Vino tested positive!

[Doctor.House]

I'm told that the French goverment has told the ASO and UCI - in no uncertain terms - that the TDF is first and foremost a French national treasure and that
this festival must be protected and that whatever steps need to be taken to clean out the dopers must happen.

I'm told that the French goverment has made this clear and that they want to see action being taken.

The death of tourism?

Nah---that countrydside is real. The wine, cheese, grand estates, history and charm are all draws.

People just need to accept things as they truly are---not as they wish they were.

Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin, Bob Roll, Christie Anderson, Sean Kelly, Frankie Andreu, Robbie Ventura and David Duffield to NOT respresent cycling.

 

[Dead Star]

Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin, Bob Roll, Christie Anderson, Sean Kelly, Frankie Andreu, Robbie Ventura and David Duffield to NOT respresent cycling.

Very true. Wonder how both Liggett and Sherwin are reacting to this, after they showered so much praise on Vino yesterday. Probably exactly like Floyd and the rest.

 

[limerickman]

Bro : I'm told that the ASO is getting a lot of heat.
One ASO official told my contact that the French goverment are suggesting that
the ASO be scrapped and that responsibility for the running of the TDF be transferred to another body reporting directly to French goverment department.
(Ministry of Culture????).

I'm told the heat being applied is something else.
French ministry says that the way cycling has been run has directly been responsible for the loss of prestige of the TDF.
Cycling and the bodies who control cycling have destroyed the reputation of the sport and the TDF in particular - according to the ASO official who was present at the exchange.

Oh dear.

 

[cheapie]

Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin, Bob Roll, Christie Anderson, Sean Kelly, Frankie Andreu, Robbie Ventura and David Duffield to NOT respresent cycling.

from a cycling purist point of view you are right. but to many people, they do. i'd say half of the cycling fans i know never followed the sport before armstrong and only see the sport through espn or the versus network. so to them, phil, paul, roll, and andreu really count.

 

[Dead Star]

And guess what everybody: Vino DENIES.

 

[saluki]

Lim, sorry, but your last sentence is unclear to me. Do they want to protect the TdF as in do anything possible to ensure the riders are clean? Or is this a desire to paper over things to reduce harm to the TdF in the short term, hoping to ride it out they way they rode out Festina? Are they willing to or considering shutting down this year's Tour?

Are you kidding. The Tour is three weeks of free advertising for French tourism. They go out of their way to pick the most scenic routes. Millions and millions of people around the world watch. Protecting the Tour is equivalent to protecting a national financial asset. It puts them in a complete bind. If they expose every doper then cycling as a popular sport in Europe may fall apart. If they look the other way, then it may fall apart, only more slowly. Tours have been won by dopers forever. But now, in the information age, it's all so public and so ugly. The media is cashing in big time on the news value. They are desperate to do something - anything. But they don't know what. In a way, the French have cut their own jugglers by elevating their issues with Armstrong into such a confrontational media circus. Now they have no way of stopping the bleeding.

 

[Bro Deal]

Bro : I'm told that the ASO is getting a lot of heat.
One ASO official told my contact that the French goverment are suggesting that
the ASO be scrapped and that responsibility for the running of the TDF be transferred to another body reporting directly to French goverment department.
(Ministry of Culture????).

I'm told the heat being applied is something else.
French ministry says that the way cycling has been run has directly been responsible for the loss of prestige of the TDF.
Cycling and the bodies who control cycling have destroyed the reputation of the sport and the TDF in particular - according to the ASO official who was present at the exchange.

Oh dear.

Interesting. With that sort of threat you can bet the ASO will be willing to take serious action to protect themselves. We could see something radical.

 

[kennf]

Very true. Wonder how both Liggett and Sherwin are reacting to this, after they showered so much praise on Vino yesterday. Probably exactly like Floyd and the rest.

Yes, I'm looking forward to Liggett's hard-edged commentary tomorrow: "Well, what a shame, he's certainly a nice fellow regardless, ... anyway, let's look at today's stage profile ..."

 

[saluki]

I'm told that the French goverment has made this clear and that they want to see action being taken.

Hmm, maybe we could have them all sign a pledge to give their DNA if requested and to forfit a years salary if caught. LOL.

 

[Special Eyezd]

Yes, I'm looking forward to Liggett's hard-edged commentary tomorrow: "Well, what a shame, he's certainly a nice fellow regardless, ... anyway, let's look at today's stage profile ..."

ROFL You hit the nail on the head!

 

[limerickman]

Hmm, maybe we could have them all sign a pledge to give their DNA if requested and to forfit a years salary if caught. LOL.

I think that what the TDF is now facing is very serious : it may all be heat of the moment stuff, but I'm told that it is now recognised at the highest levels
and that this problem is not being addressed by the cycling authorities and that the French authorities have no option but to take action.

 

[Eagle10]

Does Vinoukorov have any career after this?

It was said Vino is/was a bigger superstar in his country than Beckham in England.

Small country and no-where to hide. Bet he wants to crawl under a rock.

Today is a very sad day for cycling, his country, his team mates, the TTF, sports in general and not forgetting his millions of fans like me that are stunned.

Today I want to puke!

 

[JRMDC]

If i was Contador i would be seriously looking over my shoulder. Mind you he is protected by Nike/Discovery/Armstrong. It would be funny if he and a few of the GC riders rode like a bag of spanners tommorrow

Contrador's best best in the short term might be not to ride to hard and hope that ASO/Reublique Francaise gift him the yellow! If he rides to hard, he may get even more suspicion piled upon him than he already has.

 

[JRMDC]

In a way, the French have cut their own jugglers by elevating their issues with Armstrong into such a confrontational media circus. Now they have no way of stopping the bleeding.

Why is it that Americans think of France or of "the French" as one homogenous mass or entity? L'Equipe and ASO and the government and the striking truck drivers and the car burners/tippers are not all the same thing. Each has its own agenda. Geesh.

EDIT: sorry, do not intend to imply that France is comprised solely of all sorts of bad or ineffictive groups. Throw in some others, the winemakers, the Airbus engineers, whatever. I just get irritated when I hear about conspiracies referred to as "the French" as though they have one common, anti-American interest.

 

[helmutRoole2]

... In a way, the French have cut their own jugglers by elevating their issues with Armstrong into such a confrontational media circus. Now they have no way of stopping the bleeding.

By French, saluki mean's -- I believe -- the ASO. I think he's got a point. I mean, they really wanted Armstrong's hide there toward the end. I think the pursuit of Armstrong has kinda' led to what we're seeing now in terms of controls and raids. Armstrong was a Houdini and everyone wanted to figure out how he did it. And, it seems likely that WADA, the UCI, ASO, the French authorities and the top cyclists are all figuring it out at the same time.

BTW, Lim, I love your signature.

 

[Tim Lamkin]

Cancel the TDF until this is cleaned up, (this year and next), send them all home.

 

[Tim Lamkin]

Does Vinoukorov have any career after this?

Hopefully not, get rid of him.

 

[Eagle10]

Debate:
Which is the biggest long term devastating scandle Vinoukorov or Landis?.

I think Vinoukorov

Landis still has a career, most Americans support him, he is on many talk shows and wrote a top selling book.

 

[saluki]

Contrador's best best in the short term might be not to ride to hard and hope that ASO/Reublique Francaise gift him the yellow! If he rides to hard, he may get even more suspicion piled upon him than he already has.

There is no evidence against Contador. He will ride as hard as he can.

 

[Bro Deal]

Does Vinoukorov have any career after this?

A couple year's ago a rider who tested positive could come back. I don't think that is possible now. His only chance is to do a Millar-like mea culpa and blame his despair at crashing caused him to do something stupid. It would all be ********, but some might buy it.