Basso to Liquigas

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I understand your argument, but Basso still DENIES doping. He is still sticking to the ridiculous story that he only thought about it!! Does that not seem ludicrous to you? To use RDBiker's analogy, if your coworker was caught red-handed stealing from you or the company but the guy continued to deny it, was fired for two years, then was allowed to return to the company but still stuck to his story, you would be crazy to think he was 'reformed'. You would know at the very least he is a liar and cannot be trusted, and furthermore reformation requires acknowledgement of your crime or wrongdoing.
Yeah, but that analogy implies that all the other workers have never stolen anything....instead of being like Fagin's boys...where they are all pickpockets.

I defended you before against an ad hominem attack... but I probably won't be anymore. 80% of the peloton dope to varying degrees. Why is he going to continue doping? Is Millar still doping? Quite often people who have been punished go the other way... like a reformed smoker. And in any case... there are rules there... it's just going to be interesting to see how it plays out. You're are talking about a person's thing that they do that defines them. Sure he doped. Everyone farking did. Let's just give these cyclists a chance to compete in a newer, hopefully cleaner era.

It's the guys in suits who I want to see get punished. The ones that usually dish out the punishment and criminal judgment... but are themselves immoral corrupt cheats.
Well as you say 80% of the peloton dope so even considering that it's very likely that he will continue doping. I base my assumption in Basso's statements that he is going to race for the Giro09 pink jersey. He has won it once (very likely) doped and if he won it again without dope why would he have doped in the past.
I'll get the proof next summer: if Basso produces the same performances he has in the past then I read that as such that he has and still does dope. On the other hand if his performance is considerably worse than before then I will believe that he isn't on the dope now. Then of course there's still the possibility he never doped if people want to believe that...:)

It would be great if everyone could race in a "new, dope-free era" but I just don't believe the peloton is dope-free this season. The season is young, let's wait until summer and let the positive test results commence... In my opinion everyone farkin doped and still do. I'm with you in that I too think the guys in suits should be punished. That's why I stated that it wasn't very ethical for the Liquigas team to hire a lying rider. Actually I think the team staff are more responsible for cleaning the sport than the riders. If a team manager forces team-wide doping it's pretty hard to ride on the team and not dope.

What's the difference between Basso and Valverde... apart from one of them being from a country that takes the punishment of dopers seriously?Hold on. Basso isn't a doper. He was never going to use those bags.

Hold on. Basso isn't a doper. He was never going to use those bags.
And who would swear on their mother's grave that they didn't dope if they really had :eek:

Yeah, but that analogy implies that all the other workers have never stolen anything....instead of being like Fagin's boys...where they are all pickpockets.No, that analogy has no implications other than what was stated.

Hold on. Basso isn't a doper. He was never going to use those bags.Exactly. I have it from reliable sources that he thought he was donating blood to kids with leukemia.

Liquigas has been disinvited from Rund um den Henninger Turm for not signing an anti-doping declaration.

Liquigas has been disinvited from Rund um den Henninger Turm for not signing an anti-doping declaration.I'm sure this race isn't big on their Italian sponsor's list of important races. Leekygas are gambling on the Pro Tour folding. They are also gambling on ASO inviting them to their races next year. They'll get their Giro invite but the French races are uncertain. I have zero respect for Basso but I guess he deserves to ride again, esp when Valv (piti) never faced a ban.

I have zero respect for Basso but I guess he deserves to ride again, esp when Valv (piti) never faced a ban.

Yeah, I won't be cheering for him, but he's done his time and should be let back in. And tested in the dead of night. And in the morning. Gripper should go apeshit on him.

I totally support those who have served their time being allowed back in the peloton, so long as the vampires have carte blanche to ensure that they're behaving.

It's simply unrealistic to expect anyone to tell the truth - Jacksche and Sinkewitz are proof positive that if you blab, they cut your throat. Basso did what he had to do, and they've welcomed him back to the fold.

Yeah, I won't be cheering for him, but he's done his time and should be let back in. And tested in the dead of night. And in the morning. Gripper should go apeshit on him.

I totally support those who have served their time being allowed back in the peloton, so long as the vampires have carte blanche to ensure that they're behaving.

It's simply unrealistic to expect anyone to tell the truth - Jacksche and Sinkewitz are proof positive that if you blab, they cut your throat. Basso did what he had to do, and they've welcomed him back to the fold.Spot on, the truth doesn't pay in the "new" cycling. I had read that Basso is still being tested by the UCI and agree that they should make a special case of him.

Cyclingfansanonymous' take on the situation really needs to be posted. He is a bit pissed off. :D

Liquigas can kiss my ass. They just had to go and do it, didn't they? Can't last long without a mega-doper as their team leader, it just wouldn't be right! Without Mr. Tranquilo Teflon Killer Di Luca to maintain their all-doper-all-the-time street cred, they had to rush out and hire Mr. I Never Inhaled Basso to set things to rights. Now all is clear. Liquigas just loves the dopers, one and all. Vampire fetish, maybe? And I really can't wait to see Basso riding head to head against fellow dopers Valverde and Di Luca. The twin angel-faced Draculas and the pre-pubescent who drinks gallons of water after every stage because he is so "thirsty." As for Basso, anyone who paid a doping doctor five figures for "preparations" to dope, but no actual doping, has a truly unusual and imaginative ability to lie through his teeth. Anyone who believes that Basso can be trusted while riding for Liquigas, a team more than happy to turn a blind eye to doping, has forgotten the fundamental edict of cycling....trust no one. And don't forget, Basso never tested positive. And don't we all know exactly what that means. Nothing at all. My only shred of hope is that maybe Torri is still pissed at him, and puts Basso under the microscope and tests the hell out of him all the time. Still, if Di Luca got away with it, why wouldn't Basso? Seeing as the bio-passport is stuck in some totally typical idiotic bureaucratic limbo, and is seemingly useless to actually sanction anybody anyway, what are fans to think? Who exactly wants to watch High Road and Slipstream try to ride against a bunch of perfectly-doped Italian playboys, whose own team sponsor has no ethics whatsoever, laughs at the idea of the ProTour ethics code, and actually praises Basso for serving his suspension "with dignity." Dignity?? Since when is it dignified to be a liar and a cheat? Basso may spout all the right rhetoric, but words mean nothing without truth and credibility behind them, and he has NONE. Treating your own (ex) devoted fans like they are a bunch of brainless morons is not dignified, it is revolting. I wish to hell that Basso would go get a job as a plumber or something and leave us the hell alone. No such luck.

I think he is warming up to him, Bro... gradually... :D

Cyclingfansanonymous' take on the situation really needs to be posted. He is a bit pissed off. :D

Liquigas can kiss my ass. They just had to go and do it, didn't they? Can't last long without a mega-doper as their team leader, it just wouldn't be right! Without Mr. Tranquilo Teflon Killer Di Luca to maintain their all-doper-all-the-time street cred, they had to rush out and hire Mr. I Never Inhaled Basso to set things to rights. Now all is clear. Liquigas just loves the dopers, one and all. Vampire fetish, maybe? And I really can't wait to see Basso riding head to head against fellow dopers Valverde and Di Luca. The twin angel-faced Draculas and the pre-pubescent who drinks gallons of water after every stage because he is so "thirsty." As for Basso, anyone who paid a doping doctor five figures for "preparations" to dope, but no actual doping, has a truly unusual and imaginative ability to lie through his teeth. Anyone who believes that Basso can be trusted while riding for Liquigas, a team more than happy to turn a blind eye to doping, has forgotten the fundamental edict of cycling....trust no one. And don't forget, Basso never tested positive. And don't we all know exactly what that means. Nothing at all. My only shred of hope is that maybe Torri is still pissed at him, and puts Basso under the microscope and tests the hell out of him all the time. Still, if Di Luca got away with it, why wouldn't Basso? Seeing as the bio-passport is stuck in some totally typical idiotic bureaucratic limbo, and is seemingly useless to actually sanction anybody anyway, what are fans to think? Who exactly wants to watch High Road and Slipstream try to ride against a bunch of perfectly-doped Italian playboys, whose own team sponsor has no ethics whatsoever, laughs at the idea of the ProTour ethics code, and actually praises Basso for serving his suspension "with dignity." Dignity?? Since when is it dignified to be a liar and a cheat? Basso may spout all the right rhetoric, but words mean nothing without truth and credibility behind them, and he has NONE. Treating your own (ex) devoted fans like they are a bunch of brainless morons is not dignified, it is revolting. I wish to hell that Basso would go get a job as a plumber or something and leave us the hell alone. No such luck.Well said that man (or woman).