Basso to Become Anti-Doping Ambassador for UCI

Basso volunteered just enough to get the heat off of him, and now looks poised to come full circle, even though he never really admitted to anything

What the hell is happening to cycling? As reported by Eurosport and other outlets, deposed Italian cyclist Ivan Basso has been brought on board by the UCI to become an anti-doing ambassador after his suspension ends. Shouldn't his official title instead be "Attempted Anti-Doping Ambassador?" Basso never admitted to doping, only "attempted" doping. If Basso only "attempted" to dope, then Bill Clinton never inhaled and didn't f*!# Monika Lewinsky.

Don't get me wrong here either, I'm all for second chances. I rode with Basso in 2005, and found him to be a pretty cool dude. But I have a huge problem with someone who is unable to out and out admit that they did something wrong. Basso doped. Period. He may not have ever tested positive, but Simoni was right to call him an "extra-terrestrial" as he was dominating the 2006 Giro, riding away from the world's best climbers with ease.

When he was finally nailed to the wall by CONI and the UCI, he still didn't admit what he did, but chose to take the coward's way out and admit only what he had to admit. Meanwhile, riders like Andre Kashekin, Roberto Heras, and Jorg Jaksche can't find a contract after having admitted that they actually doped. What gives here? Why are the honest athletes being blacklisted while the slimier ones (Basso, Hondo, VDB, Di Luca, Valverde) roam free? Is there no justice in the sport of cycling? Apparently not.

Increasingly, Basso is looking more like a politician and less like an athlete. And if he spoke English just a bit better, I would think he was an American. I'm sure he and Roger Clemens could spend a nice evening talking about the millions of dollars they have made over the years for their lies and deception. I hope Basso comes back, races clean, and wins. But I fail to understand why Jaksche and the other honest, transparent names above can't do the same. It is time for cycling to reward honesty, and punish deception, instead of the other way around.