Vino...

iainf72

Oh dear.

He wants to come back in time for the Vuelta!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... may06news2

josame

He's on www.mecanix-tv.com looking pleased with himself,
I love his 'I don't know why the tour don't want me back' protestations.
yeah go figure??

leguape

He's nothing if not stubborn in his determination which, while strangely appealing as a rider, becomes somewhat tragic as a convicted doper in denial.

andyp

He's served his time, albeit grudgingly, so is welcome to ride again under UCi rules. I'm curious to see the UCI's response should he not pay up his one year's salary fine, which I think he'd agreed to.

Whether any of the race organisers will let him anywhere near their races is another matter, but the oxygen of publicity does strange things to people.

Is it a coincidence that he made this announcement just after the Astana team financial difficulties came to light?

Bronzie

If Astana do fold, I wonder where he'll end up..........Katousha seems most likely to me.

blazing_saddles

He noted that his former team may "soon cease to exist" because of its "serious debts. The team will soon be sold to foreign investors. But I hope, all the same, that a solution will be found."

I can't help but feel what I've been feeling, ever since he announced his wish to return.
There have been clandestine meetings taking place, between his lot and the UCI, to get an early lifting of the UCI date.
That 18 month figure, I mentioned a while back.
Since that's come and gone, it's obvious the UCI have dug their heels in and the Kazakh's have pulled the financing. Reading his line, the talks may still be continuing.

Whether the UCI have actually done the right thing for once, or acted at the bequest of a "third party", remains to be seen......

Vino2007

Watching that video, i can only imagine the guy is living on handouts or a right arrogant lout to wear a kit emblazoned with his own photos and name. He doesn't deserve a place in the new era if he wont admit his wrongs.

dave_1

I dont think Bruyneel will feel obliged to take him so he will find a home somewhere else...last chance saloon type outfit in Italy with an old Toyota corolla team car is what he'll get , no?

jimmythecuckoo

He will be a really unwelcome re-addition to the peloton from the fans point of view.

All of his mates might be pleased to see him though.

timoid.

Dave_1 wrote:

I dont think Bruyneel will feel obliged to take him so he will find a home somewhere else...last chance saloon type outfit in Italy with an old Toyota corolla team car is what he'll get , no?

What like Basso?

Kléber

Basso began a lengthy media rehabilitation plan. Twittering, inviting the media to his training, it was a six month long seduction attempt. Vinokourov just stuck two fingers up at the sport and gas done little to repair the damage.

I don't know how Kazakhi-Russian politics are playing but the squalid Katusha outfit could be the break he needs.

timoid.

Kléber wrote:

Basso began a lengthy media rehabilitation plan. Twittering, inviting the media to his training, it was a six month long seduction attempt. Vinokourov just stuck two fingers up at the sport and gas done little to repair the damage.

I don't know how Kazakhi-Russian politics are playing but the squalid Katusha outfit could be the break he needs.

Fuji will take just about anyone.

The Prodigy

Vino is a detestable character, it can only be hoped that he gets too close to Theo Bos sometime soon

dave_1

Timoid. wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

I dont think Bruyneel will feel obliged to take him so he will find a home somewhere else...last chance saloon type outfit in Italy with an old Toyota corolla team car is what he'll get , no?

What like Basso?

I think Basso at least admits he was in a doping process....Vino hasn't accepted it...kinda bad as he threatens everyone's employment and then doesn't apologise...but you could be right. Rock Racing will be on to him no doubt

secretsqirrel

I like Vino

I really don't care whether he is 'detestable' or not, he is a bloody good bike handler, and before he was busted had the respect of many in the peleton.

He, isn't the first, and he certainly won't be the last, not to own up. It is worth remembering that the denial, or silence, is often a lot to do with protecting others. Ullrich denies, but more and more he comes across as someone dying to get it off his chest. I ain't saying it's right but it is understandable.

Anyway, back to the racer. He is not affraid to take risks, he can make alliances on the road, an important skill if your team is found wanting. Cadel please note.

Best of all, if he can bust in on the Armstrong/Bruyneel party, he will certainly 'put the sand in the KY'. To much of a loose canon for the Buyneel machine

markwalker

Vino is no worse or better than any of those top contenders,

why should he own up? at least hes not making as big a media circus of it as the septics. His only failing is that he didnt ride after life threatening illness or with a broken back or shoulder then hed be mr popular.

micron

Definitely coming back this summer - and with Astana, the team he created himself (this according to Equipe)

As this surely guarantees Astana a ban from the TdF, and the Kazakh Federation will now not be handing over the PT license to Bruyneel as Armstrong demands, what will Team Armstrong do now?

avoidingmyphd

IF Astana still exists by the TDF (and this looks shaky), then I'm sure that Vino's comings and goings won't affect their tour participation. His planned return isn't until late July, so he won't be trying to ride the tour anyway, and ASO won't care. Next year, there may be a problem. But by then Team Armstrong will clearly have detangled themselves from the Kazakhs, if any of them are still cycling.

Incidentally, the equipe article contains an interesting ambiguity - Vino claims that it won't go down well in Kazakhstan if he rides for a team other than Astana. But is this aimed at himself - he can't really choose to ride for someone else - , or the team - he's putting the pressure on Astana (who sacked him, don't forget) to take him back or, say, lose their kazakh financial backing....?

markwalker

micron wrote:

Definitely coming back this summer - and with Astana, the team he created himself (this according to Equipe)

As this surely guarantees Astana a ban from the TdF, and the Kazakh Federation will now not be handing over the PT license to Bruyneel as Armstrong demands, what will Team Armstrong do now?

hmmm it would be sweet wouldnt it

iainf72

markwalker wrote:

why should he own up? at least hes not making as big a media circus of it as the septics. His only failing is that he didnt ride after life threatening illness or with a broken back or shoulder then hed be mr popular.

He did. Remember when he fell off and hurt his knee's so badly he could barely walk. And then monstered everyone in a time trial. And a mountain stage.

Someone from this forum said to me at the prologue in Londres that Vino lose some time early then "have a top up of blood" and do an ace ride. Which is just what happened. I guess the thing with him is he was so obviously dodgy.

blazing_saddles

Iain or anybody who has the definitive on this.
Who owns the Astana PT licence?
Micron, like me, believes it to be held by the Kazakh consortium, but I read on Cyclingnews, that JB now owns this valuable item.

With Vino definitely returning, it's fairly evident why the funding tap was turned off and will be turned on again, when the American franchise leave.

Now, I make that one PT licence light.
Am I wrong?
If not, who are the unlucky party? :?

iainf72

The Kazak's

http://www.uciprotour.com/Modules/ENews ... 47Page%3D3

avoidingmyphd

I think the summary is this:

There is only one licence
It is held by the Kazakh Cycling Federation (see Iain's link).
The report that Bruyneel holds the licence was an error.

BUT

The Kazakh's are about to breach the terms of the licence (when their safety net bank account runs low for more than 30 days. The clock is ticking)

It seems that there may be a standoff developing: the Kazakh's are betting they'll keep the licence despite the financial shenanigans, and are using the witholding of money as a way to reintegrate Vino into cycling. On the other hand, there is a suspiction that the UCI might call their bluff and transfer the licence to someone in the Armstrong camp when the 30 days runs out.

secretsqirrel

I can image that Vino could have a lot of pull with the sponsors, not sure he would hold the team to ransom. But it is an interesting thought, and a nice conspiracy theory.

Has LA met his match?

Also, Kash is waiting in the wings, early August?

Perhaps they both want to visit their happy hunting ground at the Vuelta with Astana, but Bruyneel was not too receptive to the idea.

So screws are being turned. And my imagination is running riot.

If Blaze is right, the gas pipe will be turmed on again.

blazing_saddles

Thanks for that. As I thought.
Of course there are now only 18, instead of the old 20 bits of gold.
Yes, the mind games going on behind the scenes does put one's immagination into overdrive.
Like a game of high stakes poker.
Only trouble for the Kazakh's is a dodgy dealer by the name of Pat McQuaid.
Not sure if he's holding an spare ace up his sleeve, or license.

Pokerface

Now Vino says he wants to win the Worlds and wear the rainbow stripes wrapped around his Astana colours!

Is it me or has this guy been hitting the crack pipe a little too hard while he's been 'on holiday'?

Unsheath

This man personifies everything that is wrong with the dark side of cycling. Unrepentant, self serving, disrespectful ponce. It's a damn shame he and his sidekick Kash get a chance to reinfect the sport.