Discovery Channel
Comments
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I agree McNamara, there seems to be an ethical split in procycling at the moment not only involving the governing bodies\race organisers, but concerning teams wanting a new start T-Mobile, CSC & the old world Discovery, Astana, who it seems to me are carrying on as if Opercion puerto never happened.
Johan Bruyneel, has signed Basso with one thing in mind, to win the TDF, with all the benefits attrituble to such a win, as long as there are directeur sportifs around like him, cycling will struggle to gain credibility with the greater public.0 -
Uros Murn from Slovenia (new DC rider) had horrible accident yesterday![:(]0
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by McNamara</i>
As US Postal this team used to be my favourite. However, of late I have lost faith in them as they appear to be sailing very close to the wind with the signing of Basso and now Contador training with them.
I McNamara
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I cannot wait for Johan Bruyneels book... "How I breeched the unwritten Pro-Tour managers code of conduct"
He has no respect from me anymore.
http://fenlandclarioncc.wordpress.com/0 -
what exactly has he "breeched" jimmy? has basso been proven guilty of something yet? basso's own country has cleared him, have they not?
<http://www.doperssuck.com>0 -
Bruyneel wanted Basso out of the Tour when it all kicked off. Then there was an agreement that ProTour teams (incld Disco) would not hire any riders conected to Op Puerto.
I think at best Bruyneel is a hypocrite. Also Lance is part owner and has a huge say in the running. For a man who proclaimed a tough anti doping stance it seems strange that he would agree to then hire Basso.
Bassos fed have cleared him based on the very limited information that they have. There is still a considerable amount of evidence still tied up in Spain in a criminal investigation. The evidence to date is circumstantial but it is also very close to linking him to fuentes. If new evidence comes out here then Basso gets suspended AGAIN.0 -
Well i suppose that there is a deal of hypocrasy in Disco signing the likes of Basso and Contador but lets get serious here, both these riders are top pros and a Giro and Grand Boucle without Basso would dimimish these evewnts. The top races must surely include the best riders. [8]0
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bob Spit</i>
what exactly has he "breeched" jimmy? has basso been proven guilty of something yet? basso's own country has cleared him, have they not?
<http://www.doperssuck.com>
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Riders implicated were not being signed by Protour teams... his fate in the Spanish investigation is not known, therefore for me the code is breeched. Why would the other DS's be so angry if they all felt they could sign him?
I just feel that because Disco is an English speaking team that they get more slack from English speaking cycling fans.
http://fenlandclarioncc.wordpress.com/0 -
Are we going to fall into the trap of condemning riders who are yet to be proved guilty of any offence? It may be that certain riders are quaking in their racing shoes about what the final outcome of 'Puerto' may be but until that time it's wrong to stop riders from earning a living in their chosen profession because of hearsay and circumstantial evidence.
The Protour teams, having an unwritten code of conduct regarding 'implicated' riders, are themselves in breach of the law concerning free trade and employment and as such could be open to prosecution under European law.
Now, I agree that at best Johan Bruyneel has been guilty of duplicity by calling for Basso to be removed from the 2006 Tour De France, agreeing with other Directeurs not to sign certain riders and then snapping up Basso when the chance came but cycling, whether we agree with it or not, has always had characters who have sailed close to the wind in terms of ethics and who have generally been held in disregard by many fans (although he did oversee the greatest run of Tour victories in the history of the sport). Thats Cycling and the 2006/07 season will eventually fade into the annals of the sport in the same way that every other 'cause celebe' has in the past.
While disagreeing entirely with drugs in sport, I find the new anti-drug stance of certain teams to be quite suspect considering their own past and the histories of some of the personnel involved. The constant banging on in a certain publication (CS) about the drug free stance is becoming quite boring as the great drive that they had envisaged has fissled out and they're reduced to simply denegrating any rider who has ever been 'connected' to drugs, no matter how spurious the so-called evidence.
I hope for a clean sport but I want to see all riders who have never been convicted of any offence be free to be signed by the best teams, turn up and take part in the best races and provide the best spectacle for the fans. If some of them have doped and choose to race now only to be found out in the future then the penalties should be that much higher.0 -
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Bob Spit</i>
what exactly has he "breeched" jimmy? has basso been proven guilty of something yet? basso's own country has cleared him, have they not?
<http://www.doperssuck.com>
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I think that, rather than clearing him, they halted proceedings until more evidence was available as the Fuentes case was completed.
Rendell's Pantani biography makes me question the vigour that some european federations pursue an anti-doping agenda.
Robert
www.northbucksroadclub.org.uk
www.robertsaunders.org.uk
www.northwoodwheelers.org.uk0 -
Discovery Channel set to quit cycling team
Sat 10 Feb, 12:51 PM
NEW YORK (AFP) - Lance Armstrong's former team is facing an uncertain future after the sponsor, Discovery Channel, said it would end its support after the 2007 season.
USA Today on Friday quoted Armstrong's long-time agent and lawyer Bill Stapleton as saying the decision was linked to the sacking of Discovery Network's president Billy Campbell by new Communications president and CEO David Zaslav.
Campbell had been instrumental in bringing in Discovery Channel as a sponsor to replace US Postal in 2004.
The report said Campbell also pushed the team to sign Italian star and Tour de France favorite Ivan Basso, who was embroiled earlier this year in a Spanish doping investigation but was later cleared due to a lack of evidence.
Stapleton said Saturday: "This would not have happened if Billy Campbell was still there. This is about their change in management."
The decision means that seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong, who is still a part owner of the team, will be forced to look for a new major sponsor if he wants to continue in the sport.
Armstrong retired in 2005, handing Discovery Channel their first win at the world's biggest race as the title sponsor after coming on board on a smaller capacity in 2004.
In last year's race the team struggled without Armstrong at the helm. Only Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych's victory on stage 12 helped soothe a campaign in which Discovery failed to place any riders in the top 15.
Stapleton, who is the executive of Austin-based Tailwind Sports - which owns the team in which Armstrong has a stake - said the company is already looking at potential replacements.
<font size="1"><b><font color="red">I have pain!!!</font id="red"></b></font id="size1">I have pain!0 -
Gee, after the news of Discovery not supporting the $15 Million dollar sponsorship next year, look forward to Ullrich being signed and Vino be drugged just so he can sign the contract. DC is flying down a slippery slope , kind like going down the Morzine with a flat tire, loose handlebar stem while eating a sandwich. I think there gonna go out kicking, screaming, punching, biting, spitting and farting at the whole lot. Gonna be an interesting season to say the least.0
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Next year will be only AMD...without D.C.?? Or I am wrong?0
