benjo maso <[email hidden]> schreef in berichtnieuws
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Quoted message said:I know of course that Pantani-bashing is among the favorite pass-time of this newsgroup, and I
wouldn't dream of robbing anyone of the pleasure to kick a man who is down. But in my opinion, he
deserves more to be pitied, than to be ridiculed. Of course from time to time he's behaving in a
strange
Quoted message said:way (to say the least), but on the other hand can you really blame him? Let's be fair, there is
probably no rider in the history of bicycle racing who has been so much humiliated, so much
hounded as Pantani. For example: last year when he was acquitted (because there wasn't any proof),
the UCI even insisted he should be convicted all the same. Would it have happened
to
Quoted message said:any other rider? I don't think so. It's obvious that Pantani has become
the
Quoted message said:ideal scapegoat. I'm sure he must have asked himself many times: why me?
And
Quoted message said:why not Indurain, Rominger, Olano, Gotti, Bugno, Ullrich, etc., etc. (and anyone who is believing
they didn't use the same illegal substances as Pantani did must be completely naive). How come
that he is constantly
target
Quoted message said:number one and that Armstrong could get away with it when he presented a medical certificate only
after cortocoides where detected in hus urine?
(and
Quoted message said:how would Armstrong have reacted if according to the rules he had been suspended?). Of course, he
is guilty, but it's hardly fait that he is seen as public enemy number one and many, many other
offenders are almost venerated.
I think it is because Pantani is an easy target - he has proven that he is unable to effectively
fight back to the doping allegations. If he had won the tour of 2000 and performed well after
that, he would have been hounded much less seriously. But Pantani shows that all the allegations
and the court cases affect him deeply, so perhaps the UCI tries to convey a message: 'we can break
your career'. Interestingly enough, Pantani wasn't satisfied with that and he decided to make
several comebacks, all of which failed because he obviously cannot handle the stress of having to
defend himself.
That is, in my opinion, the only reasonable explanation for why he has performed so lousy the last
couple of years. I don't think it is because of a lack of doping products, because I don't think he
has been clean since 2000. That may sound unfounded, but we all know that there are doping products
that cannot be detected by tests. There is no reason why riders would not use these, and I assume
that several are regularly used, especially by the top cyclists who need to live with the strain of
abnormal recuperation, intense training and regular performance.
So 'psychological factors' made Pantani vulnerable to criticism, which made his performance worse,
which again opened him up to new criticism. Winners aren't hounded as much (Brochard was also
protected by the UCI when he had tested positive after he won the worlds). If the press accuses some
rider of having used doping, and consequently he wins a big victory, the popular view is that this
rider has 'answered' his critics. Pantani did not answer in the way that would have redeemed him.
Really funny is the criticism that he, as a person, is somehow the wrong type. Every time I've seen
him or read interviews, he came across as a quiet and slightly insecure person, who is rather eager
to please others. Not the arrogant lunatic many people apparently want him to be. I guess the quotes
he sent out into the press, as well as his reaction to the infamous stage to the Ventoux created an
image of him which is far beside the truth.
Quoted message said:A new season is starting and Pantani is trying again to make a
comeback.
Quoted message said:I hope this time he will have more succes than before. Of course, there is no chance he will ever
win the Tour or the Giro again. But if he reaches Paris or Milan, it would be a moral victory. And
if he can show us once again a glimpse of the man who won Grenoble-Les Deux Alpes, the most
exciting and beautiful TdF stage in the last twenty years, I will be very happy.
Well, he has a lot of achievements on his palmares that other active cyclists cannot match: like two
victories on Aple d'Huez, two grand tours in one year, etc. He is remarkable no matter what. Perhaps
the relative quiet of a div. II team will give him the space he needs to pull himself back together
again and get some results.
Jonathan.
Quoted message said:
Benjo Maso
