Rihs blames Landis for breakup of team and that he is a "bad person" for using drugs.

"I am deeply disappointed because what Floyd did was what led to this decision," he added. "On the other hand you know the guys and I would never say this is a bad person because he played bad.

These guys are priceless! I guess the other 10 violations, that I'm sure he was shocked by , had nothing to do with it!

Phonak was dogged by doping scandals for the past three years. Sorry, but AR is a hypocrite. He presided over a tainted team so to scapegoat any one rider is pathetic.

EXACTLY! I have never seen so much fake shock anywhere else but the world of cycling! Perhaps politics.

He also stated that the doping scandals didn't adversely affect the "brand awareness" of the Phonak brand so they were a net positive. This before the Floyd affair but still, its a view to how AR thinks.

If Doping = more publicity = more Phonak brand awareness = more hearing aid sales, then AR is apparently OK with the process.

EuroSport reported that Phonak had a rise of 57% in publicity and aftersales from doping scandals....

The victims are the good Swiss cyclist trying to make a go at a cycling career.
This will be hard blow to Swiss cycling for years to come.

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Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

Hmmm... Three years, multiple riders, multiple DS's, one owner, multiple doping violations across all three years.

What's the constant in that equation?

Thought I'd help out the troll who started this thread...

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"No nation is drunken where wine is cheap..." -- Thomas Jefferson

relevant

I'm affraid your right, it's especially hard for the Swiss riders of Phonak since some of them joined an anti-doping test programm with regular blood monitoring, extra training controls and other extra anti-doping programms. The programm was even harder as the French cycling federation anti-doping programm and now some of them could be unemployed soon.... I will try to find the name of the programm (can't remember at the moment) and the Phonak riders who took part (i remember they were all Swiss riders).

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Cycling pictures


www.cyclingheroes-pictures.com

Going out with a bang? Theatrics? Hey look at me? We failed so let's blame it on someone?



Why not just quietly follow this year's business plan. Phonak were out of the cycling team business at years end regardless.



(****! I participate on the thread...... Dooooh dam it!)

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I found the programm it's at: http://www.dopinginfo.ch/de/content/view/129/175/1/1/

There was only one Swiss Phonak rider involved: Martin Elmiger, the other rider was Michael Albasini (Liquigas). Several other sports were involved as well.

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- Phonak may be cutting their links with the sport, but it seems that the old saw “all publicity is good publicity” can certainly be applied to the Swiss hearing aids manufacturer. Despite the doping scandal involving Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and other negative publicity in recent months, Phonak’s sales have hit record levels. “The image that is sent out after a positive test is not good, but it helps the brand to become known. Phonak is beating sales’ records,” confirmed team directeur Juan Fernandez.

Jepp, will be interesting to see when trends.google.com catches up how big of a fuss this incident made.