Basso quits!

[huw williams]

Heads up guys - Hearing reports that Basso's just quit Discovery for 'personal' reasons and there's some strong rumours doing the rounds that L.A. might follow him

[Andrew G]

Obviously an innocent victim with the blood bags and Puerto then.
Would gladly wave goodbye to LA for countless reasons, but what happens to the team if he does, he owns half of Tailwind Sports doesn't he with Bruneel the other half. Bruneel buy him out?

[-Adam-]

Marco, is the last line in your post your writing, or part of what you have pasted in?

[-Adam-]

3 years ago when i first started cycling seriously, I saw LA as something of an icon, perhaps even an idol.

I have had a calendar of him, i bought Oakleys partly because he has them. I bought a Giro Atmos partly because of him. Hell i even probably bought a Trek beacuse he did so bloody well on 'em. (All this gear is cool too by the way, i wasn't entirly seduced by him!) I'd go as far as saying he is the reason i really got into the sport, i loved his bullishness etc. (I was 17 at the time)

But the more sh1t that gets stirred up bout him, the more i feel cheated. Since the EPO stuff from '99 coming out about him post Tour '05 i have begun to have doubts. I just don't know what to believe. I owe him for getting me into the sport, but perhaps he owes me the truth? Perhaps he owes the world the truth. I have had people talk to me about him when his books have been reffered to in motivational conferences they've been too. So when this stuff comes up about him, what do i say when they say cyclists are all on drugs? I tell you, all i say to anyone who says that now is 'All i know, is i am not on drugs, and thats good enough for me'.

That usually makes people laugh, and they say 'that's why your not a pro then huh!' Which makes me laugh, because they're probably right. I used to be obsessed with the Pro Scene. Perhaps daring to dream i could get close to it (a dream that has long since faded!). And im sure many kids do across the world, and im sure they also see the drug scandals too. What messages does that send out? Its crazy, its only supposed to be a game. I would like to say there's too much money involved now. But the reallity is they're aint! I mean imagine what might go on in other sports, like football for example. Theres been match fixing scandals, who knows if they're all clean or not. I'd be bloody suprised if they are given they're reputation for drinking etc. And they have the cheek to moan they have to play two matches in 3 days!? Get over it, try racing three times in three days. Or even 21 days in 23, yeah, thats right.

I am disillusioned almost beyond belief. Has anyone heard that the T-Mobile doctors might be bent as well? Great little doping test programme they've got then. So Di Luca wins LBL, clean? who knows? who will win the Giro, who cares, are the clean? probably not. where do we go from here?

[jon avery]

Well said Adam.

[huw williams]

Never mind all that - what about Chuck Norris on the legal team? Brilliant.

[img]http://i14.tinypic.com/66ynltt.jpg[/img]

[-Adam-]

Hmm

[CaroleH]

Guess I need to change my forum name!!!!! Any ideas?

Carole H

[Grahame]

Ivan's syringe?

Or sticking with your current "theme" - Lance's suppository?

[-Adam-]

Cabron!

That makes it even worse almost, money grabbing **** signing a $2m contract with discovery, i hope they sue him for all the money they must have paid him already.

Plus, makes Riis look like even more of a fool. How can he not have know, given how close they were supposed to be!?

ARGH!

[-Adam-]

Maybe every rider and team manager/doctor/soigneur/cook or whatever should be made to re-apply for their licences...

It won't happen but would be a good way to sort the clean from the down right dirty.

[David Lombari]

It's the arrogance that gets me and I find so fnooking frustrating. It's as if we owe them a debt of gratitute for fessing up. Why should we beleive ANYTHING he says now.

I've never been a big fan of Ivan anyway. Now his sister......

[Will]

Here she is...

http://velochimp.com/2006/06/03/elisa-basso/

WARNING: CONTAINS SOME NUDITY