Other forum follies

Bro Deal

Those crazy paceline guys:

" Yes, it seems an attempt to secure French victory; but also to flex their muscles in front of UCI."


" Isn't Trek a sponsor? Should we be sending the emails about this?"


"Interesting thought Char. I want to know what is so much more damaging in having two guys test positive over having to pull the YELLOW JERSEY OUT OF THE TOUR? Are they trying to say that pulling the yellow jersey wearer out of the Tour in the middle of the race did NOT damage the tour? Give me a break. I'll not be watching this year and my husband had talked me into not going back to work until after the Tour so I could enjoy it at home one last time. I am very sad and more than a little mad."


" You know finding this out is bad when your heart races and you feel sick to your stomach

If 2006 was a "funeral" - what is this year ? "


"Discounting the fact I expected this, I let the optimist in me believe the team and riders couldn't possibly excluded without excluding many teams in the Pro Tour. Today I'm devastated. I truly love the TdF and I can't imagine what this July will be like without it...but, I will not watch any tv/internet coverage and will not even read the results of the Tour or any other RCS and ASO events because they will be tainted by a very large *. I will write to all sponsors and ASO to voice my thoughts and feelings. In the meantime, Go TOC, Hurray for the TdG, Long live the TOM and Viva La Vuelta!!!"


"Let the Kazakhstan government suspend all oil, gas and uranium supplies to France until the truth be told as to why the ASO have rejected Astana..............What have they to lose, and what could the French do about it? Alternatively let Astana take the ASO to the European courts, why not they have a clear case. As to Prudhomme saying to Alberto change teams and you can ride, this is another clear indication he wants to break the JB AC connection. Lets hope the French minister for sport steps in and says enough is enough."


" All send in email to ASO asopresse@aso.fr to express your horror and clog up their server - I am from England so have no particular rider concern but I just think this decision beggers belief - where is the exclusion for Rabobank, Cofidis, Team High Road etc. This is purely politics and stinks - ASO need to realise like in Soccer in my country that it is the sponsers, players and the fans, not the organisers, who have the real power and this could seriously back fire."


"And lets hope that the Kazaks Prime Minister says that enough is enough! This is a slap in the face to all Kazaks (sorry for the wrong spelling), if the country invested millions to the best cycling team out there, they must be furious!!! I am for sure!!!
This is insane!!!"


"I've just spent the last 15 minutes reading 5 pages of posts and trying to calm down and not cry all at the same time. Once again I say, the Astana doping scandal of last year was NOT the first in the Tour and won't be the last. What a joke.

I will not be watching the Tour.

Hey, maybe if we reverse the letters in our name and go by Anatsa we'll get an invite. Better yet, how about Bananas because that's how I feel right now. I'm off to write to the ASO.

And I guess I won't be watching my 2nd favorite race either---Paris-Roubaix. What do people with chronic illness who live for the cycling season to now? Should I even go as far as canceling my magazine subscriptions?"


" Folks this is the letter I have sent to the ASO.
Sirs, Your omission of team Astana from the TdF is a total disgrace and completely unjustified considering the fact that they are a totally new organisation and clean as any other team. Why do you not state the truth namely that you cannot tolerate Johan Bruyneel and the success that he has achieved with Lance and Alberto. The whole is far too personal and non objective thus you have lost what little credibility you once had.

I have been a follower of the tour for over fifty years and my son has worn the yellow jersey but now under these circumstances I refuse to partake any longer. It is you the ASO that are destroying the greatest cycle race there is and not forbidden substances. I send a curse in your direction and trust that Prudhomme takes every precaution to protect his health when the 2008 tour reaches the Pyrenees.
R. Rey."


"I've been a member here on the Paceline for a long time, but hardly ever post. I've been looking forward with great anticipation for the start of the 2008 season but as events have unfolded over the past few weeks, I can only express deep disappointment with the ASO.

While I understand the frustration, anger and sentiment of many of the fans here, but I would encourage everyone to only send letters that state their frustation and disappointment. The tone of some of the letters I've read are juvenile and disrespectful. In order to enact change, letters need to be professional. If we want to make a difference, we need to send letters that are respectful, truthful and sincere. Rambling off with anger serves no purpose other than show us to be ignorant and worthy of being ignored.

So I would encourage everyone to write the letters, but express your disappointment in clear and concise terms. "Crock" isn't a clear term and probably doesn't translate in French......"


" I guess it would be nice if I logged on with my regular user name....not sure why I had to sign in all over again.

I hope the teams will organize and show support for Astana. As someone mentioned earlier, Rabobank, C-D, Lotto, T-Mobile, etc should all stand with Astana in this case. A united front will convince the ASO to change their minds. If no one backs Astana, they'll be out for 2008. This is a tragedy."


"I could have used the entire phrase "Crock of S***t or better yet Bulls**t ..Maybe they could translate "pile of steaming cow manure" more easily since they seem to be ethically challenged? I'll be sure to use words they can understand and traslate like "manure" next time...

If it walks like a duck, I call it a duck. If its "manure" I reserve to write to call it that. I am *really* **angry*** and Iwant that to come across. No kid gloves from me for that bunch of hypocrites.

I think they get the point though.... I'm not watching anything to do with the tour and I'm boycotting every one of their sponsors and sending those sponsors an email to inform them why I am boycotting them.

And I have also sent a letter to Versus asking them to now cover the daily Vuelta instead of the daily "Tour de Farce". I say relagate to "Tour de Farce" to a coupe of weekend summaries and televise the Vuelta day by day."


" Mercury,
I absolutely understand and agree with your anger. So please don't think I'm saying that it's displaced. Absolutely not. I was just saying that if we all sent emails calling the French what we "really think", then they would simply dismiss us (more than they already do) as the arrogant Americans.

I personally believe they are so desperate to win that they would do anything to give themselves an advantage. You figure that after being dominated by Lance, then Landis (ok...disputed or not) and now Contador who doesn't look to be going anywhere anytime soon, the French are nervous. They don't have a winner on the horizon and they'll do whatever they have to do in order to gain the competitive advantage.

Yes, pile of steaming cow manure.....very eloquent. LOL "


" And, what if the ASO buys out the Vuelta? More bad news."


"I am not normally a conspiracy theorist. However, I can't help but think this is aimed at America. I mean, what better way to get even with America than to ban America's team, Astana?"


"I think you are right about the conspiracy theory - and that may have something to do with it. But, I would bet my pay that it is more about Johan Bruyneel and, by extension, Lance Armstrong. Both have been outspoken against the ASO. Both have dominated the French race for nearly a decade. Neither have been found of any wrong doing - which makes Clerc crazy.
The UCI giving in to allowing the Tour to not be part of the Tour, and therefor not be part of the UCI rules of team inclusion, gave the ASO a perfect opportunity to get rid of the albatross that is Johan."


"Have any of the present Astana team ever tested positive for anything? This makes no sense except for " I am taking my ball and going home" logic. Only way to beat the best is to not play them!! Gives Cadel something else to whine about, "I won, but...I didn't race the best." Ok, ok he isn't going to win but you get my intent."


"Why can't we just go back to the good old days when France and America were friends and the French were giving us giant statues of women holding torches for us to put in our NYC harbor? I mean really....we were super tight."


"Vinofan...it is nice to stand with our brothers and sisters across the ocean ... that are Kazakh Astana fans and to know they are now embracing dear, sweet Alberto!"


"Well, maybe they won't read our letters or, if they do, even take them seriously. BUT, maybe we can send so many it crashes their system and they lose all records and all memory of not wanting Astana at their races.................I'm just saying (I have to laugh to stop crying) "


"

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates