Ricco

Doobz

Some more pics

dulldave

pedro118118 wrote:

As the rules stand, he's served his ban and is entitled to ride again (within the rules) - same as the other former dopers in the peloton, including the rather more articulate David Millar. Seems charm paves the way for forgiveness.

That's a rather simplistic way of putting it. Millar hasn't been forgiven because of his charm. It's because he's taken an active role in changing the culture of cycling.

AndyRubio

Pic of him looking satanic in the mag:



He's pure evil and a bit of a twat as far as I can tell but I kinda hope he wins the Giro too. Go figure.

pedro118118

I'm sorry, but I don't buy this "David Miller is a Saint" business. Who knows what would have happened had he not been caught. Would he still be cheating now? He didn't confess, he was caught red-handed. Prior to that he swore blind he had no involvement in doping practices. Sure, people change, but everyone deserves a second chance, even Ricco. That fact that he's a t0sser is immaterial.

Brian B

Not really a fan of Ricco but apart from him being universally hated in the pro peleton I think he deserves a second chance. Would like to see him do something big and clean(like Basso's interview in cyclesport about the Giro) but think as he has always doped will find it hard to compete with the other big names. Saying that he is a character and love him or hate him he will always get more attention by the media than he really deserves.

jerry3571

I'm fascinated by the way riders come back from a ban as they always seem to come back with a whimper. If Basso was back to his best then he would have wopped the other in the Tours and would have been up there with Contador and no problems.
I don't buy the "Ah, well, to be sure, to be sure, this rider needs a few more Tours before he can Constitantly start winning again" not a Sean Kelly impression for sure!!??
I'm sure that doping is graded to whatever performance you want.
I think the chance of getting caught is more if you choose the high Octane lifestyle; unless you ride under Bruyneel and you can do what you like.

I like to use drinks as an expression of how doped a rider is; ie-

Evian- the rider is as pure as a Mountain Breeze.
Diet Coke- A bit of stimulant to keep up with things.
Full fat Coke- Interested in getting up there and at the business end of things.
High Caffeine sugar thing drink- Maybe a few riders are on this to ensure a good result; the Doctors will be throwing the drugs cabinet at you;as long as it doesn't show up, fingers crossed.

A Tour de France rider may be on Evian at the Tour of Quatar, Diet Coke at the Paris-Nice, Coke at the Dauphine and Red B%ll at the Tour de France.


-Jerry

PS- I once watched Jan Ullrich throughout the Giro, Tour of Switz', then Tour de France.
He went from fatty (he still won a stage), soft looking in Switz (which he won), to vein infested super lean machine in the Tour. The progress between the Tour of Switz' to the Tour was amazing; couldn't believe my eyes when he showed up at the Tour; all now found to be drug induced though-diet pills. Ta Da!!

Neil Buckley

Brian B completly agree he doesnt deserve sod all from anyone, he had the last say on that needle going into him, I hope he fucks off like the rest of the doping scum, hes a arrogant twat, least Millar is repenting and educating and yes all the arguments on getting caught etc etc but for him winning the Giro are you for real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hope he falls of the face of the earth, I want a CLEAN rider, I love it when dopers come back and cant smack a donkeys arse with a banjo, proves a point and I hope anyone else who dopes in 2010 has nothing but bad luck on return......plus if you were I sponsor why would you want to have Ricco, Landis etc linked to you product, thank god for Garmin (i.e Tom Zirbel)

frenchfighter

There is an interview with Cavendish in the Gazzetta and in there he talks about Ricco. Doesn't think much about him and calls him a parasite.

singlespeedexplosif

There is an interview with Cavendish in the Gazzetta and in there he talks about Ricco. Doesn't think much about him and calls him a parasite.

...and yet he appears to be a big fan of Armstrong...!

thamacdaddy

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/ja ... cco-return

Good one in the guardian of cav giving it both barrels to Ricco.

Gotta say though the article is also poorly written towards the end as it kind of suggests millar got caught at the same time by using forced to leave the race along with ricco rather than forced to leave the sport before.

Dgh

Personally I don't understand the hate towards him. He's young, he's outspoken, he's uber-talented... people use those adjectives to describe Cavendish in a good way. Apart from the drug taking, what's the difference?

Quite an important difference, isn't it?

frenchfighter

Cav wont be competing against him so he should keep his mouth closed.

stfc1

frenchfighter wrote:

Cav wont be competing against him so he should keep his mouth closed.

If Cav is only allowed to criticise Ricco for selfish reasons (not that I agree with you there), then he actually makes the point in Procycling that when a CERA-fuelled Ricco shoots off up a mountain the way he does, that has a direct impact on how hard Cav and anyone else in the bus has to ride to beat the time limit.

moray_gub

frenchfighter wrote:

Cav wont be competing against him so he should keep his mouth closed.

He has an opinion and he is expressing like you or i it i dont see why he shouldnt do so just becuase he is a sprinter and the other is a climber.

thamacdaddy

frenchfighter wrote:

Cav wont be competing against him so he should keep his mouth closed.

Did you read the article?

The point he is making is that unlike most caught for cheating Ricco actually doesn't care, doesn't think he did cheat or do anything wrong and in his opinion people like that disgust him. It's not even that outspoken as he stops short of suggesting he should have a life ban for it but does say the arrogance of not caring what he did or others are doing to the sport disgusts him and to be honest I don't think there is anything wrong in saying that.

I don't think he should only comment if he is a climber or GC competitor. I am sure it is in his book how sick he felt that day watching Ricco zoom off the front and how everyone knew it was unreal and how much pressure that put on everyone in the peloton.

pedro118118

He deserves his second-chance like everyone else - irrespective of whether he's a t00l or whether Cav approves of him or not. A return to the pro-peleton is not conditional on producing a tearful snivvelling public apology. He admitted his guilt, served his ban. Let's move on. If Cav's intent on picking out every rider in the peleton with a questionable past and a dodgy attitude, then he's in for a shock...

afx237vi

Indeed...

LangerDan

Didn't that guy with Cav used to be in "A Flock of Seagulls"?

DaveyL

I think it's Vic Reeves's sidekick...

stfc1

pedro118118 wrote:

He deserves his second-chance like everyone else - irrespective of whether he's a t00l or whether Cav approves of him or not. A return to the pro-peloton is not conditional on producing a tearful snivvelling public apology. He admitted his guilt, served his ban. Let's move on. If Cav's intent on picking out every rider in the peloton with a questionable past and a dodgy attitude, then he's in for a shock...

I don't remember saying he shouldn't return, I just defended Cavendish's right to have an opinion on the matter. None of this is giving me sleepless nights.

thamacdaddy

Agree 100% chill out a bit pedro!

Langer you joking about saying that guy? You me Zabel?

LangerDan

thamacdaddy wrote:

Agree 100% chill out a bit pedro!

Langer you joking about saying that guy? You me Zabel?

I'm fully aware of who Cav's sprint coach is.

DanielFriebe

http://www.bikeradar.com/blogs/article/ ... next-24644

New blog on Riccò, the Procycling cover, Cav etc.

Doobz

Love this about what he said about Cav..

“He said that? Ok, I’ll take the punishment. Not only on the bike but the punches as well. I’ll keep quiet [laughs]. But I don’t even know him! And he doesn’t know me. How can he say something like that?! He’s really gone overboard this time…”

“What’s his name again?… Cavendish, that’s it” –

“I’m sorry for him,” Riccò says. “He should rest and look after his stomach. Maybe he doesn’t realize that I’ll come back having served a justified ban, and not because I’ve been granted some kind of mercy.”

frenchfighter

Threats of violence are very poor show and do not set a good example to the younger kids. I'm hoping Ricco can still attack hard and fast on occasion, providing a good viewing spectacle.

dennisn

frenchfighter wrote:

Threats of violence are very poor show and do not set a good example to the younger kids. I'm hoping Ricco can still attack hard and fast on occasion, providing a good viewing spectacle.

You surprise me ff. I would have thought you would be harder on him.

frenchfighter

thamacdaddy

LangerDan wrote:

thamacdaddy wrote:

Agree 100% chill out a bit pedro!

Langer you joking about saying that guy? You me Zabel?

I'm fully aware of who Cav's sprint coach is.

I didn't doubt you for a second!!!!

aarw

I'm sorry, but implying that Ricco's drug taking didn't effect Cav or anyone other than the climbers he was competing against is just short sighted and ignorant. When a rider decides to dope the repercussions effect everyone in cycling, from their competitors in the TDF,to the mechanic in your local bike shop, to the volunteer in your club trying to introduce kids into the sport.They don't just damage their own reputation, but the entire team that supported them and the sport as a whole.
Ricco is a knob end, but that's not why I dislike him. Jose Mourinho was a knob end too, but even as a Liverpool fan I thought he was great, his arrogance was entertaining and he was a character. Ricco is without doubt a character too, but it's his lack of remorse that he shows will mean it's a long time before he is welcomed back into this sport.

teagar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WPPSDMV6uQ

Tankink beat him to it.

(rough)Translation:

He's heard Ricco's been thrown out of the Tour for doping:

"What would you say to Ricco if you saw him now?"

Tankink "I'd hit him. I already hit him actually, I was quite pleased, in the decent, he's a sackfull of puss." etc.

Legend.