OP riders out of TDF!

[Nelson's voice] Ha-ha !

I'm sure J. Bruyneel is reeeeeally happy about it.

LeDomestique said:

[Nelson's voice] Ha-ha !

I'm sure J. Bruyneel is reeeeeally happy about it.

Leipheimer will be well-pleased. He's back to team leader role again - oh, I forgot about Little Tommy D. Not looking good for Disco's chances of finding a new sponsor. Maybe now's the time for Birillo to come out of hiding and tell the truth?

Automatically translated text:
The runners quoted in the Business Puerto, this vast traffic of doping dismantled in Spain here is soon a year, have concern to be done concerning their participation in the Turn of France 2007. Its director, Christian Prudhomme, indeed inform this Friday morning in the columns of the daily newspaper the Team which it will ask the committed teams not to register runners implied in this business, in the line of the preached policy last season. Ivan Basso, to quote to only, is likely thus great him to see for the second consecutive year the greatest cycle race in the world slipping by to him under the nose…

An other link on french TV which broadcast TDF, it's in french only

http://sport.france2.fr/cyclisme/grandstours/30139290-fr.php

poulidor said:

An other link on french TV which broadcast TDF, it's in french only

sport.france2.fr30139290 fr.phpOpen ↗

Now lets see Basso put forward a DNA to prove his innocence... yeh right ! Bruyneel will now take ASO to the European Court then the UN then get Lance to lean on Bush to blow up ASO headquarters then the rest of France..... finally a day when justice is done. Suck eggs Basso you big fat cheat ! :p

whiteboytrash said:

Now lets see Basso put forward a DNA to prove his innocence... yeh right ! Bruyneel will now take ASO to the European Court then the UN then get Lance to lean on Bush to blow up ASO headquarters then the rest of France..... finally a day when justice is done. Suck eggs Basso you big fat cheat ! :p

Basso's gonna be doped to the gills now to ensure he wins the Giro (which will be his only GT of the year) in an attempt to prove he "deserves" to ride the Tour.

Rolfrae said:

Basso's gonna be doped to the gills now to ensure he wins the Giro (which will be his only GT of the year) in an attempt to prove he "deserves" to ride the Tour.

[font=Times New Roman][font=Verdana]Agreed but Basso's 1.4 million a year from an irrelevant TV channel should help soften the blow.... not by a lot thou... Ullrich will be licking his chops that Basso is finally getting it... Basso needs to call Fuentes and get some more of that undectable EPO for the Giro......[/font][/font]

Here's the English version...

Any riders implicated in last year's Spanish 'Operation Puerto' anti-doping investigation will not be welcome to compete at the Tour de France, race director Christian Prudhomme said on Friday.

"Cycling cannot afford to let riders named in the case enter the Tour if they are not cleared of suspicion," Prudhomme told sports daily L'Equipe.

The Tour director told the paper he hoped the teams involved would answer his call "collectively".

"I have started discussing the subject with several team managers and I'm going to meet them next week before the Fleche Wallone race," he said.

"We are back where we were last year with one difference, now we know it's possible to establish the truth," he added, referring to the DNA analysis which confirmed earlier this month that certain packs of blood found during the investigation were those of German cyclist Jan Ullrich.

The 1997 winner was withdrawn from last year's Tour by his T-Mobile team on the eve of the prologue after being named in the Puerto case.

The rider has since announced his retirement but around 50 riders were named and several of them, including Discovery Team leader Ivan Basso of Italy, are still competing.

Both Ullrich and Basso have always maintained their innocence.

The Spanish investigation led to the seizure of anabolic steroids, laboratory equipment used for drug transfusions and over 200 bags of frozen blood in raids in Madrid and Zaragoza. The judge leading the investigation has closed the case, after concluding that no offences were committed under Spanish law.

poulidor said:

OP Riders, including aren't welcomed on next TDF. Prudhomme said in L'Equipe that he will send a message to every team stated this.
From sports.frsports.frOpen ↗ Riesling, riesling... where is it?
from cyclingforums.comshowpost.phpOpen ↗

whiteboytrash said:

Here's the English version...

Any riders implicated in last year's Spanish 'Operation Puerto' anti-doping investigation will not be welcome to compete at the Tour de France, race director Christian Prudhomme said on Friday.

"Cycling cannot afford to let riders named in the case enter the Tour if they are not cleared of suspicion," Prudhomme told sports daily L'Equipe.

The Tour director told the paper he hoped the teams involved would answer his call "collectively".

"I have started discussing the subject with several team managers and I'm going to meet them next week before the Fleche Wallone race," he said.

"We are back where we were last year with one difference, now we know it's possible to establish the truth," he added, referring to the DNA analysis which confirmed earlier this month that certain packs of blood found during the investigation were those of German cyclist Jan Ullrich.

The 1997 winner was withdrawn from last year's Tour by his T-Mobile team on the eve of the prologue after being named in the Puerto case.

The rider has since announced his retirement but around 50 riders were named and several of them, including Discovery Team leader Ivan Basso of Italy, are still competing.

Both Ullrich and Basso have always maintained their innocence.

The Spanish investigation led to the seizure of anabolic steroids, laboratory equipment used for drug transfusions and over 200 bags of frozen blood in raids in Madrid and Zaragoza. The judge leading the investigation has closed the case, after concluding that no offences were committed under Spanish law.

But Basso (and his team) believes he has been cleared of suspicion, even though his case has only been shelved. So is Prudhomme basically saying, take the DNA test or I won't let you ride?

Rolfrae said:

But Basso (and his team) believes he has been cleared of suspicion, even though his case has only been shelved. So is Prudhomme basically saying, take the DNA test or I won't let you ride?

He is.... which is a smart tactic.... Basso said he would only do a DNA under a future investigation but this way no DNA test then no riding.... its a fair call as well... if we can prove iron clad that a rider worked with Fuentes or not then lets do it..... simple as that. Takes ASO to show more balls than the UCI.

I am glad I enjoy riding a bike more than I enjoy watching someone else ride one.
As I posted before it will a lot worse before it gets better.

lets not forget one thing, who sponsors the tour's jerseys?

Nike.

Who is Nike's biggest athlete behind Tiger? I would posit Armstrong, not like Lebron or Kobe in terms of sales and profitibility, but just the vision of Nike, the story. Nike and Armstrong parallel narrative.

Who is Nike's biggest current athlete in the peloton?

Basso.

You know where the nexus of pressure will be.

[font=Verdana]Sorry to disappoint by NIKE just make the jerseys and are a Tour partner where Credit [/font][font=Verdana]Lyonnais[/font][font=Verdana] are the Tour’s main sponsor…. Addidas will be willing to step into the fold as well a million other clothing manufacture… you see European companies will be happy to take over from drug riddled American companies and make a point of it… (letour.frpartenaires.htmlOpen ↗)[/font]

thunder said:

lets not forget one thing, who sponsors the tour's jerseys?

Nike.

Who is Nike's biggest athlete behind Tiger? I would posit Armstrong, not like Lebron or Kobe in terms of sales and profitibility, but just the vision of Nike, the story. Nike and Armstrong parallel narrative.

Who is Nike's biggest current athlete in the peloton?

Basso.

You know where the nexus of pressure will be.

whiteboytrash said:

[font=Verdana]Sorry to disappoint by NIKE just make the jerseys and are a Tour partner where Credit [/font][font=Verdana]Lyonnais[/font][font=Verdana] are the Tour’s main sponsor…. Addidas will be willing to step into the fold as well a million other clothing manufacture… you see European companies will be happy to take over from drug riddled American companies and make a point of it… (letour.frpartenaires.htmlOpen ↗)[/font]

Nike wield influence. Whether or not another company eyes off that spot.

The ASO sell alot of media spots.

Sure Nike will put pressure on Disco to clear this bomb before an explosion under eyes of all medias around the world.

poulidor said:

Sure Nike will put pressure on Disco to clear this bomb before an explosion under eyes of all medias around the world.

Can see the headlines now...... “Discovery withdraw sponsorship under Basso drug cloud”..... oh but Bruyneel has MIO on board who make GPS units for cars ! Fark me they’re big ! It was stupid to sign Basso.... very stupid...... just too greedy Disco... no respect for cycling…

Prude Homme has only said he will he inviting the teams not to select OP riders. No mention of reprecutions if they don't. This could snowball to involve the teams association, riders representatives, national associations. ASO is as hypocrital as any of the players in this... I mean after all, its their tour distances and parcours that creat the need for systematic doping

And again, I dont understand why people here target their anger on Basso/Ullrich. 99% of them are doping. .... its just arbitrary to concentrate on 2 riders in this.

I will admit to having more than a suspicion that Basso has help from doping in recent years. The total power stage after stage of last years Giro. His strong performances at the tour in previous years. But still WBT, you are a little rough on him. Even if DNA shows he was a client, and that he had at least a plan to dope, will he really be that much more of a sinner than the rest of the peleton? Why, because in a competition where a rider cannot win without doping, he went for high test, while the rest only can get regular?
I am for exposing it all, yes, but not for condemnation of individual riders. Rather for the ultimate betterment of the sport. Really for all sport, but perhaps this is just sentimental thinking.

whiteboytrash said:

Now lets see Basso put forward a DNA to prove his innocence... yeh right ! Bruyneel will now take ASO to the European Court then the UN then get Lance to lean on Bush to blow up ASO headquarters then the rest of France..... finally a day when justice is done. Suck eggs Basso you big fat cheat ! :p

So where does Valverde stand ... is he considered OP client or not? No formal investigation against him was launched, right?

It'll be interesting to see how agressively the teams with implicated riders pursue legal recourse if ASO threatens to ban the ones that don't comply with their stipulation. Pursuing legal action always opens the possibility that previously undisclosed details could emerge in court and new, damaging revelations could unfold. If a director has a hunch that his excluded rider is guilty as suspected, would he really want to open that door?