He's doesn't own a Fiat Punto

[thom]

Gazetta report today on the Padua case being brought against Ferrari.
No translation other than through Google but this could be huge .

"It is the largest investigation doping in sports history, far beyond the Operacion Puerto. Thousands of pages of documents, reports, and environmental wiretaps, searches and international letters rogatory in Switzerland, the Principality of Monaco and Spain."

Looks like they are exposing a cross border system of payments that amounts technically to money laundering, in order to give payment to Ferrari.
Scarponi fingered. Astana and Radioshack as teams. About 20 teams have had to submit their rider contracts for scrutiny in order to trace the flow of cash.

Anyone got a good translation ?

Edit : cycling news write up

 

[rich p]

This could be massive if it nails team doping and names riders too. The peloton could be short of a few riders nextyear. I'm going to start training now.
Operacion Puerto is still rumbling away too IIRC.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The rider specifically implicated include: "Michele Scarponi, Denis Menchov, Alexandre Kolobnev, Vladimir Gusev, Vladimir Karpets, Mikhail Ignatiev, Evgeni Petrov and Alberto Ongarato." There does seem to be one obvious statistical observation one could make there... if of course that were all the riders, which I don't think it is by a long shot. It may say more about the Gazzetta's willingness to finger Italians other than Scarponi, who everyone already knows is dodgy. But I can't say anyone will be surprised about the large number of riders from ex-Soviet states with all their special programs that would hardly have just melted away with the collapse of communist regimes.

 

[thom]

Popovich & Pellizotti too

 

[Crackle]

No real surprises in the names so far.

 

[thom]

Scarponi, Menchov (ex Rabobank), Astana, RadioShack:
"(Scarponi) tells Ferrari that he could have won the Giro and Ferrari replies that if he'd had another bag, he could have had a chance," Gazzetta reports the police report as saying.

 

[Crackle]

I was just going to post that story. All on tape from his campervan being bugged, whoops.

 

[thom]

I was just going to post that story. All on tape from his campervan being bugged, whoops.

It's amazing. Not having a test for autologous blood doping, you have to find a different route to get convictions but it's a bit snazzy. I wonder how they managed to bug Ferrari's camper van.
It's great the Italian judiciary are going for this - there seems to be stronger laws in play here rather than Spain.
But as far as blood doping goes, detection via profiling seems to be about odd jumps in reticulocyte levels or other components as indicators and perhaps an additional overlay of expected deterioration of oxygen carrying capacity over 3 weeks. If a rider were to dope a small amount on a daily basis through 3 weeks, you probably would never be able to detect it. Unless the plasticisers from the bags shows up.

Makes you very sceptical about Grand Tour winners (and I don't mean Brad, despite the cyclismas thing a couple of days ago...).

 

[Red Light]

Makes you very sceptical about Grand Tour winners (and I don't mean Brad, despite the cyclismas thing a couple of days ago...).

I suspect Wiggo is now out of the SPOTY - the public are just not going to vote for cycling.

 

[johnr]

Scarponi, Menchov (ex Rabobank), Astana, RadioShack:
"(Scarponi) tells Ferrari that he could have won the Giro and Ferrari replies that if he'd had another bag, he could have had a chance," Gazzetta reports the police report as saying.

Now getting 'page not available on our server' message... perhaps someone sent the boys round to have a quiet chat?

 

[thom]

Now getting 'page not available on our server' message... perhaps someone sent the boys round to have a quiet chat?

fixed

 

[johnr]

fixed

Thanks. Doesn't get any better does it?

It's looking more and more like root and branch reform is all that can be entertained. Whether in the US or Europe, the sport seems riddled, not just with cheats, but out and out crooks.

 

[ufkacbln]

It's amazing. Not having a test for autologous blood doping, you have to find a different route to get convictions but it's a bit snazzy. I wonder how they managed to bug Ferrari's camper van.

There is a test, but it is unfortunately not yet fully accepted.

There are various agents in the blood that change once blood is taken outside the body. In stored blood these deteriorate, so levels are lower.

Low levels in a blood test indicate blood transfusion, whether it is from the rider themselves, or a donor is realy irrelevant.

 

[thom]

Tony Rominger denies involvement in money laundering etc.

 

[johnr]

I think we should make Mandy Rice Davis (she of the quote in the Profumo affair: 'well he would, wouldn't he') patron saint of the forum.