vino back on his bike

dccok

just had a look at some media reports that vino is back on his bike and preparing for the bejing games...so no retirement then?

what is the cycling world going to do if he returns etc ?
ethics - no chance
pro-tour -which team ? astana
if he feels sick- get a doctor! ( dont recommand blood mr vino)
but did we miss you and basso ?-of course we did - do we enjoy the spectacle of you both fighting in the mountains ? we may have -the tdf knows no suitcase like yours

were we taken for sporting fools ? i think so
our heros - less so

dccok

iainf72

Heres a source for those who wondered

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Vin ... 54282.html

It's almost funny.

Doobz

the mind boggles :shock:

andyp

My immediate response was to think, "surely the UCI appealed against his 1 year ban". I should have known that their incompetence would have kicked in...

micron

If I was Contador I would be packing my suitcase right now because Astana will never be invited to any big races if they have Vino back again.

The ProTour ethics code was always a smokescreen so that business could go on as normal - now we are seeing more and more what a fake it is.

andrewgturnbull

Hi there.

There is no problem here, I'm sure that the Kazak authorities are carrying out pleny of random out of competition tests. Move along now.

Cheers, Andy

Richrd2205

andrewgturnbull wrote:

Hi there.

There is no problem here, I'm sure that the Kazak authorities are carrying out pleny of random out of competition tests. Move along now.

Cheers, Andy

But on the other hand, banned athletes who intend to return to their sport must subject themselves to out-of-competition testing. CW understands that Vinokourov has not made himself available for out-of-competition testing during the time he has been banned.

That's a surprise then!
I'm fairly convinced that there was a thread predicting almost exactly this a year ago (Vino "retires," so has no OOC testing, then suddenly changes his mind in time for the Olympics), so was more disappointed than surprised....

redddraggon

micron wrote:

If I was Contador I would be packing my suitcase right now because Astana will never be invited to any big races if they have Vino back again.

The ProTour ethics code was always a smokescreen so that business could go on as normal - now we are seeing more and more what a fake it is.

I don't think Bruyneel will want him - he's already got enough problems.

iainf72

micron wrote:

If I was Contador I would be packing my suitcase right now because Astana will never be invited to any big races if they have Vino back again.

I'm pretty sure part of Bruyneels deal with the Kazak authorities was that Vino would have no involvement with the team, Of course, they're a law unto themselves so who knows but if there was the slightest chance of it happening Contador and Levi will have to jump ship - Neither of them will have problems getting a gig.

aurelio_-_banned

Richrd2205 wrote:

I'm fairly convinced that there was a thread predicting almost exactly this a year ago (Vino "retires," so has no OOC testing, then suddenly changes his mind in time for the Olympics), so was more disappointed than surprised....

There was, posted by someone with an obviously excellent insight into the world of professional doping, sorry cycling, called, er, Aurelio!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... o+olympics

All I am waiting for now is the announcement (due in about 6 months time) that Vinokourov, having served his suspension (but having trained and done god knows what else in the meantime well out of the public eye, what with there being no out-of-competition tests for 'retired' riders and all) is making a 'comeback'. The real icing on the cake will be an announcement that he has been signed to Astana! (After all Bruyneel had no qualms about signing Basso and 'Vino' is from Kazakhstan!) Well, I guess it's one way to target the Olympics!

Kléber

From CW: "the UCI decided not to press ahead with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport because they believed Vinokourov had retired."

Sloppy stuff. Just because they believe this, they didn't follow procedures. Next they'll tell us they believe Frank VDB's latest fantasy excuse and that the moon is made of cheese. The UCI really does itself no favours, it is not a professional organisation, it just sounds like a collection of people enjoying nice offices, good pay and sitting around saying "I reckon..."

micron

This is why you can never say Astana is an 'all new' team because the money men and the decision makers are still the same people who built the team for Vino in the first place. If they want him back I don't think Bruyneel will have any say and will have to accept it or go somewhere else - or maybe, like Vino, 'retire' again.

I would not be so sure that Contador will easily get another team - did he not go to Discovery because other teams didn't want him or couldn't afford him?

Brian B

There seems to be a lot sniping on this Forum about dopers who have been banned and then moan about there comeback to the sport. Surely even the most depsicable of dopers are allowed to come back after paying thier punishments. Its the way it works and to me there is only a very small percentage of riders who are clean or have always been clean.

The rest is split into those who have been caught/and those who have not. I am not very happy about the fact but EVERY sport is corrupt down to its roots and will always be as long as there is a cash incentive to win.

Vino would get a team - because he can win races. Just as Basso and any other doped rider who will bring publicity and wins will always get some deal and another chance.

Whats the alternative - dont follow or watch any procycling teams! I know people are doped to the eyeballs but I still watch races. It just being realistic.

Kléber

No wonder there's sniping. Vino's dumb actions, his silly denials and more caused his team a lot of embarrassment, mean some riders and staff lost their jobs and he humiliated the Tour de France. The rules say he should have a 2 year ban but the slapdash UCI forgot the paperwork. So I'm happy to see him back after two years, not one.

We can watch races but there should at least be consistent rules. The ASO-UCI spat was because we have no firm rules. Riders dope because there are rules but they're not enforceable.

If Vino won the Olympic RR, it would cast a long shadow over the other Olympic cycling disciplines.

Brian B

Fair point. Its a shame about the team and jobs, I had not thought about it that way.

afx237vi

Vino was past it before he tested positive, so if he does come back (seriously though, who would hire him?) I think it'll be similar to Tyler's comeback - ie, utterly pointless. There'll be controversy at every race he'll compete in and sooner or later the sponsors will get sick of him.

Tinkoff learned that signing riders like this is more trouble than it's worth.

Basso is different, because it's possible he could still compete in grand tours.

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

We can watch races but there should at least be consistent rules. The ASO-UCI spat was because we have no firm rules. Riders dope because there are rules but they're not enforceable.

It's not often I agree completely with Kléber but this is one time I do.

Stick to the rules. When you start introducing daft things like "gentlemens agreements" into the picture then it all becomes murky.

iainf72

ROFL at the Astana press guycomments

LangerDan

I take it that means Vino has already been signed by Johann?


I wonder do these guys do panto or play film baddies?


"Do you expect me to sign this contract, Mr. Vinokourov?"

"No. Mr. Bruyneel. I expect you to ......die"

andy_wrx

I did wonder why the the Kazahk consortium 'Astana' which Vino had pulled-together continued sponsorship after he'd departed.
This explains it.

Assuming (let's give him the benefit of doubt for once :?) Bruyneel does want a dope-clean, controversy-free team, he'll have to do what his sponsors tell him to do, or they'll walk away and it'll be his second team in two years that no-one will sponsor...

andyp

If it came down to a power struggle between Vinokourov and Bruyneel I know who my money would be on.

Especially when you consider that Kazakhstan is ruled by President Nazarbayev who runs it as his own feidfom. Getting rid of a troublesome Belgian would be a minor task for him.

micron

And if Bruyneel has a watertight contract what would he care? He can walk away and still get paid to the end of the season.

flattythehurdler

andyp wrote:

If it came down to a power struggle between Vinokourov and Bruyneel I know who my money would be on.

Especially when you consider that Kazakhstan is ruled by President Nazarbayev who runs it as his own feidfom. Getting rid of a troublesome Belgian would be a minor task for him.

Do we take it that Bruyneel will disappear to join a cult before being found in an Austrian basement in 2030?

LangerDan

flattythehurdler wrote:

Do we take it that Bruyneel will disappear to join a cult before being found in an Austrian basement in 2030?

Hasn't Bruyneel already spent much of the last decade working for a cu....oh, a cult!

flattythehurdler

Perhaps L&M could take it in turns to get him pregnant.