Berzins back?

LangerDan
LangerDan Posts: 6,132
edited August 2007 in Pro race
Not quite sure how to feel about this. On one hand, he was refused a start on the Giro because of elevated haematocrit and was also winning at a time when all around him were necking down EPO. On the other hand, he is one of the old-school hard racers - like Tchmil or Hinault. IIRC, one of the monthlies referred to him as "bestial". Too many of the current peleton seem a little,well, "delicate".

Berzin returns to peloton
Evgeni Berzin may be returning to the professional peloton to race for the first time since 2000. The 37 year-old Russian, winner of the 1994 Giro d'Italia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, has re-found his racing form, and he has attracted the attention of Professional Continental Team Tinkoff Credit Systems.

Compatriot and Tinkoff Team Owner, Oleg Tinkov, would like to have Berzin in his 2008 squad as a mentor to the younger riders. Berzin will travel to Forte dei Marmi (Tuscany) this Sunday or Monday for a training camp with the team.

"We have known each other for a few years," he said of his relationship with Tinkov during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "He was a racer and he loves this sport. He would like that I become a maestro to his younger riders. I would like to be utilized for preparation and organization of life outside of cycling. A rider has to think right away about constructing his future, because as soon as he stops riding there will be no one, even if on the bike he was a champion. Many do not know this. The real world is different than that of cycling.

"I will study the team," he continued of the upcoming training camp. Mikhail "Ignatiev has a good rhythm, but he has to learn how to race. How many races did he throw away this year? [Pavel] Brutt and [Ivan] Rovny are good, but... I think they started too early. It would have been better to wait to race the Giro d'Italia at age 22."

The attraction back to the sport which he left at 30 years-old is based on passion and not greed; Berzin owns three Fiat car dealerships near Milano. "At first it was a big effort. All of my friends dropped me," he continued. Berzin was reportedly up to 81 kilograms before dropping down to his current weight of 67 kilograms.

"This year I rode 20,000 kilometres, and now it is the others that are being dropped."
'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'

Comments

  • girofan
    girofan Posts: 137
    :? Tinkoff aka Druggies-R-Us.
    Yet another needle fiend to be added to the ranks of this megolamaniac's team.
    Perhaps "The Chicken" and Alberto will eventually find a home-from-home with this pill poppin', peleton droppin', SUPERTEAM! :cry:
    I say what I like and I like what I say!
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    I saw him at the GF Colnago last year. He'll have had to drop a ton of weight (almost literally) to get back into any kind of racing form. He was huge. :shock:
  • Titanium
    Titanium Posts: 2,056
    The guy went from rags to riches back to rags again. He invested the money earned in his career badly and lost a lot of it. Considering his association with Ferrari and others, he is not the kind of example I'd be showing young riders, except as a kind of health warning.

    The sport has moved on and doesn't need the likes of Berzin, he belongs to a generation of riders when you could not distinguish between a hard rider and one willing to risk his health more. Just look at Tchmil, Museeuw, Jaskula, Outschakov, all these guys inflated myths of being sons of the soil who toil when the reality was less impressive.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    girofan wrote:
    :? Tinkoff aka Druggies-R-Us.
    Yet another needle fiend to be added to the ranks of this megolamaniac's team.
    Perhaps "The Chicken" and Alberto will eventually find a home-from-home with this pill poppin', peleton droppin', SUPERTEAM! :cry:


    Okay so Hamilton and Jaksche signed for a bit of publicity and then canned and Hondo (I still don't get his conviction) was not very clever, but give Tinkoff a bit of a break. They're full of lively, talented young riders and really light up any race they enter.

    So far they have had no positives which is better than your whiter than white Cofidis and T-Mobile. And don't be so hard on Mr Tinkoff. I'd do exactly the same with his kind of money. I have to say I'm a bit of a fan.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • Mr Bumble
    Mr Bumble Posts: 572
    Did Berzin not win the Giro on a Titanium De Rosa?

    Those bikes are like jewellery!!!!!
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Maybe Tinkoff does have a lot of young stars, but do we really want them hanging out with the druggies of yesteryear as their role models ? It will taint the youngsters to me.
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    Mr Bumble wrote:
    Did Berzin not win the Giro on a Titanium De Rosa?

    Those bikes are like jewellery!!!!!
    Wonder who actually built those gems,as in that era, there wern't too many artisans capable of welding the golden magic
    I remember asking Dave Yates (at York Rally) if he built in Titanium,& his denial saved me shelling out thousands on a Mega bike (& possibly a Divorce as well! :oops: )
    so many cols,so little time!
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    Mr Bumble wrote:
    Did Berzin not win the Giro on a Titanium De Rosa?

    Those bikes are like jewellery!!!!!
    Wonder who actually built those gems,as in that era, there wern't too many artisans capable of welding the golden magic
    De Rosa built them. And continue to build titanium frames to this day. The middle son, Doriano, is the specialist in titanium and the long lead time for their titanium frames are due to the fact that he can only turn out two a week.

    Lovely, lovely frames. I have one and it's a beauty.
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    andyp wrote:
    Mr Bumble wrote:
    Did Berzin not win the Giro on a Titanium De Rosa?

    Those bikes are like jewellery!!!!!
    Wonder who actually built those gems,as in that era, there wern't too many artisans capable of welding the golden magic
    De Rosa built them. And continue to build titanium frames to this day. The middle son, Doriano, is the specialist in titanium and the long lead time for their titanium frames are due to the fact that he can only turn out two a week.

    Lovely, lovely frames. I have one and it's a beauty.
    Let me just go check those lottery numbers...I can feel a trip to Milan for a made to measure moment coming on :)
    so many cols,so little time!
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    cougie wrote:
    Maybe Tinkoff does have a lot of young stars, but do we really want them hanging out with the druggies of yesteryear as their role models ? It will taint the youngsters to me.

    Exactly what I what I was going to say. The team has fantastic youngsters like Brutt, Rovny, and particularly Ignatiev, so why surround them with such dubious characters? They've done fine all season without the help of Hamilton and Jaksche.
  • Mr Bumble
    Mr Bumble Posts: 572
    andyp wrote:
    Mr Bumble wrote:
    Did Berzin not win the Giro on a Titanium De Rosa?

    Those bikes are like jewellery!!!!!
    Wonder who actually built those gems,as in that era, there wern't too many artisans capable of welding the golden magic
    De Rosa built them. And continue to build titanium frames to this day. The middle son, Doriano, is the specialist in titanium and the long lead time for their titanium frames are due to the fact that he can only turn out two a week.

    Lovely, lovely frames. I have one and it's a beauty.

    :P I know it sounds peverted...but please post a pickie of it for us all to admire :P

    Always dreamed of getting one, what is the ride like? stiff?

    Cheers Mr Bumble
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    Mr Bumble wrote:
    :P I know it sounds peverted...but please post a pickie of it for us all to admire :P

    Always dreamed of getting one, what is the ride like? stiff?

    Cheers Mr Bumble
    It's currently in my LBS having some work done on it. I'll try and post a pic tomorrow evening after I pick it up.

    The ride is superb, very comfortable but stiff when you put the power down. I have, in moments of lyrical romanticism, likened it to a magic carpet. :oops:
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    Tried to get it as an image but can't seem to get it to work. Here's the url;

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/72903027@N00/1277997609/

    As requested. It's just gone into winter mode (I use it as my geared bike in the winter and for Gran Fondos etc in the summer) so has less bling kit on it.[/url]
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    He shouldn´t really be allowed to rejoin the peleton as he´s of the slightly dubious ethics that were in the Gewiss Ballan team in the 90s. However, Evgeni was also a top rider without dope I reckon so he will be able to teach younger riders about that
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    andyp wrote:
    Tried to get it as an image but can't seem to get it to work. Here's the url;

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/72903027@N00/1277997609/

    As requested. It's just gone into winter mode (I use it as my geared bike in the winter and for Gran Fondos etc in the summer) so has less bling kit on it.[/url]

    Poser :P

    Lovely bike - Understanded and I don't think bling would do it any favours.

    Mind you that Casati is quite nice too. Fancy a trade? I've got my old Giant OCR commuting bike to offer - I'll even replace the bar tape to seal the deal.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    andyp wrote:
    Tried to get it as an image but can't seem to get it to work. Here's the url;

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/72903027@N00/1277997609/

    As requested. It's just gone into winter mode (I use it as my geared bike in the winter and for Gran Fondos etc in the summer) so has less bling kit on it.[/url]

    Nice winter hack :wink:
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    iainf72 wrote:
    Poser :P

    Lovely bike - Understanded and I don't think bling would do it any favours.

    Mind you that Casati is quite nice too. Fancy a trade? I've got my old Giant OCR commuting bike to offer - I'll even replace the bar tape to seal the deal.
    Damn, I sold it a month or so ago via ebay. A Giant OCR (with new bar tape) would have been an excellent trade. :wink:
  • Mr Bumble
    Mr Bumble Posts: 572
    Cheers andyp....a graceful wonder... 8)

    I love that understated, classic look....

    forget the litespeed, I will have to save a bit longer but a De Rosa Titanio it will be!!!!!
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Dave_1 wrote:
    He shouldn´t really be allowed to rejoin the peleton as he´s of the slightly dubious ethics that were in the Gewiss Ballan team in the 90s. However, Evgeni was also a top rider without dope I reckon so he will be able to teach younger riders about that

    It's academic now - Tinkoff announced today that they wouldn't be signing him after all.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'