ITALIAN rider Ricardo Ricco of Saunier Duval has tested positive for blood booster erythropoietin (EPO), French sports daily L'Equipe reports.
More to follow.

Agence France-Presse

oh no!
he was my hope to spice things up...

Why do they think they won't get caught?

bummer

http://op-for.com/simpsons_nelson_haha2.jpg

More here (http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/80269/ricco-positive)....

Well, that says a lot about how these teams are managed.

I called it days ago. No way someone blows by everyone like that clean.

Ah well. That's a bummer. He was fun to watch.

The ALL dope. Get over it.

Latest report says the whole Saunier duval team has quit the tour:crash:

I so hoped it wasn't going to be, but the chance that someone could blow by world class riders like that and maintain the lead without some form of doping just seems so unlikely...

Yesterday's stage is more indicative of what happens when someone gains a 90 second lead on the end of a climb with 20 or 30 k to go... they get caught and spit out the back at the end.

3 positives (and counting) in the TdF.

No positives in the Giro.

Okay?


:beer:

3 positives (and counting) in the TdF.

No positives in the Giro.

Okay?


:beer:

Are you saying that the racers in the Giro didn't dope or the organizers of the Giro didn't test well enough?

Why do they think they won't get caught?

They all do it, they have to to compete, sometimes they go a little over and they get caught.

If you want doping gone, positive tests are part of cleaning house. I think its a good thing, it means the gap between testing and doping might be closing. (and for the record, i dont even really care IF they dope or not)

Are you saying that the racers in the Giro didn't dope or the organizers of the Giro didn't test well enough?

Either.

Both.

Neither.

Definitely an interesting fact.


:beer:

I have, and wore yesterday, a saunier-duval team hat.

Damn it! I hate this doping crap!

..and he was going up the hill so well?

I think it is pretty clear that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its a duck. So far anyone who I have seen who has shown an ability to just run way from the lead group has turned up juiced. I think you have to think about Contador and Lance as well. But of course the other option is theay are all on something and the guys with the better something are just getting caught.

Bummerrrrr

Maybe Ricco can get in that Versus commercial now...

Pantani was his hero.

So disappointing. I knew that ride on stage 9 was too good to be true. Do these idiots just assume they aren't going to get caught?

Has anyone seen the beltran video yet? The doping control agent basically has to sprint to catch up with him.

http://www.cycleto.com/

Ricco is such a jag off. Now we know that he's a doper/cheater also. Bye bye Ricco ... too bad you took your team with you.

Who's next?

... Brad

ITALIAN rider Ricardo Ricco of Saunier Duval has tested positive for blood booster erythropoietin (EPO), French sports daily L'Equipe reports.

Holy crap. I was actually rooting for Saunier this year.:mad::mad::mad:

I had been thinking to myself that Ricco just looked like it was too easy... I was suspicious earlier, this doesn't really surprise me that much, given the performance that Saunier had put in.

I called it days ago. No way someone blows by everyone like that clean.

I will remember that next time someone (anyone) passes me on the road. :D

I think it is pretty clear that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its a duck. So far anyone who I have seen who has shown an ability to just run way from the lead group has turned up juiced. I think you have to think about Contador and Lance as well. But of course the other option is theay are all on something and the guys with the better something are just getting caught.

Based on your philosophy would that include Frank Schleck, since he rode away initially with Piepoli and Cobo, and that he will soon "turn up juiced"? Or because he, his brother and Team CSC is held in such high regard by most in the media and this forum are they excluded from this suspicion?

How about Schumacher and his uncharacteristic TT victory?

It's just so sad that something like this will now over shadow any victory. I wonder who's next to be popped?

Why do they think they won't get caught?

Because they almost never do. There is a sophisticated system for administering EPO, which makes it very difficult to detect. The riders who have tested positive so far probably doped themselves outside the detection window, or the time necessary for the drug to be completely metabolized. For every 1 who is caught, there are probably at least 10 who aren't.

Yes F. Schleck is probably on something. Both the Saunier-Davul guys who won the mountain stage were likely on something.

Based on your philosophy would that include Frank Schleck, since he rode away initially with Piepoli and Cobo, and that he will soon "turn up juiced"? Or because he, his brother and Team CSC is held in such high regard by most in the media and this forum are they excluded from this suspicion?

How about Schumacher and his uncharacteristic TT victory?

In the case of Schumacher I would be suspicious, Schleck not so much, he looked like he was hurting when he was with the break and dropped off the back when he could take no more. Also it seems that when you see these one day surprising efforts it is an indication something is up. Who knows except the riders for sure.

At this rate, by the time they get ALL the dopers out of the Tour, maybe even I could win it! :lol:

Dopers suck.

Az

3 positives (and counting) in the TdF.

No positives in the Giro.

Okay?


:beer:
Here might be the key from cycling news

Professor Michel Audran is one of the world's leading experts on blood doping. He is also one of nine independent experts chosen to act as consultants in the formulation of the UCI's biological passport. Daniel Friebe, Procycling features editor spoke to Audran this morning within minutes of L'Equipe's website announcing that Riccardo Riccò has tested positive for an EPO derivative after stage four of the Tour de France, the individual time trial around Cholet.

Daniel Friebe: In the last twenty minutes we've heard that Riccardo Riccò has tested positive for an EPO-like product. The early reports suggest that Riccò used CERA or Micera. a so-called third generation EPO. What's your reaction?

Michel Audran: Wow. I'm stunned. I'm amazed they're saying it's Micera, simply because there's no validated test for that yet. The World Anti-Doping Agency is working on a test, but it certainly doesn't exist yet.

DF: What exactly is CERA, or Micera to give it its commercial name?

MA:It's a delayed-action EPO, which has a different molecular mass from EPO. It's only been commercially available since the start of the year. We can tell when someone's used it but we can't declare them positive. In that respect it's like Dynepo, another EPO-like product. We know that Micera was being used on the Giro, so I'm not surprised that it's also turned up at the Tour. But I would be very surprised if they AFLD had declared Riccò positive for Micera, for the reasons I've just mentioned. Maybe they searched Riccò's room and found the product itself...

He goes on to say, "MA: What the AFLD have done very well is target particular riders. I don't think their tests themselves are any more rigorous, though. They'll be adopting the same criteria for positive tests as WADA. I would say, though, that if the UCI's biological passports had been ready, which they should be soon, Riccò would never have started this Tour.

I was reading up on Micera last night.
That interview with the prof is very interesting to me.
I wonder how many riders they know are "juiced" but can't legally say.

If it is the case that Ricco was on Micera, I think he'd win a court case since there is no validated test for it? Although I dunno if a team would take him. He'd be in limbo for a while maybe.

Also, I wonder why the entire Saunier Duval team quit? They were obviously ready to ride the tour without Ricco. Unless the entire team was on the same program, and they knew the gig was up.

. Maybe they searched Riccò's room and found the product itself...

.[/B]

Maybe that is why the whole team left?

By the way, I am wearing my Saunier-Duval hat right now.

Here is the entire link from Cycling news
Article here. (http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/tour08/?id=/features/2008/tour08_micera_st12)

"Micera was being used on the Giro, so I'm not surprised that it's also turned up at the Tour."

Holy crap, they know these guys are cheating and they can't do anything about it??? Crazy.

What a mess. Now we should wonder if all of the 10 riders noted before the Tour started were using a type of EPO that can be detected but not "validated."

We should hope the testing is fair and includes everyone. So far I think they are going a good job by targeting the odd pre race blood profiles first. (I would like to see that list) Speculation as to who else is doping is pointless. Ricco is the highest profile rider to test posistive and his two stage wins will be stripped I hope.

This is the unpleasant position that professional bicycle racers have put themselves in over the last few years. At least something is being done. Sports like professional football and baseball are sitting on their hands and not really doing anything but lip service.

This is such bull, i'm so mad right now. I started liking Ricco, because i like the punks, the loud mouths, the riders that spice up the pack. I watch the big Tours religiously and I can't peal myself away. All this crap leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. On the flip side, i get angry and ride harder myself when i get out on the bike. Its an odd form of motivation.

I could care less what happens to a doper in this sport. I hope he and the rest of them never come back. It's not worth my loyalty and interest to believe in a false prophet. he can go dope himself all he wants and climb the mountains by himself with cars trying to run him off the road when they see who it is.

snip

Also, I wonder why the entire Saunier Duval team quit? They were obviously ready to ride the tour without Ricco. Unless the entire team was on the same program, and they knew the gig was up.

According to the Velonews article the team left because Ricco was their GC hopeful and
it would be pointless to continue on without him. or some such rubbish.

According to me:
"We have withdrawn from the tour to avoid being next years Astana, everyone
on our team is doped to the gills and hopefully we can keep our other stage wins if
we just tuck tail and run now. . . "

"Micera was being used on the Giro, so I'm not surprised that it's also turned up at the Tour."

Holy crap, they know these guys are cheating and they can't do anything about it??? Crazy.
Yeah that was a bombshell to me.

So Ricco's a doper. I guess really I'm not surprised.

But what does it say about Contador, who crushed him in the Giro after spending a week on the beach and gaining 5 pounds? Sure does stink.

We should hope the testing is fair and includes everyone. So far I think they are going a good job by targeting the odd pre race blood profiles first. (I would like to see that list) Speculation as to who else is doping is pointless. Ricco is the highest profile rider to test posistive and his two stage wins will be stripped I hope.

This is the unpleasant position that professional bicycle racers have put themselves in over the last few years. At least something is being done. Sports like professional football and baseball are sitting on their hands and not really doing anything but lip service.

They put themselves into that position like any other professional athletes, for the money. Money for the athletes, and often money for the sport as well when athletes break records or exhibit sensational performances.

Doping must be stopped. If a 2 year ban doesn't seem threatening enough to the riders, perhaps it's time for a lifetime ban. As for professional football and baseball, I don't attend the games, I don't watch them on television, and I don't buy any of the products advertised or endorsed by the NFL or MLB.

As for professional football and baseball, I don't attend the games, I don't watch them on television, and I don't buy any of the products advertised or endorsed by the NFL or MLB.
Me too :thumb:

So Ricco's a doper. I guess really I'm not surprised.

But what does it say about Contador, who crushed him in the Giro after spending a week on the beach and gaining 5 pounds? Sure does stink.

And there's the biggest problem: According to some of you guys, nobody's innocent. And even if they are, you have no intention of accepting said innocence. You rather sit at your keyboards pounding out unprovable assertions. And you'll keep pounding and pounding in the hope of getting enough rumors going long enough to end up tainting a win that's been pronounced clean.

Why do you even bother following cycling? If you've got a need to ***** about something, there certainly something more productive to wind up on than a bunch of professional atheletes on bicycles - after all, they're only entertainment.

If a cyclist has a really good day, that's proof he's doping. If he's had a bad day, that proof that he's burned out from the previous day's doping. If he's just in the middle of the peloton, well obviously the drugs haven't kicked in you.

You're starting to sound like the global warming acolytes.