Winner of awkward conversation of month - Ivan Basso

From ProCycling magazine:

Fresh from acquittal of Operation Puerto-linked doping offences, Ivan Basso takes umbrange of Gazzetta dello Sport journo Luca Gialanella's interview technique.

Gialanella: What's the truth about your dog: is it called Brillo or Tarello ?

Basso: The investigators searched high and low, and you still come and ask me what my dog's called after I've been aquitted.... its ridiculous, we're entering the realms of the absurd. And I think its shows a lack of respect.

btw/ The dog's called Brillo - Procycling has notes from a 2004 interview with Basso when our interviewer met the dog and asked Basso its name.

 

How dare you point out that my lawyer tried to mislead the public about the name of my dog!

With EPO turning up in Valv/Piti's blood bags and the prosecutor not ruling out forcing cyclists to testify with threats of perjury prosecution if they don't come clean, it does not look like OP is going away any time soon. More shit wil probably hit the fan right before next year's Tour when it will get maximum publicity.

Talking about prickly interviews, I caught Landis on HBO's Real Sports. The interviewer beat him up a little. After Landis claimed to have no knowledge of doping in the sport, the interviewer pointed out that given the number of scandals in the sport, including multiple positives on his own team, he did not sound very believable. The way the interview was intercut with short segments of people like Pound disputing things Landis said did not make Landis come off as credible.

 

Yes, Landis does not have the PR clout of Lance who can set pre-arranged limits to interviews etc. And promise to never come back if they burn him. I think Floyd knew or should have known that Pound would be offering a rebuttal. It is stupid and demeaning for WADA to be going on the air,to rebut a single athlete, but they have got the story--it only matters if it plays in the press.