Danilo Di Luca - time to bring hime back to the top level?

frankieirishman

Now that Danilo Di Luca has won the Individual Coppa Italia Award for 2008 - and ridden brilliantly last season - isn't it time he was given the prodigal son treatment by one of the Pro Tour Teams and given a place. I saw him ride in the Tour of Britain in the summer and he was brilliant. I know in the past he has been tainted with a doping scandal, but he did his time and like many other riders who have infringed - deserves to be given the opportunity to display his still considerable talent at the highest level. :?

calvjones

No. He's dead behind the eyes.

Next question.

andyp

Done his time? He got a 3 month ban in the off season.

He got off very, very lightly given his long association with Santuccione.

spen666

andyp wrote:

Done his time? He got a 3 month ban in the off season.

He got off very, very lightly given his long association with Santuccione.

Is association an offence?

calvjones

spen666 wrote:

andyp wrote:

Done his time? He got a 3 month ban in the off season.

He got off very, very lightly given his long association with Santuccione.

Is association an offence?

In Italy, yes.

Chip \'oyler

I hope to god none of you lot become judges :roll:

The guy hasn't been found guilty of doping, what ever ban or punishment has been dished out to him he has served - yet now he can't get on with living his life!

Think about it this way: if one of you was found guilty of drink driving, and you were punished with a two year ban, you would expect to be able to drive afterwards wouldn't you. And bear in mind drink driving is far more serious then a cyclist doping to win a race. Remember professional cycle racing is only a form of entertainment. It's not life or death :roll:

iainf72

Chip \'oyler wrote:

And bear in mind drink driving is far more serious then a cyclist doping to win a race. Remember professional cycle racing is only a form of entertainment. It's not life or death :roll:

It's stealing. If everyone was in on it and guy not on CERA comes 2nd gets compensated for not winning then maybe it's just entertainment.

iainf72

And while I'm at it, Di Luca is happy with LPR as I recall. I think he signed up for a longer stretch with them.

He gets to do most of the races he's interested in with them. Probably aside from the hilly classics.

andyp

spen666 wrote:

Is association an offence?

Di Luca was recorded by the Italian authorities discussing his dosage levels with Santuccione. That would appear to me to be a bit more than association.

If you'd like to know more about the 'Oil for drugs' case then this is a good starting place;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_for_Drugs

Cyclingfansanonymous takes a more critical stance;

http://cyclingfansanonymous.blogspot.co ... y-oil.html

afx237vi

frankieirishman wrote:

Now that Danilo Di Luca has won the Individual Coppa Italia Award for 2008 - and ridden brilliantly last season - isn't it time he was given the prodigal son treatment by one of the Pro Tour Teams and given a place. I saw him ride in the Tour of Britain in the summer and he was brilliant. I know in the past he has been tainted with a doping scandal, but he did his time and like many other riders who have infringed - deserves to be given the opportunity to display his still considerable talent at the highest level. :?

Who exactly do you want to give him a chance? His team gets invited to the Giro and the hilly classics, that's all he cares about.

frankieirishman

It seems that opinion is split here....if you take the Pro Tour Teams as the top echelon of the sport - then that's where he should be. I feel any of the eighteen teams would find him to be a good addition. I would like to see him ride for Cinelli-OPD personally. I got to speak to him twice at the Tour of Britain and he did appear happy to be riding in the UK. His eyes did not convey the appearance of being deceased therein! There seems to be a level of hypocrisy here where some doping offenders are welcomed back to the peleton with open arms (Basso?) while others are shunned by DS's.

drenkrom

Whatever team wants to sign him is free to contact his agent. He is free to contact whatever team he wants if he's not satisfied with his current one, which he is. Either no team found the place in its budget or a reason to sign him, either he simply didn't want to change teams. It's all based on free will. No injustice there.

Milram-fan

frankieirishman wrote:

It seems that opinion is split here....if you take the Pro Tour Teams as the top echelon of the sport - then that's where he should be. I feel any of the eighteen teams would find him to be a good addition. I would like to see him ride for Cinelli-OPD personally. I got to speak to him twice at the Tour of Britain and he did appear happy to be riding in the UK. His eyes did not convey the appearance of being deceased therein! There seems to be a level of hypocrisy here where some doping offenders are welcomed back to the peloton with open arms (Basso?) while others are shunned by DS's.

I don't think they are a protour team. He'd have more chance at getting invites to the races he wants with LPR, besides I don't think they could afford Di Luca have they not already had to cut back costs.

winoneday

Who on here is welcoming Basso back with open arms?!?

Just because Liquigas are happy with him doesn't mean the cycling community at large is.

richard wants a baum

You have to live with your mistakes, and he made some poor choices. If you drink drive you do your time but you also have to live with the shame and the fact that everyone knows that you were stupid enought to do it. People can make assumptions on your character which might be why he isnt on a Pro Tour Team. Then again he might be perfectly happy where he is and being PT doesnt mean a whole lot really he races in the events he wants sooo.....