Ricco Suffers Kidney Failure After Transfusing His Own Blood

[Vapin' Joe]

Jesus H, this one went seriously wrong -

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...blood-transfusion-caused-hospitalisation.html

 

[raindog]

You couldn't invent this stuff could you?
Back from a 20 month ban and the season barely under way......
I think he might have a screw loose that one.

 

[Svendo]

<sarcasm> But he's only leveling the playing field as he's not had two years of race fitness innit! </sarcasm>

 

[yello]

Sounds like he should consider himself lucky to not have lost his life. I hope that's more important to him than winning bike races.

 

[Fletch456]

I'm in a tiredness induced irritable kind of mood today so my reaction was - what a complete d**khead! Though it may have been that on a more normal day.

 

[rich p]

I don't wish him serious damage but good riddance to the cheating little weasel.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I saw this on a news site earlier and as per anything cycle related the comments quickly turned into a whole heap of nasty abuse.
The guys a moron but I hope he doesn't sustain damage worse than a lifetime ban. It's gotta be easier to train to be good than do this to yourself hasn't it?

 

[frank9755]

The guys a moron but I hope he doesn't sustain damage worse than a lifetime ban. It's gotta be easier to train to be good than do this to yourself hasn't it?

I'd say his technical skills in avoiding infection had been shown up.
I don't expect it's the first time he's done it or that he is the only one who does it so, to be competitive it probably isn't 'train as hard as you can or blood dope' but 'train and blood dope'

 

[Keith Oates]

I don't wish him serious damage but good riddance to the cheating little weasel.

I agree with that statement Rich, I've never liked the man even before he was caught taking drugs. He was casting aspersions on other riders during the Giro (forget which one) a few years ago and then more recently openly saying some nasty things about his girlfriend (I don't know if she still is). He is one rider I will not miss from the peleton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I don't like the guy at all, but I hope he pulls through and learns something from this.

The one thing of wider interest here is that it does appear to have been entirely personal and very DIY - outside of the team, and without medical supervision, even of the dodgy kind. Does this suggest that his team, Vaccansoleil, and perhaps teams in general are no longer involved with their riders' doping, and that organised doping through that route at least, may be a thing of the past?.

 

[John the Monkey]

Sounds like he should consider himself lucky to not have lost his life. I hope that's more important to him than winning bike races.

It's hideous. Obviously there are risks with the other forms of doping, but transfusing like this is appallingly dangerous- and I find it hard to feel anything other than pity for someone who felt they "had" to do this to themselves.

 

[Haitch]

Does this suggest that his team, Vaccansoleil, and perhaps teams in general are no longer involved with their riders' doping, and that organised doping through that route at least, may be a thing of the past?.

To cast aspersions (and quote this morning's paper), Ricco's team manager at Saunier Duval in 2008 (the year he tested positive for cera) was Mauro Gianetti. Gianetti spent ten days in hospital in 1998 after a blood transfusion went wrong.

 

[iAmiAdam]

Proof that bans dont work, lifetime bans are the only way to go.

 

[montage]

Proof that bans dont work, lifetime bans are the only way to go.

David Millar - proof that lifetime bans are not necessarily the way to go

 

[ColinJ]

David Millar - proof that lifetime bans are not necessarily the way to go

Riccò - proof that lifetime bans, a spell in prison and/or psychiatric help for a second offence are definitely the way to go!