daytonian

I guess this is some reason for his 1/2 hour bonk the following day. I don't Rasmussen will see Paris either.

deyendznyr

With the black cloud surrounding Rasmussen about his missed doping tests and now this, I think things have gotten worse since Landis.

Vinokurtov

(sigh)

Yep, there's still doping in the peleton. Hang onto your hats too...after watching the last couple of mountain stages my guess is he's not the only one.

If you really want to ruin any skepticism pick up Walsh's book. Not doubt this will bring out the Michael Jackson fan-like deniers, but it's worth reading.

I long for the days when you could at least know the majority of the guys were doping.

Level playing field and all that.

VT Biker

Botto:

self-rightious and hypocritical no doubt. But he is correct. You guys always attack the messengers because you can never attack the message.

I think we are getting very close to the cliff here where the UCI and Pro Tour cease being what we know it to be today. Sponsorship money is going to dry up, and Millar basically is stating as such. All of these young riders who thought they would make millions riding are going to have a rude awakening. When only Shimano, Trek and Clif Bar are even remotely interesting in sponsoring you, better get used to $60k a year.

rule

Dipsh*t.

UT_Dude

Oh, I seriously give up.

El Diablo Rojo

I now pronounce Vino the dumbest rider in the entire peloton. Seriously with the organizers looking harder than ever wtf was he thinking. How f'n desperate is this guy?

Cassadamius

https://www.velonews.com/tour2007/det...s/12910.0.html

Wow........That's all I can say.

timmhaan

i think the bike and component manufactures are at least getting something out of sponsorship. afterall, i can see that people are buying treks, specialized bikes, dura ace, SRAM, etc..

as for the benefit to companies that are not directly related to cycling...i'm not so sure it's gonna last. t-mobile looks ready to fold.

Shooter

He signed some form before the race. Now his whole team's out & his fine is a year's salary. Kloeden should take him behind the bus & have a "talk" with him. Another rider I admired has let me down. Think I'll watch baseball from now on.

grebletie

Damn.

That sucks.

justindprice

this is huge... if guilty- at least he doesnt hold the lead for GC. still this is disastrous. now sponsors will continue pulling out. kiss it goodbye

cslone

This is SOOOO 10 minutes ago.

https://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=324619

Blaireau

+ 1, 000 and Botto says he likes the sport of pro-cycling... But it is his kind of attitude -- intellectual dishonesty about doping -- that is killing the sport...

Blaireau

I don't think the statement has any legal value, though I would love them to hold him to it....
Uh, baseball ?! Surely you jest

UT_Dude

This has got to be the last thread for a lot of stuff.

Good-bye, UCI Pro teams. Good-bye, team sponsorships.

Good thing I can still race, I sponsor myself!

Randomus

*sigh*

And it continues...

VT Biker

I agree with the above. But there is a big differece in money when your sponsorship comes from cycling specific companies versus huge multi-national conglomerates. If you want to see where road cycling is going, look no further than the fortunes of mountain bike racers or professional triathletes. The money is so little, that these guys all have to look for jobs immediately after retiring from the sport. And this is for the top guys. The domestiques if you will: they have to hold second jobs or essentially live like bike bumbs. You can forget having that second home in the Pyrenees like so many riders do. They will be staying at hostels.

I bet you that the Disco team management is pissed. They may have to disband the team after this year.

Millar's comments are an honest assessment of the situation. He sees the writing on the wall, and this is now the final straw. If I were ASO/UCI, I would kick out Rassmussan now, and get all of the bad news out of the way. Send a message to Rassmussan that while UCI may have rules, the ASO and Tour have their own. Act suspicious, and your toast.

fixiechick

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ! Unbelievable.

cslone

Yeah, I've really started ramping up my mileage this past two days in case I get called to race in the TdF 2008, sponsored by "Gold 4 Ya Mouth" in Dayton, OH.


Just in case you think I made this up:

https://www.gold4yamouth.com/online/

ExMachina

I used to tell people how exciting watching cycling can be, as long as you realize how it works and the ammout of physical stress these guys are under...

Sadly, these past two years I have been too ashamed to raise one word in defence of pro cycling...

To the dopers--you suck!
To the non-dopers--the dopers make it look like you suck too

timmhaan

it's a weird situation isn't it? at the top level, the sport is crumbling and falling apart...but at the amature level, it's doing pretty well.

Randomus

Cyclingnews coverage: https://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007...ul07/jul25news

Pro cycling is in such a horrible state of affairs at the moment.

daytonian

So Vino shot up someone elses blood minutes before he left the gate? Talk about pre race rituals!

Cassadamius

What is Millar right about? Are there any deniable comments in his statement? He's right about the fact that he's speechless? Obviously not. And he has a feeling? Why is it so noble to follow anyone that makes this type of comment? I say that people don't understand what it's like in the pro peloton. Someone else said it best, saying that you're in complete denial to think that everyone else has to dope just to keep up with your favorite rider, who is not doping. What it's going to take is an agreement among ALL riders to not dope or cheat in any way. But then, there will always be the one guy that breaks the agreement and wins by doping. The likelihood that an agreement like this would exist is pretty small. We all feel like movie stars and sports stars get paid too much, but we aren't willing to sacrifice our music and television and buying tickets for the cause, are we? I think you have to be there before you jump all over someone for doping. And as far as Millar - who's to say he isn't doping? This could all just be a very effective cover-up.