[Strategy]

Michael Rasmussen is slated to "tell all" today. This could be potentially interesting, because he is apparently exposing other dopers as part of his deal with the Danish Anti-Doping Authorities, in order to avoid an 8-year or lifetime ban (presumably, he hopes to be able to return to manage his "own" cycling team - CWO - after the ban). Current rumor is that he will be hit with a 2-year ban in return for his communication. Press conference starts at 14:00 CET.

This could be potentially very explosive since - not only does have more inside dirt on Rabobank - but he could conclusively out a big ex-rider like Jalabert, as well as a lot of ex-riders in the business today (Tristan Hoffman, Fabrizio Guidi, etc). And of course, the Danish media will be out in force looking for explicit confirmation about whether or not Bjarne Riis was actively complicit in the doping of his team. Riis and Rasmussen are not on speaking terms, so one would not expect Rasmussen to hold the hand over his old team boss.

In the meantime, Franck gets a 1 year suspension. To be honest, that's more than I expected he would get, but I guess the ADA in Luxemborg realized they had to punish him or face sanctions. Will be interesting to see what the consequences of this will be long-term. With Andy's abysmal start to the season in the TDU, I doubt the travails of the Schleck brothers is over just yet.

UCI cancels an investigation into themselves. One is surprised how the organization can continue to operate with zero credibility.

And Lance seems to be setting his sights on the UCI and legend past. Even if the motives are self-serving, it is one of the first times I find myself agreeing with him.

One wonders where it all will end.

[Strategy]

So - MR confesses to doping 1998-2010; says he has spilt _every detail_ to the ADA, but will not name any names publically. Presumably, he has given very good evidence, since he was able to get his 2 year reduction.

And Christina Watches ends up coming out of this looking quite a lot like the good guys...

[Strategy]

According to anonymous sources, Rasmussen is said to have claimed that he knows of Nicki Sørensen doping in 2002, and said that Riis knew all about his doping while he was at the team. The next steps here will be interesting...

[Burkni]

Strategy, on 31 January 2013 - 03:19 PM, said:

According to anonymous sources, Rasmussen is said to have claimed that he knows of Nicki Sørensen doping in 2002, and said that Riis knew all about his doping while he was at the team. The next steps here will be interesting...

Frankly not the first name I would have expected to surface ... MR won't be making any more friends within the Danish cycling community (not that he has ANY in the first place)

[The Rake]

I liked his confession in as far as one can be liked. He came straight out and said what he did, how he cheated, how he had been doing it for years without seemingly playing the victim card, or talking about a level playing field.

I would have liked it even more if he hadn't cheated or had confessed when motoring away in the yellow jersey.

But fair play to Rasmussen showing the likes of Armstrong, Landis and Leipheimer how it should be done.

AND...he says he doped until 2010. Ignoring the mythical 2006 cut off put forward by the USADA boys

[Strategy]

@The Rake:
Yes. I don't like Rasmussen much (didn't like him even while he was riding in yellow, either), but his confession was no-nonsense and believable.

[Strategy]

I love the recent developments with Riis vis a vis the UCI.

Riis hints that there are truths that remain to be told about Operation Puerto and the situation in Cycling prior to 2006, and that he might be willing to speak openly if the situation changes (e.g., with the much touted possibility of a TRC - something I suggested already six years ago). It should be obvious to anyone with two brain cells that the only way to clean up the sport is to create a process where everyone can be heard fairly - and without the fear of disproportionate and arbitrary reprisals, the way it is now (i.e., those who are unfortunate enough to be caught or chose to admit are punished severely, while equally culpable persons are left to continue their careers in the sport).

The UCI's response: "STFU. The problem is that people like you are talking about the past."

Fantastic.

[Burkni]

Strategy, on 14 February 2013 - 02:56 PM, said:

The UCI's response: "STFU. The problem is that people like you are talking about the past."

Well at least they agree with riders like ASchleck and Cancellara who cannot emphasize enough how important it is to "turn the page".

[smug]

Strategy, on 14 February 2013 - 02:56 PM, said:

I love the recent developments with Riis vis a vis the UCI.

Riis hints that there are truths that remain to be told about Operation Puerto and the situation in Cycling prior to 2006, and that he might be willing to speak openly if the situation changes (e.g., with the much touted possibility of a TRC - something I suggested already six years ago). It should be obvious to anyone with two brain cells that the only way to clean up the sport is to create a process where everyone can be heard fairly - and without the fear of disproportionate and arbitrary reprisals, the way it is now (i.e., those who are unfortunate enough to be caught or chose to admit are punished severely, while equally culpable persons are left to continue their careers in the sport).

The UCI's response: "STFU. The problem is that people like you are talking about the past."

Fantastic.

whoa, i suggested "amnesty" on this (or the old board) back in 2003 when everyone else still believed in miracles.

[adker]

amnesty is a great idea, if done at the right time, and by the right people for the right reason, Once the UCI is hung out to dry and the new team of leadership is in place. Not so that the governing body can get everyone to stop looking to protect themselves.

and when the majority of the guilty parties have been caught and penalized at least some.

[Strategy]

smug, on 15 February 2013 - 04:20 PM, said:

whoa, i suggested "amnesty" on this (or the old board) back in 2003 when everyone else still believed in miracles.

But did you write it in an article published on DP?

I forgot who it was that drew up some plans for how a TRC might be carried out in practice, but the idea was basically that you have more or less a total amnesty for the riders, and evaluate the implicated staff on a case by case basis. So some punishment might be involved, but not to the point where one ends their career (because, what would be the point of speaking in that case?) It sounded like an eminently reasonable proposal that might actually be practicable.

It is painfully obvious, though, that the only role the UCI can have in this is on the confession stand.

[micomico]

Strategy, on 15 February 2013 - 08:17 PM, said:

But did you write it in an article published on DP?

AKA B sample proof

Speaking of prescient postings on doping, I posted on DP a number of years ago, when it initially came up that Frankie and JV were texting about doping in LAs team, motoman (indirectly), and their mention of Landis taking pics of it, that if I were LA that I needed to take care of Landis, that he was a loose cannon, and said that LA better stay on top of it.


BTW, it seems UCI also stands for "U Can't Inform".

This post has been edited by micomico: 16 February 2013 - 03:02 PM

[Strategy]

Seems like Boogerd is about to go under. Hard proof that he paid large sums of money to Matchiner have now surfaced.

[mapeifan]

Immediately after the story hit the media yesterday afternoon, Boogerd confirmed existence of the invoices. Shortly thereafter, he announced that he indeed had transferred "small amounts" to Stefan Matschiner's account as payment for "vitamins and diet pills for my then wife."

Aha, the old Rumsas deflection!

[Strategy]

I ... just ... don't ... get it.

Does he really think that Cycling fans... even his own fans, are that stupid? I get the desire to try and keep lying once caught up in the lie, but he could at least evidence a minimum of respect for the intelligence of his listeners.

This post has been edited by Strategy: 02 March 2013 - 11:54 AM

[Burkni]

Strategy, on 02 March 2013 - 11:54 AM, said:

I ... just ... don't ... get it.

Does he really think that Cycling fans... even his own fans, are that stupid? I get the desire to try and keep lying once caught up in the lie, but he could at least evidence a minimum of respect for the intelligence of his listeners.

Well we know that FSchleck got charged quite handsomely for "training plans" by Fuentes ...

[Strategy]

Hehe... Brian Holm gives a broadside at the media.

Essentially, he blasts the whole situation around Operation Puerto, and says that if the media wants to take Cyclists down, they should take the football and tennis players down as well. Says they should open up all the blood bags or close the case and forget it.

Says that he has never lied about doping on any of his teams. Adds that at one point he was taken in by the German police and testified under oath, so if ever any evidence comes to light that he lied about doping on T-Mobile/HTC as a team manager, he will be in serious trouble.

Says that he is convinced Cavendish, Greipel, Martin and the rest of "his" people win races clean. He is sure that HTC won most of their 70-80 victories a year with clean riders, but notes that they fired three riders during the HTC years. One whom they caught themselves, and two who tested positive. Says that if ever anyone discovers evidence that he did anything to dope Cavendish, they are welcome to chop his head off.

Finally, he comments that what Armstrong and Hamilton did back in 2002-03 was very obvious even at the time. He points out that when Hamilton won the 17th stage, he made a slight insinuation about doping in a Danish newspaper, and was practically vilified as a national traitor in the Danish media (Hamilton was extremely popular in DK at the time). Says that if he had directly said that Hamilton must have been doping, he would have gotten killed by the media. So - his question to the journalists - "Have you regretted anything? Take a look back at the things you have written for the past 10 years and ask yourself - do you regret some of your words?"

A good question, because there is no question that national media in particular have a big role in keeping the doping omerta going.

[Burkni]

I like the part where the media/public were prepared to send him to Sweden

[micomico]

Burkni, on 02 March 2013 - 05:05 PM, said:

Well we know that FSchleck got charged quite handsomely for "training plans" by Fuentes ...

Or Brillo's " I didn't inhale" defense.

[Strategy]

Pundits are speculating that Rasmussen's testimony in the MR vs Rabobank case on thursday could prove explosive. Speculation that Rasmussen and Matschiner may have made a deal to put pressure on the team.

Rasmussen, to be noted, contends that the team was fully aware about his presence in Mexico in the famous whereabouts case and of his doping, and thus were acting in bad faith when they took him out of the Tour in 2007.