Missing Alejandro

kitten2010
kitten2010 Posts: 211
edited June 2010 in Pro race
Is anyone else missing Alejandro as much as me and Lady Gaga?

This dull as dish water Dauphine would have been a million times more interesting with him in there winning stages and spicing up the race.

Comments

  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    kitten2010 wrote:
    Is anyone else missing Alejandro as much as me and Lady Gaga?

    This dull as dish water Dauphine would have been a million times more interesting with him in there winning stages and spicing up the race.

    valv has just turned down a deal from UCI according to one website , a deal where he would keep his wins and be back next August...he has an appeal in the works so has stuck with the appeal. I think he's a great cyclist ..drugs or not. If he wanted he could have been a Freire type no problem... but he's good enough to win grand tours...he better than Kelly talent wise, and in the top 3 one day riders in the world. A sprinter who is one of the best climbers.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    Dave_1 wrote:
    kitten2010 wrote:
    Is anyone else missing Alejandro as much as me and Lady Gaga?

    This dull as dish water Dauphine would have been a million times more interesting with him in there winning stages and spicing up the race.

    valv has just turned down a deal from UCI according to one website , a deal where he would keep his wins and be back next August...he has an appeal in the works so has stuck with the appeal. I think he's a great cyclist ..drugs or not. If he wanted he could have been a Freire type no problem... but he's good enough to win grand tours...he's better than Kelly , and in the top 3 one day riders in the world. A sprinter who is one of the best climbers.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • csp
    csp Posts: 777
    Dave_1 wrote:
    Dave_1 wrote:
    kitten2010 wrote:
    Is anyone else missing Alejandro as much as me and Lady Gaga?

    This dull as dish water Dauphine would have been a million times more interesting with him in there winning stages and spicing up the race.

    valv has just turned down a deal from UCI according to one website , a deal where he would keep his wins and be back next August...he has an appeal in the works so has stuck with the appeal. I think he's a great cyclist ..drugs or not. If he wanted he could have been a Freire type no problem... but he's good enough to win grand tours...he's better than Kelly , and in the top 3 one day riders in the world. A sprinter who is one of the best climbers.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,474
    I don't miss him one bit. If he wants to keep racing he should avoid cheating, no?
  • ratsbeyfus
    ratsbeyfus Posts: 2,841
    good riddance to him.

    I had one of them red bikes but I don't any more. Sad face.

    @ratsbey
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I'm not missing him. Everytime I saw him in a race I felt a bit sick.

    If he does a ban and comes back that will be fine.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Bakunin
    Bakunin Posts: 868
    kitten2010 wrote:
    Is anyone else missing Alejandro as much as me and Lady Gaga?

    This dull as dish water Dauphine would have been a million times more interesting with him in there winning stages and spicing up the race.

    I agree -- he was fun to watch. One of my faves.

    He also had to go.
  • kitten2010
    kitten2010 Posts: 211
    iainf72 wrote:
    I'm not missing him. Everytime I saw him in a race I felt a bit sick.

    If he does a ban and comes back that will be fine.

    You felt abit sick!!!!! I wouldn't take it that seriously!

    If he comes back after the ban, will you welcome him like Ricco, the chicken and Vino then? Or more like Basso
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    kitten2010 wrote:

    If he comes back after the ban, will you welcome him like Ricco, the chicken and Vino then? Or more like Basso

    All of them. I didn't like Vino or Ricco before ban, so won't like them afterwards. But they've done their bans and are free to race.

    Same as Valverde. Not really a fan but if he comes back I won't moan about it (much)

    Basso can do no wrong though :wink:

    I think the fellows on the Velocast podcast put it best. If they dope, yeah, I can get that and it won't ruin my enjoyment of cycling. But when they rub my face in it, I get a bit annoyed. Or something like that.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • kitten2010
    kitten2010 Posts: 211
    iainf72 wrote:
    kitten2010 wrote:

    If he comes back after the ban, will you welcome him like Ricco, the chicken and Vino then? Or more like Basso

    All of them. I didn't like Vino or Ricco before ban, so won't like them afterwards. But they've done their bans and are free to race.

    Same as Valverde. Not really a fan but if he comes back I won't moan about it (much)

    Basso can do no wrong though :wink:

    I think the fellows on the Velocast podcast put it best. If they dope, yeah, I can get that and it won't ruin my enjoyment of cycling. But when they rub my face in it, I get a bit annoyed. Or something like that.

    Thats fair I suppose, must be difficult for Alejandro though, may have been clean for several years since the offence he has been collared for.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,474
    Not that old chestnut. Funny how his level of performance didn't drop since 2006 isn't it?

    I've no problem with him coming back, but his protestations of innocence are pathetic. His blood, containing EPO, was being stored by a doctor running a doping ring. He was caught bang to rights.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    andyp wrote:
    Not that old chestnut. Funny how his level of performance didn't drop since 2006 isn't it?

    I've no problem with him coming back, but his protestations of innocence are pathetic. His blood, containing EPO, was being stored by a doctor running a doping ring. He was caught bang to rights.

    I agree. Though, Basso, Vino, Millar post ban have me wondering if the drugs work as well as everyone says, assuming some of them are clean.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,811
    I know that you took drugs, and I know that you may not be sorry, but I just can't see you winning races anymore....

    ALEJANDRO!
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    I can't explain why in a rational way as its just emotion, but I like Basso whilst I detest Ricco. I want to hate Vino but there's something about him that makes me like him. I was rather neutral about Valverde until he dodged the ban. I don’t like him but I do feel sorry for the Chicken, he seems to have been singled out for special treatment, again for a guy that never tested positive, just had lousy geography. I am positive he was (is?) as bent as a nine bob note but is it fair he can’t get a job?

    With specific regard to Valverde over the last couple of years, is there another sport where participants would compete alongside someone they know has cheated and there would be so little public complaint, I know Valverde has the Spanish doping mafia to support him but can it be right that there isn’t general and oft stated public disgust from the bulk of the Peloton about him continuing to ride?

    One thing that I keep coming back to when I think about all that’s gone on is if the micro dosing of EPO works, and is effectively undetectable with a quality medical programme, why would Basso stop. Like Valverde he got caught in a roundabout way, he never tested positive so whatever he was doing was working and was hidden, he just needs to be much more careful about who he trusts with his blood. I’m supposed to believe he’s seen the light and changed his ways, rather than it’s the seemingly minimal risk of getting caught that now makes him clean? I can’t believe that because if I thought he’d really changed his ways then I think he’d be more outspoken about the cheating still going on.

    As to the specific question I don't miss Valverde.
  • William H
    William H Posts: 61
    Boring defensive rider, even on drugs.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    anyone softened their view on Vino? I feel I am starting to. His Giro was good but not the same as 3 years before...you've got to like the devil may care attitude he brings at times...and I suppose the open letter was as close as he could come without some tosser starting another investigation into who helped him blood dope etc
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • ratsbeyfus
    ratsbeyfus Posts: 2,841
    Dave_1 wrote:
    anyone softened their view on Vino? I feel I am starting to. His Giro was good but not the same as 3 years before...you've got to like the devil may care attitude he brings at times...and I suppose the open letter was as close as he could come without some tosser starting another investigation into who helped him blood dope etc

    I have... he's done his time as the rules state at the moment so good luck to him. Saying that, I also understand why he gets the comedy booing from the spectators, and I'd probably join in with 'em just for the fun of it! :)

    I had one of them red bikes but I don't any more. Sad face.

    @ratsbey
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    Dave_1 wrote:
    anyone softened their view on Vino? I feel I am starting to. His Giro was good but not the same as 3 years before...you've got to like the devil may care attitude he brings at times...and I suppose the open letter was as close as he could come without some tosser starting another investigation into who helped him blood dope etc

    As I said above I like Vino even though I don't want to. But Dave, "some tosser starting another investigation......" Do you mean the authorities in France, the country with sporting fraud laws, Vino didn't have to visit but chose to, if he doesn't like French law don't visit France.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    I am not missing him. It would be nice to have him in the races but the sport does not revolve around him and fortunately there are many other riders like him, maybe not as good, but certainly enough to provide excellent entertainment. He will come back to win with aggression and style, and I imagine will have more motivation.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    dougzz wrote:
    Dave_1 wrote:
    anyone softened their view on Vino? I feel I am starting to. His Giro was good but not the same as 3 years before...you've got to like the devil may care attitude he brings at times...and I suppose the open letter was as close as he could come without some tosser starting another investigation into who helped him blood dope etc

    As I said above I like Vino even though I don't want to. But Dave, "some tosser starting another investigation......" Do you mean the authorities in France, the country with sporting fraud laws, Vino didn't have to visit but chose to, if he doesn't like French law don't visit France.

    we've got about 10 investigations going on into the sport just now. Cycling is doing more than other sports but has the authorities all over it , just expressing a little frustration at that.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • Dgh
    Dgh Posts: 180
    I don't miss him one little bit. He either doped or was preparing to dope, he got caught, and he didn't have the character to fess up. It then takes years for anyone other than the Italians to ban him. And we wonder why cycling lack credibility.

    If he'd fessed up, done his time and come back clean, I might have welcomed him back. That's the difference between him and someone like David Millar, who when we talks about doping seems to recongise that he was the tosser rather than taking us the fans for tossers. That's the impression I get from Ricco, and Vino, and Basso, and Valverde (and the vast majority of Spain's cycling establishment).

    Re the EPO micro-dosing, it seems from what Millar said that people could get away with that a few years back, and from what Frei has said that, with a few precautions, they still can. I suspect that a combination of the biological passport and police activity will catch as many big fish in the future as testing will.

    In summary, he does a lot fo harm to cycling, and let's nto even pretend that he's that good a racer. 1 major tour and 2 classics do not an all-time great make.
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    Dave_1 wrote:
    we've got about 10 investigations going on into the sport just now. Cycling is doing more than other sports but has the authorities all over it , just expressing a little frustration at that.

    It's frustrating alright, but it'll never stop until it's properly sorted out, and the half truth puny UCI investigations achieve little. Cycling has a big problem because the PED's really work. I'm sure other sports have problems, but only in full on endurance sports like cycling can PEDs have such an effect. I don't want to get into the whole Landis crapheap, but maybe it'll lead to real house cleaning and a brighter future :)

    Cripes, there was a pig in the sky ;)
  • The Prodigy
    The Prodigy Posts: 832
    frenchfighter wrote:
    I am not missing him. It would be nice to have him in the races but the sport does not revolve around him and fortunately there are many other riders like him, maybe not as good, but certainly enough to provide excellent entertainment. He will come back to win with aggression and style, and I imagine will have more motivation.

    Valverde did add a different dimension to some races though which I don't think anyone else can replicate. He has by far the best sprint amongst the climbers, so him being in a race does sort of enourage the climbers to push that bit harder. They know if they take him to the finish he is going to jump them on the line every time. If there are tme bonuses on offer even more important to get rid of him.
  • guv001
    guv001 Posts: 688
    no

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