In the News: Basso to sign for Discovery Channel

[Jason Spaceman]

Don't trade in your Trek Madones just yet -->
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/08/sports/EU_SPT_CYC_Discovery_Basso.php

From the article:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ROME: Two weeks after being cleared of doping allegations, Giro
d'Italia champion Ivan Basso looks set to join the Discovery Channel
cycling team.

"It's done," seven-time Tour de France champion and former Discovery
leader Lance Armstrong was quoted as saying in Wednesday's Gazzetta
Dello Sport. "We've reached an agreement."

The 28-year-old Basso signed a three-year deal worth about US$6
million (€4.69 million), according to the report. The deal will be
formally announced later Wednesday in Austin, Texas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------










J. Spaceman

 

[cycledogg]

Jason Spaceman wrote:
> Don't trade in your Trek Madones just yet -->
> http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/08/sports/EU_SPT_CYC_Discovery_Basso.php
>
> From the article:
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ROME: Two weeks after being cleared of doping allegations, Giro
> d'Italia champion Ivan Basso looks set to join the Discovery Channel
> cycling team.
>
> "It's done," seven-time Tour de France champion and former Discovery
> leader Lance Armstrong was quoted as saying in Wednesday's Gazzetta
> Dello Sport. "We've reached an agreement."
>
> The 28-year-old Basso signed a three-year deal worth about US$6
> million (€4.69 million), according to the report. The deal will be
> formally announced later Wednesday in Austin, Texas.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> J. Spaceman

Now we know why Basso's case was cleared so fast compared to Ullrich.
LA and company!
Rick in Tennessee

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Jason Spaceman
('[email protected]') wrote:

> Don't trade in your Trek Madones just yet -->
>
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/08/sports/EU_SPT_CYC_Discovery_Basso.php
>
> From the article:
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ROME: Two weeks after being cleared of doping allegations, Giro
> d'Italia champion Ivan Basso looks set to join the Discovery Channel
> cycling team.

Oh ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.

I /cannot/ support Disco. I just /can't/. ****!

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
"This young man has not the faintest idea how socialists think and does
not begin to understand the mentality of the party he has been elected
to lead. He is quite simply a liberal"
-- Ken Coates MEP (Lab) of Tony Blair

 

[bob sullivan]

Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <[email protected]>, Jason Spaceman
> ('[email protected]') wrote:
>
>> Don't trade in your Trek Madones just yet -->
>>
> http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/08/sports/EU_SPT_CYC_Discovery_Basso.php
>> From the article:
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ROME: Two weeks after being cleared of doping allegations, Giro
>> d'Italia champion Ivan Basso looks set to join the Discovery Channel
>> cycling team.
>
> Oh ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.
>
> I /cannot/ support Disco. I just /can't/. ****!

Quite a quandary. How to be a Basso fan without rooting for Disco.

Man, I bet Levi's ******.

~bob

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>> Oh ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.
>>
>> I /cannot/ support Disco. I just /can't/. ****!
>
> Quite a quandary. How to be a Basso fan without rooting for Disco.
>
> Man, I bet Levi's ******.

Why? It's not as if Levi was likely to win one of the Grand Tours, and this
cleans up the issue of leadership elsewhere. Basso will be the Big Gun for
the GTs, leaving just about everything else (if he wants) to Levi. This
year, anyway. Obviously, there's some great talent coming down the road in a
couple years. But seriously, Levi allows Johan to take the pressure off the
other guys, give them a chance to mature & learn, knowing full well that
Levi isn't going to be around forever (he's how old, after all?).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"bob sullivan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Simon Brooke wrote:
>> in message <[email protected]>, Jason Spaceman
>> ('[email protected]') wrote:
>>
>>> Don't trade in your Trek Madones just yet -->
>>>
>> http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/08/sports/EU_SPT_CYC_Discovery_Basso.php
>>> From the article:
>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ROME: Two weeks after being cleared of doping allegations, Giro
>>> d'Italia champion Ivan Basso looks set to join the Discovery Channel
>>> cycling team.
>>
>> Oh ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.
>>
>> I /cannot/ support Disco. I just /can't/. ****!
>
> Quite a quandary. How to be a Basso fan without rooting for Disco.
>
> Man, I bet Levi's ******.
>
> ~bob

 

[bob sullivan]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>>> Oh ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.
>>>
>>> I /cannot/ support Disco. I just /can't/. ****!
>> Quite a quandary. How to be a Basso fan without rooting for Disco.
>>
>> Man, I bet Levi's ******.
>
> Why? It's not as if Levi was likely to win one of the Grand Tours, and this
> cleans up the issue of leadership elsewhere. Basso will be the Big Gun for
> the GTs, leaving just about everything else (if he wants) to Levi. This
> year, anyway. Obviously, there's some great talent coming down the road in a
> couple years. But seriously, Levi allows Johan to take the pressure off the
> other guys, give them a chance to mature & learn, knowing full well that
> Levi isn't going to be around forever (he's how old, after all?).

You don't think Levi thought when he signed with Disco a couple of
months ago that he assumed he was going to be their GC guy for the
Tour next year?

~bob

 

[[email protected]]

bob sullivan wrote:

> Man, I bet Levi's ******.

Levi may not be, but I'll bet Warren is. ;-)

Andy Coggan

 

[[email protected]]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> It's not as if Levi was likely to win one of the Grand Tours, and this
> cleans up the issue of leadership elsewhere. Basso will be the Big Gun for
> the GTs, leaving just about everything else (if he wants) to Levi.

I think a more plausible scenario would be for Basso to be the team
leader for the Tour (TIOOYK) and Leipheimer to be the team leader for
the Vuelta. It's unlikely that Basso would attempt all three GTs
(especially riding for Discovery), and even if he does decide to
double-up again, the Giro/Tour makes a lot more sense for him than the
Tour/Vuelta. At the same time, the Vuelta, with its steeper climbs and
shorter TTs, is the one GT in which Leipheimer might have a good chance
of making the podium.

Andy Coggan

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> You don't think Levi thought when he signed with Disco a couple of
> months ago that he assumed he was going to be their GC guy for the
> Tour next year?

I give Levi far more credit than that. With things up in the air regarding
both Landis and Basso, and knowing just how much Discovery wants to build a
team to win, not place, how could an intelligent person (which Levi is)
think that he'd be the 1st choice to lead the team to a win at the TdF?

I agree with Andy- Levi's likely to be the man for their Vuelta team. Which
creates a bit of conflict, since it might be difficult to provide 100%
support for Basso in the TdF and then go on to win the Vuelta. Hmm.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"bob sullivan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>>>> Oh ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.
>>>>
>>>> I /cannot/ support Disco. I just /can't/. ****!
>>> Quite a quandary. How to be a Basso fan without rooting for Disco.
>>>
>>> Man, I bet Levi's ******.
>>
>> Why? It's not as if Levi was likely to win one of the Grand Tours, and
>> this cleans up the issue of leadership elsewhere. Basso will be the Big
>> Gun for the GTs, leaving just about everything else (if he wants) to
>> Levi. This year, anyway. Obviously, there's some great talent coming down
>> the road in a couple years. But seriously, Levi allows Johan to take the
>> pressure off the other guys, give them a chance to mature & learn,
>> knowing full well that Levi isn't going to be around forever (he's how
>> old, after all?).
>
> You don't think Levi thought when he signed with Disco a couple of
> months ago that he assumed he was going to be their GC guy for the
> Tour next year?
>
> ~bob

 

[RicodJour]

I think this whole discussion is missing the most salient point.
Namely the WAGS. We're now in the enviable position of having the
hotties coming out of the woodwork. Levi's wife, Basso's sister,
George's wife. You people seem to forget that the first term in this
newsgroup is rec for recreation. Which is like procreation only more
fun. Please stay focused in future. It's not about the bike.

R

 

[bob sullivan]

RicodJour wrote:
> I think this whole discussion is missing the most salient point.
> Namely the WAGS. We're now in the enviable position of having the
> hotties coming out of the woodwork. Levi's wife, Basso's sister,
> George's wife. You people seem to forget that the first term in this
> newsgroup is rec for recreation. Which is like procreation only more
> fun. Please stay focused in future. It's not about the bike.
>
> R

To get the full complement of hotties, they'd have to lure Zabriskie
(and his hot wife) back from CSC.

Eyes on the prize, you know.

~bob

 

[bob sullivan]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>> You don't think Levi thought when he signed with Disco a couple of
>> months ago that he assumed he was going to be their GC guy for the
>> Tour next year?
>
> I give Levi far more credit than that. With things up in the air regarding
> both Landis and Basso, and knowing just how much Discovery wants to build a
> team to win, not place, how could an intelligent person (which Levi is)
> think that he'd be the 1st choice to lead the team to a win at the TdF?
>
> I agree with Andy- Levi's likely to be the man for their Vuelta team. Which
> creates a bit of conflict, since it might be difficult to provide 100%
> support for Basso in the TdF and then go on to win the Vuelta. Hmm.

If I were Levi, I'd still be ******. Because in effect, Basso's signing
means there's not even a little hope of Levi ever winning the Tour.
Giving up on a huge dream like that has to be disappointing.

~bob

 

[RicodJour]

bob sullivan wrote:
>
> If I were Levi, I'd still be ******. Because in effect, Basso's signing
> means there's not even a little hope of Levi ever winning the Tour.
> Giving up on a huge dream like that has to be disappointing.

Any more disappointing than giving up on the dream of staying forever
young? I think they kind of come hand in hand.

R

 

[Chris M]

I love it. I don't dislike Riis, but I did not appreciate his team's
response to the whole Spanish "Door Dilemma". What a load of ****,
stopping guys from racing when at a minimum, we KNOW that the timing of
the leak was intended to disrupt the Tour. F all of these people that
are exploiting the paranoia the public now has WRT doping.

 

[[email protected]]

To all those who won't support a Basso-laiden Discovery Channel team:

Why not?! You think he's the only pro who dopes? Am I crazy, or is it
not common knowledge that everyone at the top is on drugs?

Personally I feel that if everyone is doping, it makes a level playing
field. This is not to say that I'm advocating for cheating in sports
(because, let's be honest, that's what it is), just that it's clearly
not going to change, so get over it. I would rather have watched Ivan
and Jan riding in the tour than see it won by someone else who also
cheated and probably wouldn't have been able to beat either of them
anyway.

Ivan--welcome to this side of the Atlantic.

 

[Nobody]

RicodJour wrote:
> I think this whole discussion is missing the most salient point.
> Namely the WAGS. We're now in the enviable position of having the
> hotties coming out of the woodwork. Levi's wife, Basso's sister,
> George's wife. You people seem to forget that the first term in this
> newsgroup is rec for recreation. Which is like procreation only more
> fun. Please stay focused in future. It's not about the bike.
>
> R
>

Think of how Odessa must feel now that Basso's sister is on
the scene.

Dave

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> If I were Levi, I'd still be ******. Because in effect, Basso's signing
> means there's not even a little hope of Levi ever winning the Tour.
> Giving up on a huge dream like that has to be disappointing.

I know it sounds harsh saying this, but at this point, Levi thinking he can
win the TdF isn't just a dream, it's a distraction. Levi's a great rider,
but I don't think you can make a case for him being one of the very few
capable of winning the TdF. Vino, Basso, Valverde. Just for starters, that's
three people who stand in the way of Levi winning the TdF, and that's just
raw talent. Each of those three could do it almost without a team.

Again, Levi's a great guy. Nice guy. Local guy to us (lives maybe 75 miles
north). Loaded with talent. Definitely a top-10 contender. Definitely a
potential stage winner. But I also have to believe he's smart enough to know
his limitations, and, based upon past performance at the Vuelta, perhaps
wanting to make a major go at that again. And quite possibly with the
support of a really strong team behind him too. That has to count for
something. Not a bad dream to have either. No shame in going for, and
possibly winning, the Vuelta.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA


"bob sullivan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>>> You don't think Levi thought when he signed with Disco a couple of
>>> months ago that he assumed he was going to be their GC guy for the
>>> Tour next year?
>>
>> I give Levi far more credit than that. With things up in the air
>> regarding both Landis and Basso, and knowing just how much Discovery
>> wants to build a team to win, not place, how could an intelligent person
>> (which Levi is) think that he'd be the 1st choice to lead the team to a
>> win at the TdF?
>>
>> I agree with Andy- Levi's likely to be the man for their Vuelta team.
>> Which creates a bit of conflict, since it might be difficult to provide
>> 100% support for Basso in the TdF and then go on to win the Vuelta. Hmm.
>
> If I were Levi, I'd still be ******. Because in effect, Basso's signing
> means there's not even a little hope of Levi ever winning the Tour.
> Giving up on a huge dream like that has to be disappointing.
>
> ~bob

 

[billyroll]

bob sullivan wrote:

> You don't think Levi thought when he signed with Disco a couple of
> months ago that he assumed he was going to be their GC guy for the
> Tour next year?
>
> ~bob

If he did think that, he's a blind *******. He clearly signed on to be
George's *****. I give you exhibit A: US national championships. And if
anyone thinks it'll be different over the ocean, they're kidding
themselves. Up until today, Georgie was Disco's golden boy of the
moment, keeping the seat warm for the next pretender to the throne. The
real question is how is Boy George going to deal with having to play
second fiddle in Johan's mind again, especailly at this stage of his
career?

-B

 

[[email protected]]

billyroll wrote:
> bob sullivan wrote:
>
> > You don't think Levi thought when he signed with Disco a couple of
> > months ago that he assumed he was going to be their GC guy for the
> > Tour next year?
> >
> > ~bob
>
> If he did think that, he's a blind *******. He clearly signed on to be
> George's *****. I give you exhibit A: US national championships. And if
> anyone thinks it'll be different over the ocean, they're kidding
> themselves. Up until today, Georgie was Disco's golden boy of the
> moment, keeping the seat warm for the next pretender to the throne.

dumbass,

"hincapie as GC contender" was the stupidest ongoing plot this spring.

after this year's tour it's still not dead ?

 

[billyroll]

[email protected] wrote:
> billyroll wrote:

> > If he did think that, he's a blind *******. He clearly signed on to be
> > George's *****. I give you exhibit A: US national championships. And if
> > anyone thinks it'll be different over the ocean, they're kidding
> > themselves. Up until today, Georgie was Disco's golden boy of the
> > moment, keeping the seat warm for the next pretender to the throne.
>
> dumbass,
>
> "hincapie as GC contender" was the stupidest ongoing plot this spring.
>
> after this year's tour it's still not dead ?

Certainly a stupid ass plot. But it was Disco's plot nonetheless.

-B