Curse of the Jersey Squared

calvjones

So after Valverde wins the World Champ RR (being in great form and with a course that suits him down to the ground) he'll get banned by CAS in January for Puerto DNA and either be out until spring 2011 or end-of 2011.

The WC jersey would then never appear in an race.

1. Has this ever happened before?

2. Wont' it be really, really embarrassing for cycling, or will no one notice?

Kléber

Brochard got ejected mid-season with his rainbow jersey. Who knows if Valverde wins but if he cops a full ban it will look stupid even without a rainbow jersey.

The worlds has become an end of season classic, it's just a one-day test of who's good on a hard circuit amongst the dwindling number of riders who can be bothered to keep in shape for the end of the year. I wish the race could be moved back to August.

Pokerface

Kléber wrote:

Brochard got ejected mid-season with his rainbow jersey. Who knows if Valverde wins but if he cops a full ban it will look stupid even without a rainbow jersey.

The worlds has become an end of season classic, it's just a one-day test of who's good on a hard circuit amongst the dwindling number of riders who can be bothered to keep in shape for the end of the year. I wish the race could be moved back to August.

Maybe they should run it mid-season. Like a week before the Tour. When everyone important is in full flight and in peak condition. As you say - a one day classic and would suit everyone as a final tune-up for the Tour!

Would never happen....

andyp

I believe Laurent Fignon has been proposing that date for the Worlds, i.e. a week before the Tour, for some time. It makes much more sense than the end of September.

Back to Valverde, will he be allowed to ride? The UCI could take a stand and say until the CAS verdict on his case comes through he's illegible to ride. What are the chances of that happening?

I also understand that the Spanish team are staying in a hotel in Italy rather than one in Switzerland. I wonder what the Italian authorties will make of that?

iainf72

andyp wrote:

Back to Valverde, will he be allowed to ride? The UCI could take a stand and say until the CAS verdict on his case comes through he's illegible to ride. What are the chances of that happening?

The UCI have gone the other way and said until the CAS thing is resolved he's free to ride.

stagehopper

And there's two CAS cases pending:

Valverde has appealed about the validity/legality of the CONI ban.

The UCI has appealed about the Spanish Federation not banning Valverde after the CONI ban (which would then allow them to extend it worldwide).

andyp

iainf72 wrote:

The UCI have gone the other way and said until the CAS thing is resolved he's free to ride.

That was then, this is now. It's not like the UCI are consistent or anything. Imagine the embarrassment if their one big event is won by a rider whose ban is extended shortly afterwards.

Political expediency is the name of the game and McQuaid et al are well practised in that.

takethehighroad

Even if he was banned in January will it not be from when he was banned by the Italians ?

Monty Dog

Just got to hope that the Squadra Azzuri all get behind Damiano

TommyEss

andyp wrote:

I also understand that the Spanish team are staying in a hotel in Italy rather than one in Switzerland. I wonder what the Italian authorties will make of that?

If you'd been looking at hotels around Mendrisio like I have, you'd be staying in Italy too...!

I dunno really - "there's no smoke etc. etc."

It's getting harder and harder to support these guys isn't it? Everytime I talk to non-cycling mates it's either RLJing or drugs.

I'm just hoping for 4 decent days of cycling, and a good show from the Brits.

Fingers crossed for Pooley in the TT, and Wiggins and Millar like-wise. Hopefully Nicole's recovered sufficiently from whatever struck her a few weeks back - she should certainly be pretty used to the roads round there - isn't she based just down the road in Varese? Pooley should be pretty useful on the road course too.

As for the gents - not sure we'll have a rainbow jersey, but hopefully we can get at least Millar and Wiggo sitting in the front group (no reason for them to work hard really, is there)

afx237vi

calvjones wrote:

2. Wont' it be really, really embarrassing for cycling, or will no one notice?

It was already really, really embarrassing when he won the Volta a Catalunya. In May.

stagehopper

TommyEss wrote:

Fingers crossed for Pooley in the TT, and Wiggins and Millar like-wise. Hopefully Nicole's recovered sufficiently from whatever struck her a few weeks back - she should certainly be pretty used to the roads round there - isn't she based just down the road in Varese? Pooley should be pretty useful on the road course too.

Cooke's based in Lugano so knows the roads very well (Mendrisio is roughly halfway between Lugano and Varese). She was in great form until this bug hit her during the Thuringen Rundfahrt stage race she pulled out of very early. Also ditched from the Ardeche Tour last week.

Pooley specialises in logn breaks on tough courses so this could just be perfect for her particularly if she maintains her superb form this year. Armistead is also maturing rapidly - came third on GC in Ardeche + stage win and other top 3 finishes, best young rider + points jersey.

finchy

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Even if he was banned in January will it not be from when he was banned by the Italians ?

Probably not, seeing as he's been allowed to race anywhere but Italy since then,