Simoni talking it up - can he win the Giro ?

[Crankyfeet]

Thanks Cranky!

Some more smoothie gold from 2005...

The UCI accepts the doping unless its out in public, Its all run by ex racers anyways..
This is the same UCI that allowed team doctors and personal sports performance doctors of the athletes to run the doping controls!!

This is the UCI that allowed the post stage testing of a TdF stage that finished in Belgium to be carried out by the Flemish Government! Not only did a Belgian rider win the stage, and a $10,000 diamond, and an audience with the King, He wasn't tested! In fact no Belgian riders were tested that day.

The UCI needs the racers and the races, just as much as the racers need them..

After the Festina Affair in 1998, the UCI recommended a 3 month ban for dopers, 3 months....

When WADA came on the scene, any sports organization that wouldn't sign the WADA code, would not be allowed to have their sport in the olympics, guess which organization was the last to sign? The UCI.. and the provisions they could not agree on? Surprise out of competition testing, and the length of punishment for doping offenders. WADA wanted 2 years, the UCI wanted 6 months.. Their reasoning? "Longer sentences would prohibit our members from maintaing their sole source of income for their families" so you see who's side they are really on..

The UCI isn't trying to crack down on doping, the UCI is trying to keep the racing going, faster, and higher, the bigger the crowds, the better. The UCI doping war is just PR spin.

 

[thunder]

A post by smoothie in BF circa July, 2005 that may be interesting. It relates to hematocrit being an outdated benchmark of doped blood even then....

but there are some dodgy doping doctors involved in that study.

"heamatocrit and blood paramaters of high performance athletes over 3 weeks of high level competition"

BS if you know they are doing EPO.

 

[thunder]

Crank, Smoothie is good, but he is not always right on the money, some of his info is not 100% correct.

But re: the doping culture, and knowledge of whats what, he is down with it.

 

[tambourlain]

Gibo is talking it up saying that he will bust balls and take DiLuca in the Giro and that Cuengo is a piece of ****.... I think actually think in a dope free Giro he can win.... like I mean who else is there ?

Considering that Simoni's mouth is as big as your's and that he is as big a whinger as you I can see your affinity for him. But Simoni's talent was never as big as his mouth. His wins outside of Italy are virtually non existent. His wins in the Giro only happened because all of the real talent was pointing for the Tour. Now Simoni is washed up and the only attention that he can get is by running his mouth. Again, just like you. If Simoni can get into the top 5 it will be pure luck and the fact that very few of the best riders will be in the Giro once again. In fact, you can find more talent in most of the second and third tier races than you will find in this year's Giro. But even with that, rantin Simoni won't make the podium. I guarantee it.