[RRRoubaix]

Nooooo!
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/4...ng-to-Quick-Step-for-the-Vuelta-a-Espana.aspx

Why, boys- why? :cryin:
I mean, I know they have almost nothing to show for the season, but isn't this a very desperate move?
Would they be willing to be seen as the scumbags of the peloton?

(PS- yes, it's not strictly doping related, but I thought it might get that way..)

 

[alexb618]

i am trying to think of a team that doesnt have at least one ex-doper on it and i come up with nothing

 

[saird]

i am trying to think of a team that doesnt have at least one ex-doper on it and i come up with nothing

i am trying to think of a team that isn't entirely full of dopers and i come up with nothing

 

[RRRoubaix]

i am trying to think of a team that doesnt have at least one ex-doper on it and i come up with nothing

Ya, but there's dopers and then there's ... DOPERS.
Like the difference between having say, Basso on your team vs having Vino on your team.
Intrinsically the same, but vastly different, perception-wise.

 

[davidka]

There are dopers and there are dopers. The only difference is what comes out of their mouth when they're caught. Basso and Vino are a pretty bad comparison, "I didn't dope, I just wanted to but I never did, I swear." Can you really believe he said that out loud where people were listening?

 

[55x11]

Ya, but there's dopers and then there's ... DOPERS.
Like the difference between having say, Basso on your team vs having Vino on your team.
Intrinsically the same, but vastly different, perception-wise.

How so? Both are convicted dopers, served time, came back. What are you talking about?

 

[55x11]

Nooooo!
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/4...ng-to-Quick-Step-for-the-Vuelta-a-Espana.aspx

Why, boys- why? :cryin:
I mean, I know they have almost nothing to show for the season, but isn't this a very desperate move?
Would they be willing to be seen as the scumbags of the peloton?

(PS- yes, it's not strictly doping related, but I thought it might get that way..)

What's the problem? He is eligible to join a cycling team, why not Quick Step? Is Ricco any different from anyone else? Should we apply different rules to Ricco as opposed to Virenque, Millar, Basso or Millar? And if so, why?

 

[55x11]

i am trying to think of a team that doesnt have at least one ex-doper on it and i come up with nothing

What do you mean? If you mean only convicted dopers (served time, came back), there's only a few riders who came back and only a few top teams who took them in - Garmin, Astana, Liquigas, etc. Or am I missing something?

 

[RRRoubaix]

Obviously he's eligible to join a cycling team.
I was trying to point out how certain dopers are perceived differently, right or wrong; when Basso came back, everybody was fine with it. With Vino or especially Ricco, lots of fans -and many riders- are pissed off about it.
Cav threatened to practically beat up Ricco if/when he comes back!
Hell- Giro director Zomegnan wouldn't even invite Ricco's team -an Italian rider on an Italian team in an Italian race- because of the animosity against the (self-named) "Cobra".
I don't remember any of this drama when Basso returned...

I just don't get why they would want such a lightning rod for criticism -and liability (as far as invites)-- on their team.

 

[loubnc]

Boonen is gonna freak out...

 

[55x11]

Boonen is gonna freak out...

Yes - It's one thing to have repeated cocaine user welcomed back to the team after serving suspension. But a rider caught for performance enhancing drugs?! In cycling?!

Think of the children!!!

 

[loubnc]

Yes - It's one thing to have repeated cocaine user welcomed back to the team after serving suspension. But a rider caught for performance enhancing drugs?! In cycling?!

Think of the children!!!

Come on now, who really gives a crap about the children?

I remember Boonen being quite outspoken about dopers in past years. While referring to others, pretty much on par with Cavendish's comments about a Ricco beatdown. Wouldn't that be ugly if it actually happened?

Besides, Boonen was never "welcomed back" to the team. He "is" the face/persona of the team, so getting rid of him for an out of competition positive for a non-PED (look it up) would not make good financial or competitive sense for the team. I'm sure they looked at the potential losses of revenue (and races) and thought, "Yeah, he's an idiot, but he's a goldmine." Smack him on the nose with the newspaper in public. Pat him on the back in private while saying "Good thing you didn't get caught during a race. Try not to do it again."

 

[waldo425]

How so? Both are convicted dopers, served time, came back. What are you talking about?

I think that a better example would be Millar and Vino. When Millar was caught he apologized and basically said Oh sh*t, I'm sorry guys: served his time and has attempted to do clean up the sport. Where as Vino has not.

 

[davidka]

I think that a better example would be Millar and Vino. When Millar was caught he apologized and basically said Oh sh*t, I'm sorry guys: served his time and has attempted to do clean up the sport. Where as Vino has not.

Millar ducked, moved, bobbed and weaved until they took him to the police station and seized stuff from his home and threatened to put him in jail on criminal charges. Then he confessed. He apologized his way back to being hireable, Vino didn't need to (he's practically royalty in Kaz), if Millar didn't need to I have no reason to believe he would have. He's as guilty as any of them and we have to accept them all for the sport to go on.

 

[terzo rene]

I'm not sure why the animosity toward RR. He's no bigger a$$hole than LA and I liked Ricco's responses to his being caught. Didn't pay the doctor because he was told he wouldn't be caught yet was caught, said he should have been caught more since he did it the whole race, etc etc. That was pretty refreshing in my book.