Professional Cycling For the Fans - Return of the "Chickenman"... and guess where (maybe)!

This could be really intresting:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/5121/Bjarne-Riis-admits-an-interest-in-Michael-Rasmussen.aspx

If he's clean, he probably won't be much of an asset. Personally, I detest the guy.

So Vino is OK, but Ras is not? Did Vino admit to doping?

All the big name dopers seem to be coming back now - Basso, Vino, Rasmussen, Ricco, etc.; and as bad as that may be for public perception of cycling, why not? The rules are what they are. If the authorities want "convicted" dopers to be banned for life the honest thing would be to write that down and make in actual rule instead of some wishy-washy "gentleman's agreement".

So Vino is OK, but Ras is not? Did Vino admit to doping?

My dislike is not solely because of his doping. It contributes for certain, but there are some guys in the peloton I just never took a shine to: Schumacher, Kohl, Rasmussen, Ricco, DiLuca, Valverde, Mazzolini, and some I like despite their offenses - Vino, Basso, Millar, Pelizotti. (it took a while for me to come to terms with Vino and Millar though). There's no science, or hard and fast principle behind it - not any more than why someone likes one person, but another... not so much.

My dislike is not solely because of his doping. It contributes for certain, but there are some guys in the peloton I just never took a shine to: Schumacher, Kohl, Rasmussen, Ricco, DiLuca, Valverde, Mazzolini, and some I like despite their offenses - Vino, Basso, Millar, Pelizotti. (it took a while for me to come to terms with Vino and Millar though). There's no science, or hard and fast principle behind it - not any more than why someone likes one person, but another... not so much.

You just like who you like, that's how it works. One of my favorite cyclists is still Thomas Voekler (sp?). I believe that he has as much heart as any cyclists out there.

I don't understand how Versus decides who to remind you is a doper and who not to remind you is. Maybe it is number of years from doping conviction, maybe the method of positive test.

Millar supposedly just cracked under questioning and then gave up tons of details on how he had done it and avoided testing positive. Maybe UCI needs a rule that you need to provide your means and methods to get 2 year ban otherwise you get a life long ban.

Vino is a hard man, with a lot of heart (and admittedly not a lot of brains, at least early in his career) There's a fair amount to Vino to like, other than the doping.

Rassmussen, to me, is just a skinny little guy with poor bike handling skills that could climb when doped to the gills.

I don't understand how Versus decides who to remind you is a doper and who not to remind you is. Maybe it is number of years from doping conviction, maybe the method of positive test.

Millar supposedly just cracked under questioning and then gave up tons of details on how he had done it and avoided testing positive. Maybe UCI needs a rule that you need to provide your means and methods to get 2 year ban otherwise you get a life long ban.


All the big name dopers seem to be coming back now - Basso, Vino, Rasmussen, Ricco, etc.; and as bad as that may be for public perception of cycling, why not? The rules are what they are. If the authorities want "convicted" dopers to be banned for life the honest thing would be to write that down and make in actual rule instead of some wishy-washy "gentleman's agreement".

Im surprised at how up to this point, there seems to be an overlook of how money runs everything.
Half your wonder, pondering and confusion would be cleared away by accepting the facts of how this all works. I quit racing because at this point, its got nothing to do with talent. Its all about connections ( for access to drugs and so on), and ability to generate money (as in, you have a way of making a splash in the right way).
Having said that, Ras is talented, I dont blame him, he is just a participant in a system that gives one no choice what so ever.
His rise proves he has the talent. I personally like chicken, so that offsets my perception of him... so i will reserve my judgment as far as that goes.

Excuse me but Rasmussen never tested positive. He was suspended for missing out-of-competition doping tests and lying about his whereabouts was he not? Yes, he was almost certainly doping but he never tested positive AFAIK.

Excuse me but Rasmussen never tested positive. He was suspended for missing out-of-competition doping tests and lying about his whereabouts was he not? Yes, he was almost certainly doping but he never tested positive AFAIK.

True, but the reason for the out-of-competition tests and documenting riders' whereabouts is because doping has gotten so sophisticated that just testing during competition is no longer enough. By the rules of the game as they are now, missing those tests or lying about your whereabouts is tantamount to doping.

That said, he did the crime, he did the time. If a team wants to hire him, let him ride.

So long as he keeps his shirt on, I don't care who he rides for.