Ricco admits to doping
by rocketpress on Jul 30, 2008 9:39 AM EDT
169 comments
VeloNews has the story.
The Italian ANSA news agency has reported that cyclist Ricardo Riccò, who tested positive for a new form of EPO, following the 4th stage of the Tour de France, has admitted to having doped in preparation for the French tour.
According to ANSA, the former Saunier Duval rider made the admission at a hearing before the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on Wednesday.
So that's good, that he admits it, right?
"It was my error alone and because of this I refused the option to have my B sample tested," said Riccò. "My thoughts are with my team because of me some could have lost their jobs.
"I'm thinking also of my teammates who, because of me, could not continue their adventure in the Tour de France."
4 recs |
169 comments
Email
Print
Comments
Of course
he’s still a huge ass for not thinking of his teammates BEFORE he was caught. Or the sponsor. Or the sport.
by rocketpress on Jul 30, 2008 9:50 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Totally Agree.
Its always easy to be sorry after the fact.
by brandon... on Jul 30, 2008 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't believe for a second that SD didn't know about this,
just look how Cobo and Piepoli flew up the mountains….
from VN:
“Prior to the Tour, I made a mistake; I took a product that everyone was talking about."
Schumi, anyone?
by Bruce Suomi on Jul 30, 2008 9:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Good Point
Who is the “everyone” that was talking about the drug? What does that say about the cyclists he associates with?
by John.. on Jul 30, 2008 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmm.
That is an interesting quote. Everyone was talking about CERA How many were actually taking the drug?
The troubling question here is how many in the peloton would still be willing to dope, provided they knew they could avoid a positive? I fear it’s a far larger number than most would like to believe. The roots of the doping culture have grown very deep, and it’s going to take a long time before the problem becomes isolated amongst only a handful of cheaters.
Staying one step ahead of the doctors is key. If you know you’ll get caught doping, then this problem will eventually become yesterday’s news.
I must say it’s encouraging that both Ricco and Peeps (rumored, I know) have decided to admit their sins. This is certainly another important step in changing the culture. We’re getting there, but we should all be prepared for some more CERA positives before the dust settles on this Tour.
by The Team Chef on Jul 30, 2008 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
does anyone remember Ricco calling out Contador in the Giro?
He made numerous acqusations when he was spewing about AC’s beach vacation. Figure Ricco would know.
by humbug1 on Jul 30, 2008 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If only Ricco...
... had taken the banana that Contador offered him :D
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wouldn't Schumi of been tested using the same method that caught Ricco?
Since he won 2 stages I’m sure he was on the list to be tested.
by brandon... on Jul 30, 2008 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Seen on this forum: Schumi's performances were justified since he was only beaten by bert grabsch in the german tt champs...
????
I don’t know if he is or isnt but his perfomance was a shock to the ENTIRE peloton and his team manager was taken back by his second win too. Hell I even heard someone ask him about overall aspirations. But he must be clean since Garmin is interested in him ;-)
I know he is a great interview with Neal Rodgers on VN. Dropping F-bombs and telling us he shit himself and has no underwear or toilet paper. I would hate to not see him around for a couple of years.
by humbug1 on Jul 30, 2008 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Correct.
Of Ricco’s 10 samples, only 2 came back positive, and we now know he was definitely on the sauce. The testing is not bulletbroof, and had Ricco not been targeted for so many controls, he might well have made it through to Paris as a “clean” rider.
by The Team Chef on Jul 30, 2008 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's the big issue to me
The fact that there’s only a 20% of getting caught on CERA is a big incentive to still use it at races where testing is still intermittent. It also means targeted testing has to be repetitive rather than interstitial.
by Softie on Jul 30, 2008 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wow. i did not expect that.
he is still a huge ass hat, but i do think that this turns the page on Ricco. I just hope he takes his two years off and spends them wisely. Get off the bike for a while and disappear. After you have served your time, you can come back and play with your cycling friends again.
When a rider admits to doping and serves their suspension the right way, it seems that the sport has made progress. Dragging through court cases and denials (landis) and ambiguity (tyler hamilton) and speculation (operacion puerto) drags down cycling more than the actual act of doping in my opinion.
by PopUp Rolen on Jul 30, 2008 10:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
+1
Except for teh whole “drags down cycling more than the actual doping”... I’d say there even in terms of asshatery…
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1 with that.
I’m happy to see he admitted it and this isn’t going to be dragged out.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Everyone makes mistakes
But it seems few cyclists have the balls to admit it. Ricco deserves credit for finally coming clean. It did take awhile though. I wonder who the next positive will be? Also I wonder if Ricco will try to cooperate for a reduced sentence.
by EuroPeloton on Jul 30, 2008 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am sure he only admitted to it
to get a reduced sentence like Basso.
by roadside on Jul 30, 2008 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
did basso truly admit doping in clear language?
I remember a sort of ambiguous admission, but nothing as clear Ricco’s:
I took full responsibility for my actions
I could be wrong, i just seem to remember Basso never came fully clean.
by PopUp Rolen on Jul 30, 2008 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought Basso was in the "I was thinking about it, but hadn't yet" group.
I didn’t keep up with that story though so I could be wrong.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He 'planned to dope'
but the puerto investigation got in the way of his plans, apparently….
by Albertina on Jul 30, 2008 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
meh
IMHO. Are there reduced sentences?
Even if it were true, it’s a good thing. Historically reduced sentences have been considered just rewards for people who spare the prosecution the cost and risk of a trial… assuming the reduced sentence isn’t overly light.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris... on Jul 30, 2008 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
don't think so
I doubt CONI will give him less than two years. They already went through that with the Basso case. Torri intended to cut a deal, then found that he could not – pressure from the UCI, blah blah.
From the sounds of it, there was some sort of deal here. But eh, I haven’t done the homework on this yet.
I’ll cruise around lates and see what’s doing.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Basso didn't get a reduced sentence. He served two years.
by EuroPeloton on Jul 30, 2008 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, he didn't really.
He raced the TofCA 2007, and is allowed back to race this fall, I believe…
by Ruthann on Jul 30, 2008 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mistakes?
At this juncture, choosing to dope cannot be put in the category of “Everyone makes mistakes”. And I don’t think he deserves any credit for coming clean, he was obviously advised to do so because it is better for his career to do so. Reduced sentence?, yea, from jail time in France and less fines, but not from the two year ban. There can be no leniency and forgiveness at this point for people still cheating. It seems like some people want to apply the easiness of the Catholic church, “What my son, you doped in the Tour and caused another sponsor to leave the sport and cost many others their jobs and reputations? Well thank you for confessing your sins, say three hail Mary’s and get back on your bike.”
Yes I hate religion as much as dopers.
by sminer on Jul 30, 2008 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+2
or are we up to 3?
Admissions are a huge benefit to the fight.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris... on Jul 30, 2008 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Amen. I hate how people are always insulting Riis, Zabel, and Aldag for doping, but it is much more productive to have riders be honest about their past sins than keeping the shroud of secrecy around past practices. I wish there would be some kind of moratorium on doping so that there could be honest discussions about the doping infrastructure of the past in order to better deal with what is going on now.
by bryan_e on Jul 30, 2008 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Things that make you go humm!
From velonew:
“While Riccò’s positive was hailed a sign of the rigor of the Tour’s testing protocol, the rider said he wasn’t convinced.
“During the Tour they took a lot of samples (from me), they made 10 tests in about 13 stages, two were positive and in fact in theory all the tests should have been positive therefore the method needs to be checked,” he said”
SO how clean were things really, and what does that say about the quality of testing?
Just spinning the pedals in the hills of Western Maryland
by natbla on Jul 30, 2008 10:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yep. that is very depressing.
Testing has made progress, but 20% is nothing to write home about.
by PopUp Rolen on Jul 30, 2008 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whew!
I’m glad he wasn’t doping at the GIRO!
:)
Racing for Victory and Free Beer!
by DemonCats on Jul 30, 2008 10:44 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
but...
there was that story that an italian lab found some strange parameters in Ricco’s blood during the GIro and then the race to find a method to catch CERA began. I don’t remember the whole story now or if it was all an invention, anyone knows?
by King of Doping on Jul 30, 2008 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Giro
There’s another possibility: he was clean at the Giro and used CERA to get him off the beach, as it were. As much as people dislike him, I’d say this can’t be ruled out.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris... on Jul 30, 2008 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No way!
He was doped at the Giro too. It’ll come out soon.
by EuroPeloton on Jul 30, 2008 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
hahhhahhhahhhaaaa....
Too funny, stop it, stop it…
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
by ELVISGOAT on Jul 30, 2008 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
2nd at the Giro without doping?
I don’t believe for a second he wasn’t doped at the Giro. His doping for the Tour was clearly premeditated, he didn’t wait until he had gotten dropped in the Pyrenees. How did he know that his form was so bad that he couldn’t hang without drugs?
by brunopitton on Jul 30, 2008 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
well since he was beaten by a guy that was lying on the beach, going to the dentist and not really ready for the Giro
....
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We are a little removed from the Giro I think...
... remember that Ricco had slightly less team support (because of his big fat mouth) at the Giro than Evans did at the Tour… I don’t recall him ever flying away from the group like he did at the Tour either… and he had the potential to win (well, to steal the victory from The Accountant) using time bonuses that were wiped out by the then Spanish National Champion (whose name eludes me at present) on the final stage…
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There is a thing...
called sarcasm.
Geez!
Racing for Victory and Free Beer!
by DemonCats on Jul 30, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
“After the Giro, I had no plans to go to the Tour, and that is why I have taken the substance,” Riccò said. “I made a mistake of youth.”
from cyclingnews’ story
by rocketpress on Jul 30, 2008 11:04 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Nice to see
that Ricco got all dressed up for his meeting at CONI
(hit refresh if the pic doesn’t come in for you, maybe that will work)
by Katiek on Jul 30, 2008 11:04 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That t-shirt
cost 175 Euros in Milan.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris... on Jul 30, 2008 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
More of a
close up on the rather ironically labelled hat
by Katiek on Jul 30, 2008 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
RE: ASSHAT?
Wow, that’s exactly what I had pictured in my head of what an Asshat looks like.
by itswells on Jul 30, 2008 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Girl - how do you find these?
Thank goodness you do though and thank you for sharing this and SO many others.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He seems to be taking cues from the Landis camp
With the backwards hat on landis, and now this abomination of a lid, it looks like Ricco’s is cementing the hat’s place in doping press conference couture.
by PopUp Rolen on Jul 30, 2008 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Dressed Up
first a drug victim now a fashion victim.
by bikenik on Jul 30, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
clever lawyering?
Maybe his attorney told him he could bolster his “youthful mistake” excuse by dressing like a six-year-old.
by Tifosa on Jul 30, 2008 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know 3 year olds that pick better outfits out than that.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Day late and a Dollar short?
Yeah, it’s great that he admitted it. But the dickwad should have never put his team and teammates in the position he did. And, no, I don’t believe SD is innocent here. Maybe they didn’t actively promote doping, but I suspect they knew what was going on. Knew or should have known, blah, blah, blah.
Maybe this is some indication that the culture is moving away from “deny,deny,deny.”
by johnw on Jul 30, 2008 11:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
LOL!
While I’m glad he confessed, I wonder what impact this would have on any defense to criminal proceedings in France? Given that he still faces charges, I wouldn’t blame him for keeping quiet, even though confessing is better for the sport overall. That’s part of the complication of adding criminal proceedings to the Federation disciplinary proceedings.
by Katiek on Jul 30, 2008 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
or the opposite
having the criminal aspect allows enforcement to say, “You admit to it and we will plea bargain the criminal charges so you won’t go to jail.” This gives more incentive to come clean. Hey, I made a pun.
by ZoeRochelle on Jul 30, 2008 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Si...
Especially because the criminal authoritties in both France and Italy are more interested in the suppliers than in the riders using.
They really want to know how he got the stuff and who told him how to use it. I very much doubt he got it off the internet.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+ ∞
Rocketpress… you make me proud…
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Vaaa Bene!
I’m glad he confessed too, but I can’t get over him – or anybody at this point in time – being so stupid in the first place.
by Veloki on Jul 30, 2008 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well I am pleasantly surprised by his admission, didn't think he would do that
As far as starting to call guilty or not on the team and its riders due to results, great rides and associations, please remember that a lot of riders – including probably some of your favorites – can be smeared by the same brush.
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 11:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I know what you mean
And I know that it’s not fair to assign guilt by association. But sometimes I just get frustrated at the sheer stupidity of the dopers.
Great adage, “Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity”
by johnw on Jul 30, 2008 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
great adage
and one that I agree with. To do what he did and risk what he did was stupid and self-centred, which are not entirely uncommon traits among immature people under intense pressure. This isn’t an excuse, but maybe something of an explanation – otherwise, he’d be nothing but a hard-nosed criminal and I’m not quite ready to write him off as that yet.
Alot of what gets reported is also what the Riccos of the world are instructed to say by legal counsel and can often be far from the truth. And as others have said, I just don’t see how team management didn’t either know about this or catch on at some point. Like winning the Tour, doping has been something of a team effort – it can’t be that easy to pull off on your own. There is still a huge complicity factor in the sport – the fact that Riis took 11 years to pony up and the following year is being haled as the mastermind behind CSC’s win, all smiles and no consequences, is enough to raise anyone’s suspicions (if not turn stomachs). The problem won’t be solved by picking off riders one-by-one and relegating them to the slag heap of cycling history.
To admit guilt this early on in the proceedings and to take personal responsibility can only be a good thing, both for Ricco and those affected by his crime. What he does from here on will tell what he’s really made of, whether he’ll develop the character that people can believe in or show himself to be the arrogant and self-centred ass that he has set himself up to be. And given how many before him have been willing to try to get away with it and stick to that course in the past, it can only be good for cycling that guilty riders step up to the plate as they are caught and get on with the job of setting things right. Now what about the enablers…?
by nicknorco on Jul 30, 2008 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have no personal experience...
... not being a professional athlete / cyclist… I’m just an IT director and my PED of choice is coffee… BUT… I do have friends that played college football and baseball, etc… and after someone mentioned something yesterday about a topic which we are forbidden now to discuss by Chris… I read a first person account from Frankie Andreu that made it clear that if you wanted to do so, in the dark of night and with no one around, you could learn what to do, purchase EPO, inject it and gain the benefits with only you and yourself knowing about it.
Now… Ricco, Cobo (Maybe) and Peeps all on the sauce… well… that starts to taste of conspiracy… but that is RANK speculation on my part.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes, and...
i was a swimmer not a cyclist and swimming isn’t known for doping in quite the same way. I’m sure Frankie is right about the mechanics of doping – what I’m thinking about more is the culture, system, structure that supports it. I think complicity can take many forms other than actually supplying the stuff directly. I think it’s good that the sport is starting to try to tackle it systematically and taking collective responsibility for the problem (as some teams are now exemplifying in their procedures) and it’s good when individuals step up and take responsibility for their actions. I don’t think vilifying individual riders will ever get the job done, in the same way that Carlos would never have won without his team.
by nicknorco on Jul 30, 2008 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've read so much on it all
I don’t recall what was cleared up and what wasn’t anymore as it’s all a bug mushy mess in my head but the sentence below from the article/book tells me it wasn’t done totally alone. It was at the very least talked about in order to get advice from someone.
“Eventually, he got some advice and began to take the drug leading up to the 1999 Tour de France.”
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Eh.
Means nothing, to me. I guess it’s better than fighting it all the way to CAS, but it’s a career-saving attempt, and little more. One that his lawyer and agent wrote, to be sure. If he wants to do something useful, turn in the other dopers. Until then, nothing he says could possibly be of interest to me.
by Sui Juris on Jul 30, 2008 11:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
+1 er... but... -1...
It takes balls just to admit how much money you really spent on motorcycle parts to the person that shares your checking account… I takes a certain sense of honor and guts to admit this, even if it is just through press release. This takes away any of the “I’ll Never Believe It” cover that his die-hard fans might have granted him. He isn’t a suspected doper… he is now an admitted doper.
I don’t know that it’s career saving entirely… if he’d fought it all the way to CAS and lost… you know damn well he’d have had a ride with Michael Ball in 24 months. I don’t see anything negative in this… maybe not rosey postitive, but not negative…
But I do agree with you whole heartedly… sing you freakin’ stool pigeon… siiiinnnggggggggg…
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dollar bet that he's
signed the moment his ban expires.
Yes, I’ll grant the slight – ever so slight – positive that it takes cover away from the deniers.
by Sui Juris on Jul 30, 2008 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's a sucker bet baby :)
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ivan Basso anyone?
Seems like cycling is run by a bunch of Al Davis clones willing to give anyone a second chance if they can JUST WIN BABY!
by Rushfan on Jul 31, 2008 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's very interesting to compare the different articles on this - in English, Italian and French papers
From what I can tell, all are basing the info on a PR published by ANSA (Italian news agency). Not sure if by ‘everyone was talking about it’, he actually meant cyclists btw, he might be talking about everyone talking about it since he failed the tests.
And he did say that he got the information on the internet.
He has aldo said that he’s hurt by the hypocrisy in the cycling world.
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 12:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
HE'S hurt by the hypocrisy ??!???!?!?
Mr. “My Hematocrit Levels Have Been High Since Birth Why Won’t You All Leave Me Alone” is hurt? Well… that really pains me for him. I’m going to chalk that up to (hopefully) sketchy translation… Unless you translated it personally lyne-a-lyne… I trust you…
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
well it depends if you think the team knew about it or not
if you think that the team knew about it (and was supporting it), then definitely hypocrisy – as he was left out to dry about the team, teammates, sponsors had no problem participating in the winnings and glory.
If you don’t think that his team, teammates and sponsors knew, than yes he’s being an ass
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
er replace about by .. as in
he was left out to dry by his team, teammates and sponsors who had no problem participating in his earlier winnings and glory.
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
now
that part I definitely get:
he was left out to dry about the team, teammates, sponsors had no problem participating in the winnings and glory
But I’m not sure that it’s the brightest idea coming whining to the public about it.
by Sui Juris on Jul 30, 2008 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
those were my words
Ricco only said hypocrisy in the cycling world
and I think he’s completely right about that.
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
right
I understood those as yours, and my criticism was that he’s not going to find any sympathy from me going on about hypocrisy of any sort.
(only related by the thinnest of threads: started on Lance to Landis last night, and learned a bit more about the USA juniors doping – now they had some sympathy from me. That was just appalling.)
by Sui Juris on Jul 30, 2008 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The really frightening case
is Corey Gahan
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ugh
what a disgusting story. As a parent, ... ah, you know what I’m saying.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris... on Jul 30, 2008 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nauseating
I only got about two paragraphs in and just had to stop…
by Jimbo... on Jul 30, 2008 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
my reaction too
I kept reading, though, and it gets even worse. Disgusting.
The father must be a total nutcase.
by KevinK on Jul 30, 2008 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
= child abuse
and we all know how popular that is.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris... on Jul 30, 2008 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
not sure if he was whining or not, as we are only reading some of the words and not seeing him deliver them
but either way, I do have some sympathy for these young guys, if they’ve been supported (pushed) to follow the doping route by their teams, teammates, cycling management, and suddenly when they get popped, the same people who have benefitted now act shocked. The riders become pariahs while the enablers (great word from a previous comment) are free to continue in the sport and maybe even continue the same way. For example, Ferrari is a paid columnist and consultant to bicycle mag – hypocrisy anyone?
Yes, the rider is to blame too, but he is not the only one. And I can understand why Ricco is not providing names because he’s seen what happens to people that talk – can we say Jaksche?
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good point
I said something similar below. But in his public statement Ricco claims that he bought his EPO off the internet and that no one helped him decide how much to take. This, I find impossible to believe. Still, he is the one who is sanctioned, while Gianetti waltzed free. That is not right. And while, certo Ricco deserves his two years or whatever they give him, the others who participated in his doping should also pay.
There’s speculation that he will receive a reduced sanction. If he does, that would mean to me that he told something about where he got this stuff and who told him how to use it. Perhaps he said more in private…
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bought it off the internet?
I’m just floored by the possibility that that concept might actually be real. I mean read about people doing that sort of thing, and I always sort of write it off as a joke, or hyperbole, but if that is actually true, then besides being an a-hole, Ricco is an absolute moron. Would anyone with any brains whatsoever buy CERA, or any other drug for that matter from some anonymous internet source and then actually inject it into their body? Either Ricco is that magnificently dumb, or it is a lie intended to cover his true source.
by Jimbo... on Jul 30, 2008 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Remember that Rasmussen story
about smuggling something into Italy hidden in a pair of cycling shoes. Apparently that stuff was only licensed in one country in the whole world, South Africa I recall, and then only for veterinary use. I can believe that part of the story, no trouble at all.
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you can buy all kinds of stuff on the internet, legal & illegal
I have no trouble believing that part of the story. People put stuff in their body all the time without knowing what’s in it – diet drugs are a prime example.
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I believe the drugsource if, and only if
we find out his doctor or soigneur is named Giacomo Internetto.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
by Jens on Jul 31, 2008 4:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the text of his statement is up
over at tuttobici.
i’ll head over in a bit give it a read.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is pronounced...
Two Toe Bitchy right?
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Giro, CERA
Hi All. First time here. On the question about the Giro, there was an article when the Ricco story broke, I believe at cycling news, with an interview by one of the guys who helped set up the biological passport. He said that at the Giro a number of samples showed that riders had something new in their systems but couldn’t identify it, and he wasn’t aware that a test had been developed for CERA. Some stories said the Italian agency contacted the others and that’s when the test came about. It would be great if they’d apply the new test.
I’m glad he admitted it, evemtually. Watching people continute to lie after they’ve been caught sucks the life out of me. But all the days he didn’t test positive are worrisome, and his teammate who confessed hasn’t been anounced as positive. The testing people literally had someone watching the race on TV so they could see any sign of above average performance and test. Once riders found out that there was a new test, they could have just settled into the peloton to reduce the chance of being tested.
I love the sport, but hate that I can’t believe my eyes some times.
by next year on Jul 30, 2008 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Next year, welcome
I remember reading that too and wonder if it will come out which rider(s) in the Giro showed the skewed blood results that led to the new test.
by roadside on Jul 30, 2008 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
si
this was reported on eurosport.fr – the story about CONI detecting the new substance that then turned out to be CERA.
This is why I wonder if there is a deal in the background of this Ricco confession – that they will prosecute him for the giro tests in return for an admission now. Just guessin’ here.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
One finger pointing out, four back in
I would’ve taken his admission of guilt a little more seriously had he not told reporters that ASO’s testing methods are hosed up. Instead he has to make a comment like this one in order to poke back at the industry that helps to feed him.
by spokejunky on Jul 30, 2008 12:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The other thing that gets me thinking is . . . .
. . .this quote –
“After the Giro, I had no plans to go to the Tour, and that is why I have taken the substance,” Riccò said. “I made a mistake of youth.” – CN
So, he was doping while not racing an his “mistake of youth” is what?
That he should have waited longer before racing?
I mean, they only caught him on 2 out of 10 tests!!!!
Hmmmmm . . . . . . this does not look good for the WADA methodology of out of competition testing.
by Ryan_Liles on Jul 30, 2008 1:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don't know, something is wrong here.
Either the tests suck badly (if only 2 out of 10 were positive), or Ricco was lied to, or Ricco is still lying…....
Piepoli is meeting CONI tomorrow, let’s see what comes out of that one…
by Bruce Suomi on Jul 30, 2008 1:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Both
Ricco was probably lied to, and he is still lying. And all these tests are flawed. It’s not like CSI where they put one hair into a magic computer and out pops the answers. I agree with many of the points made above. His confession has no value. It is a blatant PR exercise by his lawyers and agent to save his future career. The whole “sins of youth” argument is pure nonsense. And if Ricco does start to sing, I will value what comes out of his mouth in exactly the same way I would value anything else the guys says at this point. As noise.
by Jimbo... on Jul 30, 2008 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
CSI isn't real??!?
Dude… why must you crush my illusions?
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oops
Then I retract that part. And what is Chris’ forbidden topic you mentioned above in the Andreau comment? I must have missed that. If you are not allowed to tell me, because of the forbidden thing, then link me to it…
by Jimbo... on Jul 30, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think the thread
that went the furthest into it was this one. About 2/3’s of the way down in comments.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let's face it... you can't Torquemada anything!
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Warning Threadjack Alert!
Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition!
by johnw on Jul 30, 2008 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only Good news
Is that we’ll be spared years of trials where the rider denies guilt (unlike some other cases)
by cyclingchallenge on Jul 30, 2008 2:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
And we'll be spared numerous courtappearances
highlighting the greatest hits from “Riccardo’s wardrobe for the clinically Insane”.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
by Jens on Jul 30, 2008 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
si...
I could do without any Ricco pictures for a while. Gah. Who dresses that guy, anyway?!
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
dress
Michael Ball…who so happens to be one of the prime supporters of the Greenville US Pro TT and RR at the end of August
by spokejunky on Jul 30, 2008 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
San Sebastian
can’t come too soon around here.
by ursula on Jul 30, 2008 2:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You said it man...
Amen brother.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Translation issue
No time (or inclination) to re-translate the full statement. But here is the original Italian for the phrase I took a product that everyone was talking about.”
’’la sostanza che tutti conoscete’’.
Me, I would translate this somewhat differently to read: The substance that everyone knows about. Or, the substance that everyone has heard about.
Interesting that he says that he got the product off the internet and makes a point to say that no one helped him with the dosing information or whathaveyou. Nice of him to save Gianetti’s ass that way. He says that does not think to remount the bicycle, and will go to work for his father. He doesn’t know if or when he will return to racing. He was “frastornato” or dazed when the police came for him in France.
The Italian press speculates that he may in fact receive a reduced sanction of 18 months rather than the usual two years. But it’s now in the hands of CONI.
Me, I have a hard time believing he got his dope off the internet – someone must have told him which variant to choose to avoid detection, or at least, so they believed. Like I said, nice of him to save Gianetti’s and probably also Peipoli’s ass that way.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I dunno
Amazon’s got everything, these days.
by Sui Juris on Jul 30, 2008 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol, yeah
maybe he could provide the link in his statement?
heh.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
have you been to some of the body building forums?
scary stuff indeed
by lyne on Jul 30, 2008 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And if you haven't
then this one is quite instructive. But the chinese place that used to sell the stuff (and had the translated version of David Walsh’s book) seems to have gone.
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow
Didn’t see this before posting my comment above. Wow.
by Jimbo... on Jul 30, 2008 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Found it at last
This is the thread I was looking for:
“Amgen this week so the boys are in town, I bumped up a bit to go cruising with some of the teams, I’m at 60.8”
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wonder if the guy survived?
look around and see if he ever posted again…
by Jimbo... on Jul 30, 2008 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The irony of this interchange just... fucking... floors me...
Asshat #1: I’m at 60.8 but I was dehydrated at test time. How high have you guys gone for short periods?Asshat #2: ... smokers tend to have highr crit levels than the average person.
Asshat #3: I can just see it now…..in order to maintain crit level after your EPO loading phase smoke two packs a day!!
I… I don’t even know where to begin to ridicule that…
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not even for a race
just to roll around the ToC for a couple of hours and maybe latch on to a wheel or two for a couple of minutes.
That side is, mind you, oddly compelling.
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
si...
there is lots of information out there, for those who wish to use it.
and many of those forums have sections for endurance athletes where many very specific questions about cycling and avoiding testing show up.
pros aren’t the only ones doing it.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've thought this for a while
there is doping going on in my local crit scene… sad but true
"Race radios in Cat 4?"
by gravel road on Jul 30, 2008 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
almost certainly
there’s talent, and then there’s well… some things just aren’t possible.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd just say
“The substance that you all know.” It sounds to me as if he is saying that everybody in the cycling world has heard of this stuff, that it is common chat.
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
works for me :-)
I read it as, “I did what everyone is saying I did.” That is, that I used the product the press has reported I used.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Of course
I should have checked exactly who he was speaking to. I remember that construction being really common and just used to mean “all of you” i.e. anyone in the group of people you are addressing at that moment. Grammatically accurate Italian can be a bit abrupt at times, so it’s very common to stick in all sorts of words that don’t add anything to the meaning but make for a nicer narrative and give you a bit more time to do a bit of hand-waving. That’s just about all that tutti is doing there.
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Papa Ricco
Papa Ricco says Ricco did the right thing to admit, but doesn’t believe that Ricco did the thing on his own.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 6:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow... and for an entirely different take on the Ricco subject...
Go here... Monty posted a link to this website up above and I hunted around for what they thought of the whole Ricco affair… it’ll open your eyes.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 6:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
My favourite quote so far
“damn i just read the other day that they didnt have a test for cera… ooh well”
by Monty. on Jul 30, 2008 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was reading that thread as well
The zeitgeist of that thread seems to be that anyone who gets caught is stupid for getting caught. Totally missing the whole concept that doping is cheating and that if you win by doping, then you have not won. We could have quite a debate with them folks…
by Jimbo... on Jul 30, 2008 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And the dude with the Tiger avatar say's "Bro" a lot...
... I mean… a... lot...
bro.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah... the righteous indignation of...
“they should be forced to announce when they have a test for something on the banned list”... well… I… I really don’t… I’m… I’m at a loss.
PS: I love you PodiumCafe members… you are all diametrically opposed to those … whateverthehelltheyareovertherefuckwads
PPS: I’m adding “Cutting Edge Muscle Members will be put to the lash” as one of the things that will happen when I become Emperor.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dan, I think I'm starting to like your list a little more.
Need any help getting to Emperor status?
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
holy crap...
i can’t imagine any pros being on there or even top ranked cat 1’s that would be really dumb, so can I assume that “55X11” is a douchebag cat 3 kicking my ass every other weekend? That would really suck.
by humbug1 on Jul 30, 2008 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It gets worse... much worse...
read this thread if you feel so inclined… I’ll provide the Cliff’s Notes version below…
Douche #1: Hey bros. Supposedly someone wants to start a little program, where do you suggest they begin.
Douche #2: A….how old are you? B….how long have you been riding seriously? C….Do you know that sustainable power at threshold is the KEY to success, and do you know how to build this power, and have you been working on this for years?
Douche #1: ok, some more background info. 30y.old, racing over 5+yrs, used a powermeter for at least 4+years, know how to train threshold, weight well 360w. Feel as if I am maxed out on gains, or at least now, they’re coming very slowly. Training hrs also average over 14. Sometimes >30hrs/wk in winter months at peak week of a training block.
Douche #2: Nice!...sorry but you kind of sounded like a kid in your first post. Time for epo seriously! You are advanced in power and not a kid … I train GOOD Cat 1 riders that only do 10-14 hours a week..EVER…but they work hard at threshold all year long and ramp it up with VO2 work in March. Use HGH and a SERM like nolva in the winter to help with recovery. Drop the SERM and use epo in the Spring. You don’t want to use a SERM with a high crit because SERMS carry a slight risk for clots…like a deep vein thrombosis in the calf for example. ALL PEDS are PEANUTS compared to a high crit.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 30, 2008 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
at this point...
I’m pretty unshockable when it comes to this sort of thing.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
what would you do
if somebody in your local peloton at your local crappy races turned out to be a doper.
My first reaction after reading that exchange was to be furious. But, after a moment of reflection, it’s just sooooo pathetic. Ridicule is the only appropriate response.
by KevinK on Jul 30, 2008 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
si..
for whatever reason, they need to win that badly. which is more sad than anything else.
by gavia on Jul 30, 2008 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, if someone wants to half wheel me to the line
and they need the ‘PO to do it, that is a really sad state of affairs.
I love how DBag #2 draws the line at selling to a younger rider. A drug dealer with a conscience…hmmm.
I guess I knew this crap existed in the lower ranks and as a result, info could be found online somewhere. That site is like a car accident, you know what you are looking at is really sick, but can’t look away.
by humbug1 on Jul 30, 2008 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It is indeed
I am appalled by the conversation and shocked that it is taking place in the open with such brazenness. The utter lack of shame is unbelievable. I now know who the 3% are that always vote for no doping controls on online polls. FUCK!
by australopithecine on Jul 31, 2008 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can't be the only one fearing these sites...
I don’t have kids of my own but I have kids dear to my heart that I fear see this crap. If they can connect to scum like this, I worry.
I’m happy that I have brought cycling into their lives and that they are cheering for my friends on Garmin.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 30, 2008 9:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I am sick to my stomach
Call me naive but those discussions are appalling. I feel like a total fool.
by ZoeRochelle on Jul 31, 2008 12:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
"I made a mistake of youth."
He’s 24 years old… drops excuses for being immature and dresses like a 12 year old. Ricco has the emotional development of a young child.
"Race radios in Cat 4?"
by gravel road on Jul 31, 2008 7:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Doping hits the Olympics
Seven female russian T&F athletes have been caught, including all three 1500 m runners. DNA testing has proved that they have turned in samples from different individuals. Interesting that middle-long distance runners have ben pegged as the ones most likely to benefit from EPO.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
by Jens on Jul 31, 2008 9:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That is one of the most hilarious things I've read in a long time...
... the humor is dark, verrrry dark, but man, this just had me laughing in my office…
Bicycle.net: "You’ve said publicly that your hero is the deceased Marco Pantani, who had his own issues with drugs. What do you think about that?"Ricardo Ricco: "Pantani was a lightweight."
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
by crashdan on Jul 31, 2008 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that might need to be
on a t-shirt—
right under the vaa bene . . .
by R Mc on Jul 31, 2008 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
newbie blues...
is there a delay before a link is posted?
by nicknorco on Jul 31, 2008 11:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No... are you pasting the link
using the chain link icon? I think it works better in the text versus subject line.
Type a few words, highlight, click on chain, post URL, hit submit, and then post.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
by nikki on Jul 31, 2008 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes and no
i used the chain link icon in the text but didn’t out any text around it – that may be my mistake so i’ll try again. thanks, nikki!
by nicknorco on Jul 31, 2008 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wow
I like how the lawyer-guy next to him keeps feeding him his lines . . .
by R Mc on Jul 31, 2008 8:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
