Note for non-UK readers: the phrase "What are you on?", normally pronounced in a very low-class accent, like "Wot ah yew orn?" is heavy sarcasm, indicating that the person concerned must be deeply and horribly affected by drugs of some kind, to have said the things that they said.
According to a report in Velonation, the results of Contador's arbitration hearing have been delayed yet again, this time until at least the end of January, and the report blames the media.
Last week, the media reports to which they are referring were to do with WADA ("War Against Drugs -Again") allegedly having one of their witnesses barred from speaking.
But now it appears that the fault lies with dear Mr Becca, who apparently has been suggesting that Saxo Bank held their training camp in Israel merely to influence the Israeli member of the CAS panel.
Presumably he means that holding a training camp must bring money into that country.
But would it? Unless the CAS panel member concerned actually owned the hotel, what benefit would he get? Training camps must cost the team a fortune: there are hotel fees, all those bikes to be shipped, bodies to be shipped, trucks and support vehicles to be shipped: there must be insurance, medical support, your own chefs, PR, photographers, etc, but that doesn't really benefit the country, does it? OK, they buy fuel and presumably some of their food (but not the meat, ha ha!) locally, but I can't see how one person would benefit from this.
So what is Mr Becca playing at?
I have no idea: the only thing that comes to mind is "stirring for the sake of it."
If he somehow hopes to be seen as a nice person, I can't help thinking this is not the way to go about it.
So, thanks to Mr Becca and the media, poor old Contador is on the hook for another couple of weeks. And apparently he has also now been summoned to appear in the dreaded Operation Puerto case: in case you've forgotten about this one, it's the big drugging ring in Spain that was "broken" back in May 2006, where Spanish Police launched a huge investigation against a Dr Fuentes, who was responsible for running it.
Several pro cyclists were implicated, and several teams were badly affected by the operation, not least being the newly formed Astana team, who were then barred from the Tour in 2006. Contador was, of course, in this team. Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich and Michele Scarponi were all found guilty of doping offences. It was a huge operation, and the repercussions are still rattling around.
And now they're calling Contador back to appear in court - as far as I can remember, because there was talk that a bag of blood with his initials on it was amongst the material seized by the Spanish police. This is all a bit feeble, considering that, for example, Michele Scarponi's blood etc was labelled "Zapatero", and Jorg Jashke admitted to being "Bella" (*snigger, snigger*), and you would rather expect that anyone doing anything illegal like this would take great care to have some sort of code name for each participant, wouldn't they?
Well, I'm now feeling sorry for Contador - as if he hasn't suffered enough questioning and waiting, and now he has to go through it all again.
As I recall from what I've read (and I'm sorry, I can't quote sources)...but the SaxoBank Team built a bicycle park while they were is Israel. That's where the challenges are coming from You are right though - there would have been lot's of cost related to getting a whole team over there - but the issue that presented was the "free" work that SaxoBank for a community service for the locality.
ReplyDeleteAnd...isn't this a bit over and above what a pro cycling team does when they visit an area?
Just what I've heard....
BE
PS...
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely livid and furious that the Contador decision is being delayed...yet again. I don't have an ounce of pity for Conti or his legal team. He "bought" all of this in my view. Nothing has been handled normally about the charges against him due to power, money and control. I'm fed up with the delays. The charges are from 2010....we are in 2012 now - this is absolutely ridiculous!!
BE
Interesting....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.roadcycling.com/articles/Painful-Times-In-Front-Of-Us_004699.shtml
BE
Barbara made a comment (past pages) that she thought this site was being "looked at" (my words not hers) more than we give credit for.
ReplyDeleteWell - we discussed black shoes & socks (and now white seems to be the flavor of the team - so far anyhow. I commented that the websites were confusing, like you click on a tweet from LT and the new RSNT website is what you see. Well - this morning - LT on twitter has clarified that site will be for the continental team and the new RSNT on twitter will be functional next week.
I also think "they" are listening to what gets said on here.
Otherwise - it's just freaky!
Good job Coug!!!!
BE
Personally, I have Mr. Becca pegged in the same category as Mr. Pat McQuaid - men who think pretty highly of their own opinion and believe that I as a cycling fan care (or possibly, should care) about what they have to say. I don't. They have both lost their credibility in my eyes and I sometimes wonder if their press officers cringe when they get near a microphone.
ReplyDeleteDo I believe that SaxoBank's training camp in Israel was a PR stunt to bring attention to a team in need of some positive PR? Yes. Do I believe that it was done with the intention of swaying the opinion of one of the members on the CAS panel? No.
I do believe that when you are a team owner or someone in a position of authority in sport (or life, for that matter) that you have a duty of care with the statements that you make to the media. On that account, Mr. Becca has failed miserably.
Kat
Bjarne Riis actually played it cool when asked about Becca's comments. Here's the report on Cyclingnews
ReplyDeleteKat
Bjarne "declined to comment" on Mr Becca's accusations; yup, I'd call that "playing it cool"!
ReplyDeleteIt must be maddening to have someone like BigMouth Becca or Mad McQuaid in your establishment - you'd never know what idiot thing they were going to say next, would you?
And Barbara, you are right, there was more to it than just placing the training camp in Israel: some reports say "built a school" some say "built something for the community" and you say "built a cycle park" so it's clear that they built something, which is way over and above what you would expect from a cycle team with insecure sponsorship.
I don't know if it was intended to sway the Israeli panel member, but it was certainly done for good PR, and I can't help feeling that the Israeli government would have been grateful, and that this gratitude might well be reflected by their panellist. But enough to sway his decision one way or the other? I'm not sure, but it seems possible.
But for Mr Becca to blab about it to the press, just as the trial was taking place? (Mind you, no point blabbing about it afterwards,I suppose?) That is just plain devious.
On the other hand, if Mr Becca truly believed that Saxo were trying to influence the panel while pretending to do something charitable, then he had every right to tell the world about it. We don't have enough facts to really judge it, do we? See, this is why I'm not involved in local government, or anything like that: I can't make decisions without facts, facts! *tears hair out*
Coug