Professional Cycling For the Fans - team managers to blame for the mess ?

i have one problem with this years tour team managers are still signing dopers bruyneel signing basso last year springs to mind. an d the interview with wiggins saying that cos he didnt win th prologue or time trial they were thinking about his contract

quote

"I'm at the end of my contract with Cofidis coming to negotiate, next year for example with Cofidis, I'd asked for a figure for example off my team manager," started Wiggins. "And he said, 'You didn't win the Prologue and you were fifth in the time trial,' and I'm like, 'But I'm clean, would you rather I take risks and win the prologue and win that time trial and not get caught and then would you be paying me the million Euro contract for next year?' So there's all these things that go into account you know, that was all pissing me off to be honest."

sums it up for me cos the answer is obviously yes

quote

"What are the team managers doing? Ivan Basso was thrown out of the Tour last year for his involvement in the [Operation] Puerto affair - and has now been banned for two years - but soon after he was expelled, a huge team like Discovery signed him up on a million euro contract. And the Discovery manager was one of those who got Basso expelled. Such hypocrisy, I can't believe it."

Maybe Wiggins can sign with Slipstream. That would be one hell of a lineup in the TTTs.

From what I understand, Discovery Channel (the sponsor) wanted to sign/add Ivan Basso to the team and that was after Basso was acquitted for any involvement in the Operation Puerto events by the committee, due to insufficient evidence. But 5 months later, CONI reopened the case and Basso admitted it was "attempted doping", and that while he had not actually undergone doping, he was "fully aware that an attempt at doping is tantamount to doping". Disco ended up taking a hit for that signing.

From what I understand, Discovery Channel (the sponsor) wanted to sign/add Ivan Basso to the team and that was after Basso was acquitted for any involvement in the Operation Puerto events by the committee, due to insufficient evidence. But 5 months later, CONI reopened the case and Basso admitted it was "attempted doping", and that while he had not actually undergone doping, he was "fully aware that an attempt at doping is tantamount to doping". Disco ended up taking a hit for that signing.

had disco not signed basso and the case were not reopened you could argue that contador would not have won the TDF this year.

basso was favored to win the tour at that time. disco knew that basso had baggage -- i.e., was a doper -- but a possible tour win was their motivation.

they took a chance and won the tour anyay!

ed rader

The teams are certainly culpable. Look at Tinkoff - they signed a whole team of dopers! Then in many cases the managers have been directly involved, team doctors directly involved or at the very least turned a blind eye. Often there are strong suspicions but a rider gets signed to a big contract anyway.

"I had no idea my star rider was doping - I'm just shocked!"

:rolleyes:uh-huh

http://img.mittelbayerische.de/bdb/590300/590381/Detail327.jpg
midas dopeur - everything he touches turns to crap.

I have hopes for Vaughters' TSS:

"You have to pound it into the heads of your riders that we would rather have you finish ninth and not dope than have you win and dope," he said.
"You have to say that over and over again, and you have to prove that you mean that when they don't perform or win that you are still supportive.
As soon as you get into that win, win, win, win, win mentality, whether or not you want it, you are going to start pushing the doping mentality."
-JV

Team managers to blame? In many cases yes.