Basso to join Discovery team

Good move by Discovery..........they were short of talent this year.
What was CSC thinking, to let Ivan get away????
---Salem, OR USA---

Wayne wrote:

Good move by Discovery..........they were short of talent this year.
What was CSC thinking, to let Ivan get away????
---Salem, OR USA---

Just read that on BBC Sport....Someone else to be Trashed on the Forum.
Cheers...Gus.

[FILE UNDER "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"]

Nov. 8, 2006, 12:55PM
Basso to join Discovery team

By DALE ROBERTSON
Houston Chronicle

Italy's Ivan Basso, arguably the world's top stage racer and the runner-up to Lance Armstrong in the 2005 Tour de France, has signed with the Austin-based Discovery Channel Cycling Team.

The team just confirmed the signing on its website, although Armstrong had been quoted in an Italian newspaper this morning saying: "It's done. We have an agreement."

The 28-year-old Basso, who won the 2006 Giro d'Italia, parted ways with Team CSC three weeks ago after he had been banned from participating in the Tour de France because his name was linked to a wide-reaching Spanish drug investigation known as Operation Puerto.

Basso and Germany's Jan Ullrich, also thrown out of the 2006 Tour because his name surfaced in documents seized during the raid on a sports doctor's office in Madrid last spring, were the co-favorites to win the Tour until they were both sent home before the start in Strasbourg, France.

Basso would have been trying to become the first rider since the late Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro and the Tour de France in the same year.

Instead, Floyd Landis of Team Phonak – and a former Armstrong teammate with Discovery - kept the American string of Tour championships going, only to find out afterwards that he had failed a drug test. Landis' fate is now in the hands of U.S. anti-doping authorities, who are expected to hear his case in January.

The Italian Olympic Committee and the Italian Cycling Federation have said it will take no action against Basso and have cleared him to return to racing, prompting Discovery's interest after CSC released released him from his contract. The Italian paper, Gazetta della Sport, said he has agreed to a three-year,$6 million contract to lead one of just two American-sponsored teams on the Pro Tour.

Discovery had made a major push to acquire Basso in 2005 to replace the retiring Armstrong, but he opted to stick with CSC because of his close relationship with team owner Bjarne Riis, the 1996 Tour champion whose mentoring had turned him into an elite rider after he left the Italian Fassa Bortolo team following the 2003 season.

It was Riis, though, who was forced to dismiss Basso from CSC's Tour team and the global information technology company based in El Segundo, Calif., was said to be extremely displeased that its superstar had been tarnished by the Spanish case, if not found guilty of any wrongdoing.

Armstrong and Basso became close when the world's most famous cancer survivor attempted to help Basso's mother in her own fight against cancer. She later passed away.

During the 2005 Tour, Basso proved to be Armstrong's equal in the mountain stages, but he lost decisively to the Texan in both of the individual time trials, still his weakest skill.

Basso will become Discovery's new leader after a year in which the team struggled to find its way without Armstrong, whose seven yellow jerseys are the Tour's all-time record. Although George Hincapie wore the yellow briefly and Yaroslav Popovych won a stage, no Discovery rider placed higher than 19th in the 2006 race.

And young American Tom Danielson proved at the Vuelta in September that he wasn't yet ready to step into the leader's role when he struggled in the mountains early and, despite an impressive stage win late, placed just sixth.

Discovery had previously added Levi Leipheimer, 33, to its stable of riders. After Basso and Ullrich were banished, the American Leipheimer was considered a threat to claim the yellow jersey, but he never contended, placing 13th, almost 19½ minutes behind Landis.

Yes it is a good move by the Disco boys to sign Ivan but, what about Levi. he was brought in to be the top dog at that team and now he is back to the roll of Domestique. Good move by Disco but a very low class move as well. If Jan comes back I will be pulling for him long before Ivan.

Uh...HOW, exactly, does Basso's joining the Discovery team relate to the Landis topic?

Will wrote:

Uh...HOW, exactly, does Basso's joining the Discovery team relate to the Landis topic?

Will,
You are truly despicable. You posted an entire article on the matter and then chastise Chad for responding to it. You're a sorry excuse for a human being.

My guess is that Bjarne Riis will live to regret the way he has handled the whole Basso case. I live in Denmark and am a genuine paid-up member of the CSC fan club, but it seems increasingly clear to me that Ivan was sacrificed to ensure Bjarne's continued income stream from the sponsors and that the kind of loyalty that he (Riis) expects from his riders is a 'one-way' street.... there was certainly no public statement of support for Basso from his former boss. It may be that others also share my concern - it is only a thought, but why did Jens Voight suddenly decide to leave CSC? Could it be that he (probably the most liked man in the peloton & honourable as well), felt that commiting to the well advertised 'CSC values' was only required of the riders, and not the management... and so decided to move on?

All round it's sad.... I find it difficult to become a supporter of Discovery Channel, but am increasingly disenchanted with CSC's attitude. Maybe I'll take a break from supporting a team, BUT I'll continue supporting Ivan Basso, who I believe is the best rider currently in the sport.

John wrote:

<quoted text>
Will,
You are truly despicable. You posted an entire article on the matter and then chastise Chad for responding to it. You're a sorry excuse for a human being.

John, Will is the TRASHER,theRIPPER,theINQUISITO NEER and sorry to say...the DESPICABLE being you say he is.Probably eats Sprockets,Chains,Nuts 'n' Bolts (THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS )...for DIN-DIN,maybe tosses in the odd Scotsman... Cheers.

Chad Wilson wrote:

Yes it is a good move by the Disco boys to sign Ivan but, what about Levi. he was brought in to be the top dog at that team and now he is back to the roll of Domestique. Good move by Disco but a very low class move as well. If Jan comes back I will be pulling for him long before Ivan.

Levi's performance in the '06 Tour left him vulnerable to something like this happening. I think signing Ivan is an excellent move for Disco.

Sorry, here is the ''I'' that was dropped out of ''INQUISITIONEER''..ba,da,ba,d a,ba,da...That's all Folks!.

Evermore whistling, but it doesn't change the facts about Landis doping, which is still the topic of this forum.

Will wrote:

Evermore whistling, but it doesn't change the facts about Landis doping, which is still the topic of this forum.

Will,or is it Willie or Wilhelm,I got it, it is probably Wilhelmina...no offence to the other gender.However DUMBO we are all in limbo 'til the final out come,so stop trashing others,give your pea brain a rest 'til it,s over...go have a few pints if you're of age.

...the whistling becomes more desperate...why all the frustration, I wonder? Could it be the reality setting in regarding LANDIS BEING DISCIPLINED FOR DOPING AT THE TdF?

...and you should FACE the fact that LANDIS DOPED FOR THE TdF AND HE'S LIKELY GOING TO BE DISCIPLINED FOR IT.

GO FLOYD and LIVESTRONG!

My goodness! Doping in sports gets the world talking and talking. It's difficult to speak of pro cycling without throwin' the doping aspect. I don't wanna appear naive but a legitimate TDF win without dispute for someone is very welcome. Man, the scrunity has invovled lawyers, MD's and political muddslinging so intrusive that the TDF is much more than a bicycle race.

Mick Hancock wrote:

All round it's sad.... I find it difficult to become a supporter of Discovery Channel, but am increasingly disenchanted with CSC's attitude. Maybe I'll take a break from supporting a team, BUT I'll continue supporting Ivan Basso, who I believe is the best rider currently in the sport.

I totally 100% agree with what you are saying here!!

Its a wise move by bryneel, he has a good eye for talented riders. Basso will be a good booster for the team in place of lance, bryneel knows how to get full potential out of his riders. Big money= Big star i think basso has the potential to show this.

Now that the spotlight is on Basso as far as doping is concerned, I suspect that he will find it increasingly harder to enhance his performance while avoiding detection. Without the unfair competitive edge derived from doping, I suspect that Basso will underperform and fail to meet expectations, sort of like Tyler Hamilton. And if Basso's Discovery team domestiques are also closely monitored to suppress their doping activities in support of Basso, I suspect team Discovery will be noncompetitive overall.