The dirty manager: Tony Rominger.

[thecyclist]

The little rat who is "almost shocked" when one of his clients is caught:

Vinokourov
Sinkewitz
Jaksche


These Rominger riders havn't been caught yet:

Klöden and the whole Astana team
Cadel Evans

Who else is managed by Tony?

 

[thoughtforfood]

The little rat who is "almost shocked" when one of his clients is caught:

Vinokourov
Sinkewitz
Jaksche


These Rominger riders havn't been caught yet:

Klöden and the whole Astana team
Cadel Evans

Who else is managed by Tony?

Thing is that I liked the guy when he was a rider, but his record as a manager is pretty stellar in terms of actual and suspected dopers. Bet he has Ferrari on speed dial. I would love to see his cell phone contacts list.

 

[earth_dweller]

Isn't Contador managed by Rominger?

 

[thecyclist]

Yeah you are right, forgot about him.

 

[Tech72]

Also of note, Rominger was one of Doc Ferrari's prized pupils during his riding days at the height of 90's doping era. No failed dope test but definitely doesn't sit well knowing what we now know....

 

[Fen Tiger]

He may have beaten a clean riders hour record (Obree) but at least his hour record was beaten by a clean rider (Boardman)

 

[limerickman]

He may have beaten a clean riders hour record (Obree) but at least his hour record was beaten by a clean rider (Boardman)

Good point.

Separately.
Rominger was a very very good rider.
I can't recall his ever confirming or denying doping questions though.

 

[Tech72]

He may have beaten a clean riders hour record (Obree) but at least his hour record was beaten by a clean rider (Boardman)

To be a devil's advocate, but what makes you so confident that Obree and Boardman were clean? I'm by no means saying that either are dirty but you make a general assumuption/statement that Obree and Boardman are clean, based on what? Neither Obree, Boardman nor Rominger failed any doping tests or have ever been accused. Yet we consider Obree and Boardman as clean, but Rominger we suspect. They all broke the hour record at the height of the 90's doping era when dope testing was well behind what dopers could get away with. I hate to be so pessimistic but it seems the current atmosphere in pro cycling leaves alot of doubt about every rider of the past 20 years.

 

[El Loto]

There is no way Obree doped. It's a given. Remember what happened with Le Groupement. He refused to pay the "medical" fee so they sacked him. Obree was, in the kindest way, a freak and thats what makes him such an intriguing personality.

 

[cyclingheroes]

Good point.

Separately.
Rominger was a very very good rider.
I can't recall his ever confirming or denying doping questions though.

Well he always said he didn't dope. But I have to say I heard that before...

 

[limerickman]

There is no way Obree doped. It's a given. Remember what happened with Le Groupement. He refused to pay the "medical" fee so they sacked him. Obree was, in the kindest way, a freak and thats what makes him such an intriguing personality.

Correct.

Graeme Obree was effectively fired because he refused to take part in the doping program of his professional team.

 

[limerickman]

Well he always said he didn't dope. But I have to say I heard that before...

Thanks for the correction : I was of the opinion that he never commented either way.

 

[cyclingheroes]

Thanks for the correction : I was of the opinion that he never commented either way.

Lim your not wrong, his new line is that he doesn't comment either way (last couple of years).

 

[NJK]

To be a devil's advocate, but what makes you so confident that Obree and Boardman were clean? I'm by no means saying that either are dirty but you make a general assumuption/statement that Obree and Boardman are clean, based on what? Neither Obree, Boardman nor Rominger failed any doping tests or have ever been accused. Yet we consider Obree and Boardman as clean, but Rominger we suspect. They all broke the hour record at the height of the 90's doping era when dope testing was well behind what dopers could get away with. I hate to be so pessimistic but it seems the current atmosphere in pro cycling leaves alot of doubt about every rider of the past 20 years.

Boardman rode clean i'm 100% certain of that. He could do pretty well in the mountains on certain days but couldn't recover as well as the likes of Rominger, Indurain. Thats probably why he used to specialise in prologues. Rominger had to have doped no doubt about it having Ferrari as your doctor in the 90's meens guilty as charged.

 

[portia]

I can't recall his ever confirming or denying doping questions though.[/QUOTE]
But I can, in the article below that was published in the German weekly "Die Zeit" he kept lamenting about being asked if he had doped and carefully avoided giving precise answers. The article quotes Italy´s antidoping crusader Donati who had confiscated documents while investigating the Conconi/Ferrari case. In those documents you can find Rominger´s hemotocrit levels. Donati said that they regularly varied between 38,8 and 52, 53 etc within a few months. 38,8 was Rominger´s natural hematocrit when being out of competition. Towards the end of his carrier, he had produced an all-time-high of over 56. Rominger denied those figures.

http://www.zeit.de/2005/27/Tour_27

In this recent interview in the Swiss "Weltwoche" he tries to make the interviewers believe that he thoroughly altered his views. Seems a lot more convenient these days if you want to stay in business.

 

[portia]

It won´t stop: here´s another one:

http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/home.htm

 

[IH8LANCE]

There is no way Obree doped. It's a given. Remember what happened with Le Groupement. He refused to pay the "medical" fee so they sacked him.

I find it more plausible that he's just cheap, and wanted to be doped for free.

What is it with this place? You've all finally convinced me that everyone should be presumed to be a doper until they prove themselves innocent, which of course is a logical impossibility, and how you're handing out exonerations based on circumstantial guesswork.

Fickle.

 

[Fen Tiger]

I find it more plausible that he's just cheap, and wanted to be doped for free.

What is it with this place? You've all finally convinced me that everyone should be presumed to be a doper until they prove themselves innocent, which of course is a logical impossibility, and how you're handing out exonerations based on circumstantial guesswork.

Fickle.

You clearly know nothing about Graham Obree. The point we are trying to make is that he was clean and that is beyond doubt because of his background and his morality. There is no doping culture among Scottish time triallers! That is not circumstantial guesswork. I suggest you go and get his autobiography out of the library and spend some time reading it.

 

[IH8LANCE]

You clearly know nothing about Graham Obree. The point we are trying to make is that he was clean and that is beyond doubt because of his background and his morality. There is no doping culture among Scottish time triallers! That is not circumstantial guesswork. I suggest you go and get his autobiography out of the library and spend some time reading it.

You know for a fact his moral character is beyond question?
You know for a fact he has no skeletons in his closet?
You know for a fact he was clean?

God, is that you? Doesn't omniscience get a bit boring? After all, you never get to see a movie without knowing what's going to happen.


My favorite part is the bit about there being "no doping culture among Scottish time-trialers". This presumes that unless a "doping culture" exists, all the participants must necessarily be clean, which is probably the most illogical conclusion I've ever seen drawn in this place, and that's saying a lot. But more to the point, just how many cyclists constitute the 'culture of Scottish time-trialers" in the first place. Is there a club they can join, or do they all just informally hang out not doping together?

"What do you want to do today, McDuff?"
"Well, McFadden, let's do what we did yesterday and not dope!"
"That's what we did the day before yesterday."
"Well let's do it again today."
"And tomorrow as well!"
"Aye."

 

[thecyclist]

There is no doping culture among Scottish time triallers!

That didn't stop David Millar.