??
Is the current nr. 2 suddenly yellow jersey-worthy? Wasn't he banned from last year's Tour like Ullrich and Basso? Yes, he was!
Whatever.
What a farce.
What a cheap bit of thrill the TdF has become.
Yuck!
And you're just resorting to an attack on his nationality because he makes a good point.
The Tour de France is laughable, at best.
Sure, Rasmussen should be out. But, come on, what kind of sport is it where people and whole teams leave the competition (or are forced to) because of doping (accusations or actual incidences)? Also, Rasmussen is out because he was being shifty - people didn't know where he was training, and he wasn't passing on the appropriate information on where he was. (Trying to get out of taking the tests, are we Mr. Rasmussen?
)
Here's a quote which is interesting because I believe it's used in most sport and as far as I'm aware is undetectable:Moser made use of autotransfusion. So he was playing with his own blood. He did no more no less that the Finnish athletes, Lasse Viren and the others. It suffices to take some of ones own blood during the spring when it is rich, hyperoxygenated, and to reinject it when one is fatigued. Is that really doping? Maybe not, except if the blood is placed into a machine to reoxygenate it to the maximum.
Which makes Vino's action all the more stupid.
Incidentally I'm sure that a lot of people are aware of the process used by some female athletes which involves becoming pregnant some months before a big meet then having a abortion shortly before thereby enjoying the advantage of a huge hormonal boost.
Which makes Vino's action all the more stupid.
Incidentally I'm sure that a lot of people are aware of the process used by some female athletes which involves becoming pregnant some months before a big meet then having a abortion shortly before thereby enjoying the advantage of a huge hormonal boost.
I'm not sure he "had it coming". If he only "forgot" to mention where he was in the months prior to this event, and subsequently punished by the UCI, then I could live with that, and then he "didn't have it coming". Even if he didn't ride for Rabo.
But now we know he actually lied, then yeah, he deserves to be thrown out. Mind you, he wasn't thrown out by the Tour management, but by his own team. Ofcourse, the Rabo-mangement was under pressure, but still...
But it does make matters more complicated. So many questions...
Why did Rasmussen lie? Was it because he was in need of "stimulating medicine" during his training, or not?
Why didn't anyone at the time mention the fact that Rasmussen was in Italy?
Why wasn't Rasmussen caught using dope during this Tour?
The trouble is that it seems that everyone in the past used some form of dope, and that this year's Tour should be the first real clean one.
But, after these 3 incidents I wonder if anyone really believes if it is remotely possible to make cycling dope-free. It's all about covering it up.
No matter how tough the penalties are, it seems the reasons for using drugs will always outweigh the fear of being caught.
It's a matter of balance: use just enough stuff to make you perform better, but not too much so you get caught... or use some new stuff which can't be traced yet...
Whatever....
I feel for the other riders of the Rabo squad. Dekker, Menchov and especially Boogerd. It is his last Tour, and was performing superbly. Now it seems it all was for nothing, and maybe he won't even arrive in Paris.
Again: Yuck.
I feel for the other riders of the Rabo squad. Dekker, Menchov and especially Boogerd. It is his last Tour, and was performing superbly. Now it seems it all was for nothing, and maybe he won't even arrive in Paris.
Again: Yuck.
I agree. It's awful for the rest of the team when one person goes and f's up. Rasmussen should be ashamed, not just because of what he may have done - leading to his ousting - but because what he does affects others.
This is incidentally what some insiders think happened with Landis last year - he had his usual dose of Testosterone although only enough to keep him inside the legal 4:1 ratio and a soigneur injected it into his transfusion bag for that evening, not realising that he'd already had his dose - thus giving him the 11:1 ratio that he was picked up on. I'm still amazed that Vino transfused with heterologous blood. He must have known that the team would be invited to leave. The B-test will come back positive as the test is simple microscopy with very high accuracy. If he is found guilty, his actions are selfish in the extreme.
I'm not sure we should be surprised by this though. These guys are competitors to the extreme. The abuse they give their body through training and racing is immense and the rewards from doping are significant. If I was a pro cyclist and I believed the rest of the field were doping (as this years events would somewhat support) and I was suffering through the 2nd HC climb on a 200km ride, I would be extremely tempted to dope. But it does degrade the sport - making it into a pharmaceutical spectacle rather than a race.
I have no idea what the answer is - I think the sport has progressed a long way since 1998. Banning teams puts pier pressure on riders not to shaft their team mates and also recognises that a doped domestique can influence the outcome of a race. However I think most elite sports people are essentially selfish people in some regard, for whom personal attainment is more important than the team. Vino's and Moreni's actions seem to support this. Another interesting thought - if you were in Yellow and saw a team mate injecting what would you do? Win the Tour or get chucked off because some **** was doping? I think the sport is going through a rough time, but ultimately in the right direction. In ten years' time, if everyone is clean and tested daily, I still expect someone to try. I believe it's in the psyche of an elite athlete, particularly in something as ludicrously difficult as the Tour.
Montserrat,essentially I agree with all you've said.The Tours are getting better and those that are blatantly cheating are getting caught, I don't think the more subtle aids will go away or even that they should. I think it was Hinault who said "what you think we do this just on mineral water?". Which ever way you cut it it's still the most exciting sport around.
Well it's all over. The time trial yesterday was absolutely thrilling...amazing efforts from all of the top guys.
Closest podium finish in the history of the Tour...thought Cadel was going to try something, but he either decided ahead of time not to or just saw that the opportunity wasn't there as things developed.
A lot of young riders did really well this year. Provided they're clean, they can do a lot to help the sport move on to a new era.
Closest podium finish in the history of the Tour...thought Cadel was going to try something, but he either decided ahead of time not to or just saw that the opportunity wasn't there as things developed.
A lot of young riders did really well this year. Provided they're clean, they can do a lot to help the sport move on to a new era.
If you look at who's been busted for doping over the past few years, it has generally been older riders. Hopefully this is a sign that a new "clean" era will be emerging.
anyway, pretty good tour overall. I was hoping that Leipheimer would break Lemond's time-trial record yesterday.
Can't wait for next years race / thread.
anyway, pretty good tour overall. I was hoping that Leipheimer would break Lemond's time-trial record yesterday.
Can't wait for next years race / thread.
i don't know. calderon has been heavily implicated in the Operacion Puerto, much more than Basso and Ulrich, and he's pretty young. He got a free pass (so far) because he is spanish, but I think it will eventually come out.
Until they institute a regular testing program for all riders (twice a month, 12 months a year throughout their career, plus the top 20 at every race/stage, plus random checks) paid for by the teams, there is no real credibility.
IMO, they should have cancelled the last stage and not assign the win this year.