Basso interview in new Cycle Sport

iainf72

Worth a read I'd say. One of the more interesting Basso interviews with a fair bit of Puerto tastic stuff and a good closing statement

"It'd be nice to sit down this time next year and talk about how I won the Giro clean"

He also puts his poor TT'ing this year down to, in part, not being very flexible.

pinerellopaul

i agree had a flick through in WHS, also interesting what he said about who would be leading the team for grand tours

moray_gub

iainf72 wrote:

Worth a read I'd say
"It'd be nice to sit down this time next year and talk about how I won the Giro clean"

.

Has he admitted to doping to win the 06 Giro then ? If not then why make a big deal out of sitting down to talk about something he has already done ?

SpaceJunk

Moray Gub wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Worth a read I'd say
"It'd be nice to sit down this time next year and talk about how I won the Giro clean"

.

Has he admitted to doping to win the 06 Giro then ? If not then why make a big deal out of sitting down to talk about something he has already done ?

It's a good point you make Moray.

I don't think I could be bothered reading another Ricco / Basso / Hamilton etc interview. I'm past it.

The last ProCycling I got was the one that had a header line about Landis (Sept ??). Anyway, I didn't even bother reading the article; skipped right through it.

I think I've moved on.

iainf72

Moray Gub wrote:

Has he admitted to doping to win the 06 Giro then ? If not then why make a big deal out of sitting down to talk about something he has already done ?

Yes, that's the question. Why not say "how I won the Giro again"?

calvjones

iainf72 wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

Has he admitted to doping to win the 06 Giro then ? If not then why make a big deal out of sitting down to talk about something he has already done ?

Yes, that's the question. Why not say "how I won the Giro again"?

As long as that Giro remains on his palmares he has to sit down with journos who know he doped, with him knowing they know he doped, and the journo knowing he knows they know.

Etc.

So he'll only ever be a clean liar. If that.

iainf72

calvjones wrote:

As long as that Giro remains on his palmares he has to sit down with journos who know he doped, with him knowing they know he doped, and the journo knowing he knows they know.

Etc.

So he'll only ever be a clean liar. If that.

So do you propose giving the Giro victory to the Buffalo?

Kléber

Basso freely admits he lied. When asked about the lies, the CS interview has him saying "I didn't want to be the only idiot who was caught" according to ace hack Lionel Birnie.

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

Basso freely admits he lied. When asked about the lies, the CS interview has him saying "I didn't want to be the only idiot who was caught" according to ace hack Lionel Birnie.

Ace hack Stephen Farrand actually.

What did you think of the interview K?

Kléber

I didn't read it, I was only quoting Birnie who mentioned Farrand's article. I presume the article goes in depth and avoids the usual "I am serene about the past and look forward to a calm and professional 2010 " Basso talk.

Moomaloid

Yep thats pretty much it. not very in depth but Farrand did a good job. Good issue of CS this month. PC was disappointing..

iainf72

I thought the question when they asked him where he put himself on the spectrum of dopers, with Vino, the Chicken and Landis being at the bad end, and Millar being at the good end was a good one. And his response was that a year ago he'd have put himself in the bad end of the spectrum, however he doesn't feel needs to be a spokesmen for the fight against doping.

He's apparently also a lot better in the Aldo Sassi tests than he was at the same time a year ago.

"If people want to hate me, there's nothing I can do about it. But I don't feel I have to explain things to them"

rokkala

iainf72 wrote:

He also puts his poor TT'ing this year down to, in part, not being very flexible.

Think he said he was actually about 8cm away from touching his toes? Not the first professional cyclist i've seen that seems to take a very lazy approach to stretching and flexibility, wasn't Frank Schleck another up until recently?

Don't understand how some professional athletes think it is something they can take for granted, in a sport where everybody is looking for the tiniest of advantages.

moray_gub

iainf72 wrote:

I thought the question when they asked him where he put himself on the spectrum of dopers, with Vino, the Chicken and Landis being at the bad end, and Millar being at the good end was a good one. And his response was that a year ago he'd have put himself in the bad end of the spectrum, however he doesn't feel needs to be a spokesmen for the fight against doping.

He's apparently also a lot better in the Aldo Sassi tests than he was at the same time a year ago.

"If people want to hate me, there's nothing I can do about it. But I don't feel I have to explain things to them"

I get the feeling with Ivan he feels he needs to be liked i dont think anybody hates him as such maybe more sceptical towards his achievments rather than hate. I like Basso always did but i do find irratating his "if i am not as good as i was line" that he trots out from time to time. He needs to let it go he got caught move on people will decide what they want to decide regarding his perfomances past and present and future.

moray_gub

iainf72 wrote:

calvjones wrote:

As long as that Giro remains on his palmares he has to sit down with journos who know he doped, with him knowing they know he doped, and the journo knowing he knows they know.

Etc.

So he'll only ever be a clean liar. If that.

So do you propose giving the Giro victory to the Buffalo?

Basso won that Giro whether its fair and square is a matter of debate and we will never know for sure. Id like to give him the benefit of doubt but i dont think others would be so generous, anyway going back years and changing podiums does not serve any purpose imo.

Kléber

MG, he's admitted how he won the race.

moray_gub

Kléber wrote:

MG, he's admitted how he won the race.

Yea he finished minutes ahead of everyone else !

dave_1

being flying distance from the nearest international newsagent, I am curious to read this interview... from reading Kleber's comments "MG, he's admitted how he won the race" it reads like Basso admits doping at the 06 Giro! Can anyone summarise or post up a link or someting?