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.

Petacchi Suspended, Vila Positive, But Do Fans Care?

Petacchi wasn't planning on riding the Giro this year, but his suspension will affect his planned participation in this year's Tour de France

Alessandro Petacchi lost his appeal to the CAS yesterday for his non-negative test in last year's Giro, and is now suspended until August of this year. The CAS panel determined that the Italian did in fact break the rules, but did not do so maliciously, so he faces only a one year ban.

Meanwhile, Patxi Vila, the Spaniard of the Lampre team, has reportedly tested positive for abnormal testosterone levels. He faces a two year ban if found guilty. Lampre is standing behind their rider, and urging all to suspend judgment until the counter analysis has been completed.

With more doping related news sweeping through the peloton, the question of how the sport will be affected is top of mind. Fans seem not to care about doping in the peloton. A recent survey here on Euro Peloton revealed that fans will never stop following cycling, even if convicted dopers return to cycling. Most fans seem to be jaded by the myriad problems affecting the sport. They have become numb to the doping issue, and seem perpetually ready to forgive and forget.

Vila, here shown winning a stage in Paris-Nice ahead of Floyd Landis in 2006, faces a two year ban for abnormal testosterone, just like Landis

All of this is good news for Petacchi and others, who can expect to recieve huge support from their fans as they make their comebacks. Indeed, a rider like Ivan Basso seems to be more popular than he was before his doping confession. When riders cheat, it would seem, they become more human to fans, more vulnerable. This underdog factor tends to galvanize their fan base instead of alienating it. And as long as a sponsor like Liquigas or LPR are willing to sign tainted riders, all ends well for an accused/guilty cyclist.

Liquigas Kicked Out of Rund um den Henninger-Turm; Rasmussen, Vino to Follow Basso in 2009?

News trickled down today out of Germany that the Italian Liquigas team will not be at the start line of the upcoming German semi-classic Rund um den Henninger-Turm, as they would not agree to sign the "statement of honor" document required of all registered teams. Already Liquigas seems to be preparing for the arrival of Ivan Basso, as the tainted star was signed a few days ago by the Italian Pro Tour outfit. Liquigas is having to face scrutiny from race organizers literally the day after they announced the signing, and Basso's actual return is still a half year away. The alleged "statement of honor" must have asked Liquigas to admit something that they no longer can: that they are in compliance with cycling's world governing body rules. They are not.

Everyone deserves a second chance, right Vino?

The Pro Tour ethics code stipulates that if a rider is sanctioned for doping, he is not allowed to sign for a Pro Tour team for four years. After having withdrawn itself from the AIGCP, Liquigas has placed itself in a tough spot as it struggles to defend the choice to sign Basso. The way the situation is handled by other race organizers will have a huge effect on how future cases are dealt with. If Liquigas succeeds and Basso is able to start the Giro and other major races in 2009, what should stop another rider, either unsanctioned or done with his two year ban, from jumping onto a different Pro Tour team? Further, if Liquigas is eventually stripped of it's Pro Tour status, but still earns invites to the year's biggest races, won't other teams follow that same course and sign whomever they please?

The Pro Tour may go the way of the old cycling World Cup in 2008

Worse still, will cycling fans soon have to watch Michael Rasmussen, Alexandre Vinokourov, Andre Kashikin, and others be rewarded with lucrative high profile contracts from other Pro Tour teams in the near future? Perish the thought, but wouldn't Jan Ullrich, who is facing no sanction, at least consider returning if the price was right? In what could turn into a real mess, the above riders and others may soon be in the picture, as the fight against doping continues. Just don't necessarily expect their teams to be at the biggest races, as it looks like the race organizers, not the UCI's Pro Tour, will govern the sport into 2009.

Landis' Last Stand: Floyd Tries One Last Time to Clear His Name

Once again, Floyd Landis had his day in court, as he exercised his final right to appeal in regards to his positive doping test in the 2006 Tour de France. Landis has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past two years in an attempt to have his positive doping result overturned, but as of yet the Pennsylvanian hasn't been able to turn the tides in his favor.

Landis rode like a super human in the 2006 Tour, and then tested positive

With his final chance at appeal, Landis will depend on the talent to his lawyer, Maurice Suh, in hopes that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will see things his way and overturn his ban. Landis' lawyers will no doubt pull out all the stops to prove the innocence of the deposed Tour de France champ.

Hamilton won gold in the Olympics and then was banned for doping

The cycling world has watched Landis swim upstream over the last few years, and will no doubt shake their heads sadly when the CAS panel once again finds Floyd guilty. In cycling, once you are accused or found guilty of doping, you find very few friends within the cycling realm. Landis no doubt has learned this over the past few years.

The worst part about all of this is that the cycling public will never really have closure. Sure, Landis will be considered guilty according to the governing bodies of sport, but he'll never admit that he doped. Like Tyler Hamilton, Landis will continue to profess his innocence, even after being convicted numerous times. But what can we expect from Landis, he learned from the best in the world how to cheat and how to deny---Lance Armstrong.

Heras probably started doping with the Kelme teams in the early 90's

Armstrong won seven Tours de France. He was a world champion. He survived cancer. He beat known dopers by large margins, including Marco Pantani, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich. But he didn't dope? His former teammates Hamilton, Landis, Roberto Heras, Frankie Andreau, all admitted or were found to have doped. But did Armstrong? No, cries his fan base and huge legal team. Lance just worked harder than everyone else. Bullcrap. Total bullcrap. There is no way Armstrong could have defeated the likes of Rasmussen, Basso and Ullrich unless he had some sort of help. As a matter of fact, if he was doping, he was probably using blood transfusions as his method. But like Hamilton and Landis, Armstrong would never admit he doped, even if he did. He made far too many millions of dollars to admit the truth now.

Armstrong en route to his first Tour win in 1999

And it's that same with Landis. He figures that if he continues to deny, public opinion will be on his side in the long run. Unfortunately, that's just not true. Real cycling fans, while not eager to admit it, realize that Landis et all did in fact dope. As a matter of fact, almost ALL riders in the 90's doped. It was a doping culture. But we, the American cycling public, are to believe that these Americans are being held to the fire unjustly? Maybe some fans will accept that line of bull, but not this one. Sad but true, Landis, Hamilton, and even those that have never been convicted, are guilty no matter what they may say over the years.