Richard Virenque

Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase Posts: 558
edited October 2012 in Pro race
Sorry if this has already been raised:

Now Armstrong has been rightly stripped of his seven Tour de France winners jerseys and asked to repay his winnings, will the same apply to Richard Virenque regarding his seven Tour de France King of the Mountains jerseys?

I suspect not. Despite being a convicted cheater, the French still adore Virenque.
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Comments

  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Armstrong could, just like VDV, Zabriskie etc., get a reduction in his penalty if he cooperated. He chose not to.
  • MrT
    MrT Posts: 260
    I'm not that sure RV "co-operated" as such. I seem to recall he had a haircut in order to further his boyish credentials..went to court and all the French media possible.....cried and kept saying je suis desole a lot...then carried on as if nothing had ever happened. Except the French public loved him even more.C'est la vie n'est pas?
  • liquor box
    liquor box Posts: 184
    Cannock Chase wrote:
    Sorry if this has already been raised:

    Now Armstrong has been rightly stripped of his seven Tour de France winners jerseys and asked to repay his winnings, will the same apply to Richard Virenque regarding his seven Tour de France King of the Mountains jerseys?

    I suspect not. Despite being a convicted cheater, the French still adore Virenque.
    yet another tainted cyclist that brings back fond memories. I wish clean cyclist were just as exciting
  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    He's still the darling of the French Housewife. All jersies will be kept.
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    liquor box wrote:
    Cannock Chase wrote:
    Sorry if this has already been raised:

    Now Armstrong has been rightly stripped of his seven Tour de France winners jerseys and asked to repay his winnings, will the same apply to Richard Virenque regarding his seven Tour de France King of the Mountains jerseys?

    I suspect not. Despite being a convicted cheater, the French still adore Virenque.
    yet another tainted cyclist that brings back fond memories. I wish clean cyclist were just as exciting


    Did you not see Bradder's sprint finish at Romandie??? :)
  • Nick Fitt
    Nick Fitt Posts: 381
    I went into Virenque's LBS once, written on the wall of the customer toilet was "hey Richard, the syringe is under the seat". And yup, he was still racing at this time.
  • liquor box
    liquor box Posts: 184
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    liquor box wrote:
    Cannock Chase wrote:
    Sorry if this has already been raised:

    Now Armstrong has been rightly stripped of his seven Tour de France winners jerseys and asked to repay his winnings, will the same apply to Richard Virenque regarding his seven Tour de France King of the Mountains jerseys?

    I suspect not. Despite being a convicted cheater, the French still adore Virenque.
    yet another tainted cyclist that brings back fond memories. I wish clean cyclist were just as exciting


    Did you not see Bradder's sprint finish at Romandie??? :)
    Yes, but I also recently watched the video of Pantani at the TDF and I wish for the days when you could attack from 11 miles from the finish uphill 4 days in a row!

    After hearing that d'huez is going to be climbed twice I was excited, but then realised that Sky will just use up Rogers and Porte the first time around and stop any contenders competing and then Wiggins will guide Froome up the second time and there will be attacks in the last 200m of the race. I am looking forward to next years race, but have realised that all of the stages I am looking forward to are based on old memories that cannot be recreated anymore.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,538
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    liquor box wrote:
    Cannock Chase wrote:
    Sorry if this has already been raised:

    Now Armstrong has been rightly stripped of his seven Tour de France winners jerseys and asked to repay his winnings, will the same apply to Richard Virenque regarding his seven Tour de France King of the Mountains jerseys?

    I suspect not. Despite being a convicted cheater, the French still adore Virenque.
    yet another tainted cyclist that brings back fond memories. I wish clean cyclist were just as exciting


    Did you not see Bradder's sprint finish at Romandie??? :)

    Or the new, clean Contador attack from miles out in the Vuelta.
  • Nick Fitt
    Nick Fitt Posts: 381
    Pross wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    liquor box wrote:
    Cannock Chase wrote:
    Sorry if this has already been raised:

    Now Armstrong has been rightly stripped of his seven Tour de France winners jerseys and asked to repay his winnings, will the same apply to Richard Virenque regarding his seven Tour de France King of the Mountains jerseys?

    I suspect not. Despite being a convicted cheater, the French still adore Virenque.
    yet another tainted cyclist that brings back fond memories. I wish clean cyclist were just as exciting


    Did you not see Bradder's sprint finish at Romandie??? :)

    Or the new, clean Contador attack from miles out in the Vuelta.

    He'll be going from the gun
  • Harry Thorpe
    Harry Thorpe Posts: 34
    True cycling was far more exciting in the old days, 2012 was the most boring tour I have ever seen!
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Pross wrote:

    Or the new, clean Contador attack from miles out in the Vuelta.

    Why do people still see that attack as a solo, 'back in the 90's-attack' when it was nothing like it. The man was solo for 15 km and he lost 2 minutes on being that..
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    All jersies will be kept.
    The likely response from the French
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBUl7oT9sA
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • ratherbeintobago
    ratherbeintobago Posts: 636
    Unless Virenque gets dragged into the USADA investigation, he'll be keeping the jerseys. He served his (slightly desultory) ban following the Festina affair, and I'm not sure he can either be retrospectively published again for this, or punished for subsequent alleged dopage without new evidence. Feelings of the French public not all that relevant.

    A better question is how come Leipheimer has avoided a life ban for a second offence?
    On twitter
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    ratherbeintobago wrote:
    Unless Virenque gets dragged into the USADA investigation, he'll be keeping the jerseys. He served his (slightly desultory) ban following the Festina affair, and I'm not sure he can either be retrospectively published again for this, or punished for subsequent alleged dopage without new evidence. Feelings of the French public not all that relevant.

    A better question is how come Leipheimer has avoided a life ban for a second offence?


    Very good question. Wouldnt be surprised to see Bottle retiring now
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,538
    ThomThom wrote:
    Pross wrote:

    Or the new, clean Contador attack from miles out in the Vuelta.

    Why do people still see that attack as a solo, 'back in the 90's-attack' when it was nothing like it. The man was solo for 15 km and he lost 2 minutes on being that..

    Who said it was solo? It was a long break for a favourite to get in though no matter how you look at it.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    He attacked for 3-4 km with 50 km to go of the stage. Bridged a massive group with several teammates, did little for 20 km. Then went with Tirralongo with 30 km to go of the stage - went solo with 20 km to go - lost about 2 minutes on the last 20 km.

    Nothing suspicious about it. At all.

    Exellent tactics, though.

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