Some questions about Basso

Billy Whizzcp · May 2007

(These points could be about anyone really, I'm using Basso as an example)

Let's say that Basso admits doping (or is caught) 2 months before the T de F 2007.
Then let's say he's actually found guilty in (say) August and given a 2 year ban.

Question 1: Would that ban run from the time the sentence was passed, or from when he was initially caught / confessed?

Question 2: Ok - then if he is then banned for 2 years and comes back to race at the top level, say in time for the 2009 T de F, does anyone think that a "Clean (and 2 years older) Basso" would actually get anywhere?

Question 3: If the answer to Question 2 is "Yes, he could be competetive", then why did he cheat in the frst place??

Thanks.

Unknown · May 2007

Question 1 : It really depends on the Italian authorities. They're recommending a 21 month ban which would bring him back in time for 09 Giro.

Question 2 : Hard to tell. He's probably a very talented cyclist, BUT, if he'd been doping since junior days we have no idea what he'd do clean.

pictit · May 2007

Who has doped and who hasn't ?.Nobody knows who,past or present,will own up next.Is it wrong to think that those at the top of the sport would have been up there anyway,given that it's assumed most Pro cyclists are/were on 'something' ?.
Personally I'm inclined to welcome,regardless of motive,the admission by Riijs and happy for him to continue in the sport.Poacher turned gamekeeper,what!.Hopefully more people in his position will follow and lead teams that one would/could believe were 'clean'.Good for the sport,but more importantly good for the riders who have carried the whole can for too long!.

Trev36 · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Billy Whizz
Question 1: Would that ban run from the time the sentence was passed, or from when he was initially caught / confessed?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I think it's from the time of the offense not when a guilty verdict is ruled on.
eg:Hamilton drag his case through the courts for nearly 2 years after the offense. Yet was eligable to race again 2 years after the Vuelta 04.

I reckon the 2 year sentance should start once the guilty verdict is finally ruled on. Plus they can't race from the offence date.
So for example Hamilton wouldn't be eligble to race until end of 2008.
Landis couldn't race until 2 yrs after his case is decided and if it goes to CAS then 2yrs once thats been sorted.

So therefore these guys who won't accept their guilt despite being proven and drag it through the courts for years have to then decide, accpet it or they could be out for more years.
Discourage the court shenanigans which only drag the sport down further than the original positive tests.

fuzzy29 · May 2007

Question 1: He could argue that his ban should start from when he was first suspended as this would leave him available for the Giro 09. I am thinking that the 21 month ban, rather than the standard 24 months, is an attempt by the Italian authorities to give him a chance to compete in the Giro 09.

Question 2: I think that it depends on how he spends the next 2 years. Millar got drunk for 6 months but pulled it round to ride the tour as his first race. He then won a TT stage of the Veluta later that year. Also, LeMond had time out through been shot and and Armstrong through cancer, and they came back to win the Tour. So 2 years of training would see him return in good condition.

Question 3: Only he knows. He went for a big gamble and it failed. Was he really trying to cheat or was he doing the same as many others?

<hr noshade size="1">If I had a baby elephant, I'd ask Banksy to paint it....

DeanMoriarty · May 2007

3. He didn't cheat, he attempted to cheat...

Personally I don't believe Basso has ever doped and like he says was attempting to do so, when going for the Giro Tour double, maybe he got scared and started feeling the pressure after the Giro.

Nae-neck · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DeanMoriarty

3. He didn't cheat, he attempted to cheat...

Personally I don't believe Basso has ever doped and like he says was attempting to do so, when going for the Giro Tour double, maybe he got scared and started feeling the pressure after the Giro.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That's really giving Basso too much of the benefit of the doubt; it just suits him, now he's esseantially caught, to say thought about doing it, rather than I done it!

He's a cheater in my book and a whiner for coming up with such a spurious excuse but then I'm now a confirmed cynic and really think they are all at it in one degree or another, most especially those who are at the highest end of the profession! You need it to win and the quicker they throw the book at Landis, Basso and the others, the better![V]

Live your dreams - no-one else will do it for you!

psychiatricblues · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DeanMoriarty

3. He didn't cheat, he attempted to cheat...

Personally I don't believe Basso has ever doped and like he says was attempting to do so, when going for the Giro Tour double, maybe he got scared and started feeling the pressure after the Giro.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

IIRC, somewhere in the morass of claims, the German prosecutors have said that he met Dr Fuentes in a hotel (somewhere in Germany, IIRC) prior to last year's Giro, at the same time as Jan Ullrich. Also I read somewhere that he had been paying Dr Fuentes for four years before he was suspended prior to last year's Tour De France.

He only admitted what could not be denied - his DNA would have proved that he'd had blood taken and stored at Fuentes' clinic. So he claims that he intended to dope, as there could be no other explanation, but no more. I don't believe that he waited till last years Tour to dope, it's too convenient.

Cars don't kill people.
Motorists do.

Bonus · May 2007

so just confessing to what he was def going to be busted for anyway? Cos what was the point of not?

Like me saying "no i didn't eat all the biscuits" and her saying "I'm opening the biscuit tin now to check" and me (knowing the tin is empty) saying "ok I did take all the biscuits out but I didn't actually eat them . . . ."

Obviously she's gonna say where the hell are they then?? but it might take her months to prove I ate them. And by then we'll have bought more biscuits anyway so it will be old news . . . .

:-)

Houllier · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DeanMoriarty

3. He didn't cheat, he attempted to cheat...

Personally I don't believe Basso has ever doped and like he says was attempting to do so, when going for the Giro Tour double, maybe he got scared and started feeling the pressure after the Giro.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Did you not watch last year's Giro? He was superhuman. Open your eyes, man

---\*/
----?
----/>'
--(+)(+)
You'll never ride alone

Gilocp · May 2007

What Houllier said.

Gilo

Unknown · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fuzzy29

Question 2: I think that it depends on how he spends the next 2 years. Millar got drunk for 6 months but pulled it round to ride the tour as his first race. He then won a TT stage of the Veluta later that year. Also, LeMond had time out through been shot and and Armstrong through cancer, and they came back to win the Tour. So 2 years of training would see him return in good condition.

<hr noshade size="1">If I had a baby elephant, I'd ask Banksy to paint it....
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't think it was two years of clean training that allowed Armstrong to come back...

TdG

monty_dogcp · May 2007

If anyone believes that thses 'comebacks' and purely down to a good training ethics, then you deserve a medal for your naivety - wake up guys, pretty well eveyone was on the stuff

Unknown · May 2007

but just to play devils avocado Monty, can you prove they 'were' juiced?

There is no doubt that to be able to compete at top level within cycling that it takes super human effort, but does that mean that every single cyclist that has ever competed at top level has been on the juice?

What about the cyclists that have competed at the Olympics (and a lot have) not many of them have been caught using, so your bold proclamations that anyone believing anything other than they are all juiced is a bit too sweeping for my liking.
Not to say that they all 'may' have been.[:o)]

Mleh Mleh Mleh

DeanMoriarty · May 2007

Why don't you all **** off!

Unknown · May 2007

[?] what is that you are trying to say Dean?

Mleh Mleh Mleh

ricadus · May 2007

The fact basso had already had quantities of blood extracted and stored shows that he was in the process of cheating, whether or not he was going to have it put back during the Giro, Tour or another race. Or at least that's my view. His defence will probably cloud the issue of 'intent' - whether extraction constitutes part of the actual process of cheating.

Nae-neck · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DeanMoriarty

Why don't you all **** off!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I take it you retract your earlier comments then, given the overwhelming arguments against your cause? Or do you really just want us to ?<>K OFF[:D]

Live your dreams - no-one else will do it for you!

Some questions about Basso

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