Basso Worth A Second Chance, Says Liquigas Chief
by Justin Davis
NARBONNE, France, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - Disgraced Italian cycling star Ivan
Basso deserves a second chance of resurrecting his career, the Italian’s
future manager at the Liquigas team said Friday.
Basso is nearing the end of a ban handed down after he admitted, without
having tested positive for banned substances, to being involved in the Spanish
doping affair ‘Operation Puerto’.
The Italian, a former rival of Lance Armstrong on the Tour de France while
racing for the Danish CSC team, is due to return to racing at the end of the
summer.
Liquigas had hoped to brush off the criticism and welcome one of Italy’s
most revered riders with open arms, however they have had the worst possible
preparation.
The lime-green colored Italian outfit are currently one of three teams on
the Tour de France to have suspended a rider following a positive test for the
banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin).
The team’s manager, Stefano Zanatta, claims that Spaniard Manuel Beltran’s
positive test after the first stage will lead to his sacking if it is
confirmed by a counter-analysis next week.
But he has defended the team’s decision to sign Basso, whom he claims is
being watched closely by the anti-doping authorities.
“I can understand that people might regard us with suspicion, but we have
nothing to hide and Basso has paid the price for his mistakes. Everyone
deserves a second chance,” Zanatta told AFP prior to the 13th stage.
“Right now he is training a lot but he is also being visited on a regular
basis by the doping controllers. He has been tested at home a lot.”
On Thursday Tour de France chief Christian Prudhomme left the future of
Riccardo Ricco’s Saunier Duval team in doubt after declaring he doubted the
integrity of the team’s manager.
Ricco, a double stage winner, is the biggest name so far to be snared by
the anti-doping controllers at this year’s race.
It remains to be seen whether Liquigas, and the Barloworld team of Spaniard
Moises Duenas - who has also left the Tour following a positive test for EPO -
will be invited back next year.
But as far as Basso is concerned, it shouldn’t be a problem.
“He won’t be racing the Tour next year,” added Zanatta.
“He will probably ride the Tour of California in the early season, then
perhaps some of the (one-day) classics and Tirreno-Adriatico before preparing
for the Giro d’Italia.
“The Tour is the biggest race in the world, but for our sponsor the Giro is
just as important.”
Categories: Doping, News, Team Liquigas
Tags:
Leave a Reply