Basso to Liquigas

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Just in Basso finds new team. I guess it's a good fit, Liqui needs a new leader after the Di Luca debacle and Basso gets a team who's already proven they can take care of a giro winner. Too bad Basso will trade stylish CSC kit for, well, ugliness.

Where did you pull this from?
EDIT: Ok i just checked CN. Cheers

It's on Cyclingnews for instance and just about every other site by now.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out with regard to the ProTour. This seems to be an acknowledgement by Liquigas that the ProTour will be meaningless next season.

I cannot see the ASO being too happy about inviting Liquigas to next year's TdF. I wonder if they will blacklist the whole team or whether they will insist Basso not be in any ASO races.

It will be hard to not invite Liquigas as they are a pretty good team even without a resurgent Basso. Bennati had two stage wins in last years Tour so the merit it obviously there.

Regarding the Protour, they say a rider can't ride an additional two years (to his ban) so Liquigas must be thinking that the grand tours wont be a part of the PT next season as well.

So what happened to the protour charter of a banned rider not being bale to sign with a protour team for a further 2 years? or is Basso exempt from this rule (ie:Discovery & now with Liquigas).

Also, why is it that some other riders (in the whole puerto debacle) appear to have a major hurdle with the UCI in trying to find new teams to get back to riding? Doesn't seem all that consistant but then that's the UCI I guess.

So what happened to the protour charter of a banned rider not being bale to sign with a protour team for a further 2 years? or is Basso exempt from this rule (ie:Discovery & now with Liquigas).

Also, why is it that some other riders (in the whole puerto debacle) appear to have a major hurdle with the UCI in trying to find new teams to get back to riding? Doesn't seem all that consistant but then that's the UCI I guess.Yep, that's UCI. They just make up rules and waive them as they see fit. Some tour organizers are allowed to ban teams as they see fit, while others don't have that liberty. Some riders are persecuted relentlessly, while others are "absolutely clean". :rolleyes:

Ok, so people will have a problem with inviting Liquigas but not, say Slipstream? Just like David Millar Basso has done his time so, as the rules say, he should be allowed back into the peloton without any further repercussions. If he dopes again, then by all means pin him to the wall and never let him ride a bike again, otherwise he's probably going to be cleaner than half the pro peloton.

Ok, so people will have a problem with inviting Liquigas but not, say Slipstream? Just like David Millar Basso has done his time so, as the rules say, he should be allowed back into the peloton without any further repercussions. If he dopes again, then by all means pin him to the wall and never let him ride a bike again, otherwise he's probably going to be cleaner than half the pro peloton.I agree with you. But I also believe Astana were not invited primarily for reasons other than doping. I wouldn't mind betting that ASO contacted Astana last year after Vino tested positive and there were some "words" exchanged. Or there is some other behind-the-scenes issue or personality clash. That doesn't explain RCS though.

Ok, so people will have a problem with inviting Liquigas but not, say Slipstream? Just like David Millar Basso has done his time so, as the rules say, he should be allowed back into the peloton without any further repercussions. If he dopes again, then by all means pin him to the wall and never let him ride a bike again, otherwise he's probably going to be cleaner than half the pro peloton.
Agreed, I have no problem of a rider return after they've served their penalty, but the protour time is a 2yr ban + 2yrs of non protour team availability.
So therefore Basso has not served his time according to protour ruling.
My complaint is the consistency or lack thereof.

That's why any other rider caught (from when the protour started) rides for continental teams etc. and not protour teams. Riders such as Millar where penalised before the protour started.

I don't understand how Basso's first 2-year ban will be over soon when he rode in the Tour of California in February 2007.

CONI took into account the time he spent suspended by CSC before his contract was "mutually severed".

I would have thought that, given the current Astana DS's previous plaudits, that Astana would have got Basso.

Given the lengths that he went to, to get him to Discovery - Bruyneel failed to persuade Ivan on this occasion.

I would have thought that, given the current Astana DS's previous plaudits, that Astana would have got Basso.

Given the lengths that he went to, to get him to Discovery - Bruyneel failed to persuade Ivan on this occasion.


Jan's charges gone, Basso back. Sounds like some things have changed in the under currents of cycling.
I need to get some inside information. :confused:

I would have thought that, given the current Astana DS's previous plaudits, that Astana would have got Basso.

Given the lengths that he went to, to get him to Discovery - Bruyneel failed to persuade Ivan on this occasion.
The problem might have been that Basso still wants to win Grand Tour(s) and he saw that Astana didn't have a guaranteed place in the Giro or the Tour. And who knows if there will be an Astana next year? How old is Basso by the way?

It might also be that having Contador, Leipheimer and Kloden on the team Bruyneel couldn't persuade the sponsor alliance give him any more money for the riders.

It would be nice to know which teams wanted him. It is said that Basso had four other teams offering him a contract.

The problem might have been that Basso still wants to win Grand Tour(s) and he saw that Astana didn't have a guaranteed place in the Giro or the Tour. And who knows if there will be an Astana next year? How old is Basso by the way?

.

Good points : Astana are being boycotted by the GT organisers - so your guess make sense.

I think Basso is 29.

Good points : Astana are being boycotted by the GT organisers - so your guess make sense.

I think Basso is 29.


31 later this year.

31 later this year.

Thanks.

Predictably, the International Association of Professional Cycling Groups (AIGCP) throw out Liquigas

Cyclingnews had some quotes from other riders.

Funny enough, Simoni basically offered a "no comment" equivalent, not wanting to get into trouble. While DiLuca flat out stated that either the UCI remove the rule about banned riders or Liquigas should not be a Pro Tour team. Sour grapes?