Proof that Basso worked with LA in the TDF 2004

musette

Basso didn't try very hard to challenge LA because (1) Basso knew LA was better than he was and would win the TdF, including because LA is a much better ITTist, and (2) it is a legitimate strategy, when at that point, somebody had won the TdF five consecutive times and had a dominating team, to aim for a more realistic second or third place.

It is entirely within a cyclist's freedom of action and decision to tell another cyclist, a friend, that you plan to attack or not. That happens all the time. It is entirely appropriate to implicitly or slightly more explicitly collaborate with a team, at a given point in the race, with which you have common interests.

For example, when JU tried to attack, CSC and USPS worked together (mostly CSC, OK) to bring JU back. Both wanted JU controlled, for their own reasons.

Cycling is obviously a sport in which strategy plays a significant part. Teams only collaborate when it is advantageous for them to do so. Look at CSC and DC in this year's Giro. Obviously, on some occasions, they were working together (OK, more CSC working and Savoldelli benefitting from CSC's control of the peloton). On others, they were not.

limerickman

Holdee up there pardner !

I am only reporting what Procycling said about the deal struck between LA and Basso.

It's on film.

So it's not "my interpretation" - alright ?

limerickman

Fantastic stuff and great speculation.

The film shows a deal was done.

The rest is speculation.

I'm only saying that a deal was done - that's all I'm saying.

All the LA fans are rushing out with various theories about this, that and t'other.
That's fine and well.

I only know that we now have proof that a deal was done.
That's all.

musette

Here you go again, trying to assert things that are not true (or at least not necessarily true).

If a cyclist tells a fellow cyclist, "I'm going to attack on Stage X and Y" --> That does not a deal make. Cyclists share information about their hopes, aspirations and plans all the time. They are entitled to talk in the peloton and whilst they are at their hotels. And I am sure they do.

If a cyclist tells another cyclist, "Tell me if you need help" --> That does not a deal make. It could just mean that the cyclists are friends, and are expressing their concern for each other and respect for the other person.

If a cyclist tells a fellow cyclist, "Good deeds will be appreciated, and what goes around comes around." That is also not a problem.

Do you think, it there were a truly illegal deal, that Ris would be stupid enough to be caught on film engaging in such activities? I think not

Also, for the nth time, there is nothing wrong with cooperating with another team if the strategies of the two teams are aligned at any given point in the race. What the CSC movie shows is two teams sharing information about crosswinds (Bruyneel/Ris) and ways to deal with that. Two riders sharing information about where one thinks he is going to attack, and the other's processing that information and thinking he could personally gain from that information. It's all normal and entirely legitimate.

hombredesubaru

This is what procycling reported, the rest is your interpretation, eh?


In one of the film’s most significant scenes, which sheds light on the closeness of the relationship between Basso and Armstrong, parts of a telephone conversation can be heard between the American and the Italian, who has shortly before learned about the seriousness of his mother’s cancer. Only Basso’s responses are heard, but at the end Basso tells Armstrong: “In this Tour – if you need something you just ask for it.”

Later we see Basso talking to manager Bjarne Riis about a conversation he’s had with Armstrong, in which Armstrong has told Basso to if he stays close to him on Friday he’ll end far up on Saturday. “He wants to decide the Tour on the weekend,” Basso tells Riis.

And how deal DONT work:


Earlier in the film, US Postal team manager Johan Bruyneel is heard calling Riis during a stage to establish the need for co-operation in the possible sidewinds affecting the race on stage seven to Saint Brieuc. In this case, their plan doesn’t work out, but it only goes to show that in cycling deals are an integrated part of the show – and this time it’s been documented.

So what's new here?

Dead Star

ah english cycling sites suck. You'd be better off going to velo-club.net, hetnieuwsblad.be or radsportnews.com

MJtje

Most belgian sites are very good......Belgium is probably the only country in the world were cycling is the biggest sport!

But a really good site: sporza.be