{"id":5086,"date":"2014-11-25T06:13:02","date_gmt":"2014-11-25T06:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crankpunk.com\/?p=5086"},"modified":"2023-11-22T00:58:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T00:58:20","slug":"italian-cycling-is-the-dirtiest-and-most-corrupt-right-think-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2014\/11\/25\/italian-cycling-is-the-dirtiest-and-most-corrupt-right-think-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian cycling is the dirtiest and most corrupt, right? Think again\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>*<em>use Google translate please on the Italian websites featured)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>___________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>The Italians. Reel off the names of the heroes of Italian cycling and it reads like a Who\u2019s Who of serious heavyweight dopers.<\/p>\n<p>Mario Cipollini, Ivan Basso, Danilo di Luca, Francesco Moser, Riccardo Ricco, Emanuele Sella, Michele Scarponi, and of course the great imbiber, Marco Pantani. Let us not forget also Graziano Gasparre, busted for transporting a veritable drugstore about under his skin.<\/p>\n<p>Gasparre was busted for amphetamine, EPO, HGH, testosterone and cocaine.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re gonna do it proper, Graziano, do it proper!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5087\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5087\" style=\"width: 379px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5087\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2014\/11\/25\/italian-cycling-is-the-dirtiest-and-most-corrupt-right-think-again\/gasparre\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/gasparre.jpg?fit=379%2C568&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"379,568\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Gasparre\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;anyone got a straw?&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/gasparre.jpg?fit=379%2C568&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5087\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/gasparre.jpg?resize=379%2C568&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"anyone got a straw?\" width=\"379\" height=\"568\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5087\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Gasparre: anyone got a straw?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Il Campionissimo, the great Fausto Coppi, is the greatest rider in a fine tradition of snorters, poppers and needle heads from the Old Boot, and he wasn\u2019t shy about admitting it.<\/p>\n<p>In a TV interview back in the day, he admitted taking <em>\u2018la bomba\u2019 <\/em>[amphetamine] pretty darn regularly.<\/p>\n<p><em>Question<\/em>: Do cyclists take <em>la bomba<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><em>Coppi:<\/em> Yes, and those who claim otherwise, it&#8217;s not worth talking to them about cycling.<\/p>\n<p><em>Question<\/em>: And you, did you take <em>la bomba<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p><em>Coppi<\/em>: Yes. Whenever it was necessary.<\/p>\n<p><em>Question<\/em>: And when was it necessary?<\/p>\n<p><em>Coppi<\/em>: Almost all the time.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5088\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5088\" style=\"width: 813px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5088\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2014\/11\/25\/italian-cycling-is-the-dirtiest-and-most-corrupt-right-think-again\/amphetamine_structure\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/amphetamine_structure.png?fit=813%2C327&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"813,327\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Amphetamine_structure\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;amphetamine: the chemical diagram of choice for riders in the 50s&amp;#8230; and 40s&amp;#8230; and 30s&amp;#8230; and 60s&amp;#8230;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/amphetamine_structure.png?fit=813%2C327&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5088\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/amphetamine_structure.png?resize=813%2C327&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"amphetamine: the chemical diagram of choice for riders in the 50s... and 40s... and 30s... and 60s...\" width=\"813\" height=\"327\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5088\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>amphetamine: the chemical diagram of choice for riders in the 50s&#8230; and the 40s&#8230; and the 30s&#8230; and the 60s&#8230; how they got this down their throats i&#8217;ll never know&#8230;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s no doubt that then that there are some pretty high profile dopers in Italian cycling, and you will often hear people \u2013 particularly the English and the Americans \u2013 cite the Italians (along with the Spanish) as being the \u2018worst for doping\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>But is that actually true? In the past few years surely the highest concentration of dopers have come from the English-speaking nations, in particular from the USA.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Ah but ya see, like Lance said, they were just doing it to catch up!\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Yeah and that completely justifies driving what has been called \u2018the greatest fraud in sporting history\u2019 \u2013 and that is even if you believe that guff.<\/p>\n<p>Back to Italy and their innate need to cheat \u2013 cos that\u2019s what we feel it is, let\u2019s be honest here \u2013 take a look at this report in VeloNews from back in 2011:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/velonews.competitor.com\/2011\/04\/news\/must-reads-doping-controls-on-italian-juniors_169723\"><strong><em>\u2018<\/em><\/strong><strong>Doping controls on Italian juniors\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Is it a sign that things have gone too far? Or simply an effort to nip the doping scourge in the bud? Officials from Italy\u2019s anti-doping brigade at CONI carried out controls on junior cyclists racing in an event Sunday in northern Italy. The Giornale di Vicenza reported that officials took urine samples from junior riders 13 to 14 years old. CONI confirmed it tests up to 40 juniors throughout the racing season. Italian cycling federation president Renato di Rocco defended the practice, telling the newspaper: <\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>We have to come to accept the fact that we have to start with prevention at the age of 13. The parents and society can have a guarantee that sport will be cleaner, that everyone is racing at the same level, something that\u2019s been questioned for a long time now. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cBut something must be said, with all honesty, that there are parents who put high concentrations of caffeine in the water bottles of their own children. It\u2019s time we make a reflection and do all we can to prevent the next generation from entering the road to doping. It\u2019s called prevention<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I read this and I thought \u2018Whoah, those Italians are doping <em>their kids!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sure you will agree, that is hardcore. My initial reaction though ignored the other vey important factor here, and that is that the President \u2013 no less \u2013 of the Italian Cycling Federation \u2013 no less! \u2013 was coming forward and saying that yes there was a problem, that yes, the ICF intended to do something about it, and that hell yes, parents of young kids who were coming into the sport deserve to \u201c<em>have a guarantee that sport will be cleaner, that everyone is racing at the same level.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Is this happening in America, where some very questionable characters still dominate USA Cycling?<\/p>\n<p>No.<\/p>\n<p>(If need be, google Steve Johnson or Thom Wiesel or, alternatively, <a href=\"http:\/\/crankpunk.com\/2014\/03\/14\/usa-cycling-steve-johnson-and-the-empty-appeal\/%20\">just read this from me. <\/a>For some real fun though, go read about <a href=\"http:\/\/velonews.competitor.com\/2006\/04\/news\/six-years-later-strock-case-comes-to-court_9763\">American juniors being doped way back when by Chris Carmichael<\/a> &#8211; damn, what a GREAT coach he is, deserves every penny of that wonga he sits on&#8230;).<\/p>\n<p>Is this kind of an early, grassroots prevention plan that they have in Italy being presently undertaken by the UCI?<\/p>\n<p>Not that I know of, and certainly wasn\u2019t under Pat MacQuaid.<\/p>\n<p>Even if the kids aren\u2019t doping, and let\u2019s hope they aren\u2019t, this is exactly the kind of thing that this sport needs. I know it is terrible and awful to say that we need to test juniors and <em>oh my goodness please let them be kids for just a little while longer<\/em> but if this is all part of a system that educates them against doping later and means that parents have peace of mind that there kids aren\u2019t going to be thrown to the wolves once they move up the ranks then yes, do it.<\/p>\n<p>Italy isn\u2019t shy at taking the lead on anti-doping in other respects either. You may remember that the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) went after Alejandro Valverde for doping when everyone else was happy to look the other way, it seemed.<\/p>\n<p>As the article on Podium Caf\u00e9 stated at the time:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018According to CONI, Valverde has violated section 2.2 of the WADA code, &#8220;use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or method.&#8221; Note that a ride need not actually use blood doping to violate the WADA code, but only &#8220;attempt&#8221; to use. The Basso case provide the precedent in this context. If CONI can prove its case, the violation carries a two year suspension. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018In Italy, the Valverde case has never sat well. While Italian star Ivan Basso sat out for two years after conviction in the Puerto case, Valverde continued to win races. Few in Italy believed that Valverde was innocent in the Puerto case. The Spanish authorities have all along proved slow to act on the Puerto evidence. So, too, has the UCI.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The UCI? Slow to act on a doping case involving a major star? Never!<\/p>\n<p>Did the Spanish federation assist CONI in its case in any way? Or at the very least, let them get in with the case unobstructed?<\/p>\n<p>No. They <a href=\"http:\/\/www.supersport.com\/cycling\/article.aspx?Id=298694\">rushed to Valverde\u2019s defence<\/a>, as they did when <a href=\"http:\/\/usatoday30.usatoday.com\/sports\/cycling\/2011-02-15-alberto-contador-doping-ban-lifted_N.htm\">Alberto Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Valverde got a two year ban as a result of this, thank CONI, though he still protests his innocence, as any smart doper will, because fans prefer to be lied to and know it is a lie than to be told the truth as it will mean they\u2019ve been taken for chumps.<\/p>\n<p>Funny old world eh?<\/p>\n<p>Still not sure about the claim that Italy is really not as bad as you thought?<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s move on then to Italian gran fondos and some information provided by Uli Fluhme, director of the Gran Fondo New York (GFNY) series.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cItaly,\u201d Uli says, \u201cis at the forefront of doping control in amateur cycling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>How so? Well, let\u2019s let Uli explain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Gran Fondo in Italy means racing at the highest amateur level. Anyone who doesn\u2019t make the jump from \u201cdilettante\u201d (elite amateur) to pro at 23\/24 years old, races granfondo. Any other kind of masters racing is almost non-existent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause cycling is extremely popular in Italy, it is also highly competitive. I\u2019ve raced as an amateur in many countries around the world. Nothing comes close to the level of racing in Italy. While the first granfondo happened in the 70s, the real revolution came in the mid 90s with the introduction of chip timing.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5089\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5089\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5089\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2014\/11\/25\/italian-cycling-is-the-dirtiest-and-most-corrupt-right-think-again\/ulifluhmejb\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/ulifluhmejb.jpg?fit=1140%2C760&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1140,760\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Jorg Badura&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1325938054&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9 Jorg Badura&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;65&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"UliFluhmeJB\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Uli Fluhme&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/ulifluhmejb.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5089\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/ulifluhmejb.jpg?resize=830%2C553&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Uli Fluhme\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5089\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Uli Fluhme<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt allowed cyclists to compete in various categories throughout one big peloton. With that kind of competitiveness you get teams, team cars, sponsors, ex-pros &#8211; and of course doping. By the late 90s the level of racing at the front was so high that doping was the only explanation. More and more the regular rider and racer got fed up with granfondo superstars that raced like professionals &#8211; and doped for it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt first the bigger events liked the racing and the magazines talked about the races. But soon doping controls became the norm. More and more riders got popped. Thanks to a very strict antidoping law, the Italian police started crack-downs on doping rings that sometimes involved a pro here and there but most often dozens of amateurs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hence those reports that come out of Italy and seem to make no sense to the rest of us about doping operations getting busted that come with a long list of amateur riders\u2019 names. It\u2019s not as simple as saying \u2018well in Italy even the amateurs dope.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s closer to the truth to say that these guys are doping because the prestige that comes with wining these races \u2013 and many are screened live on TV \u2013 is massive. You can see a similar trend in the USA in Masters racing. It is not the cash prize that so attracts these guys, but the lure of celebrity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2011,\u201d continues Uli, \u201cunder the tutelage of the late Andrea Pinarello (he died of a heart attack at a race, only 40 years old), the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.federciclismo.it\/attivita\/amatoriale\/fivestars.asp\">Five Stars League was formed<\/a>. It contained of the 5 most important granfondos in Italy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt had the following rules:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a01. Ex-pros are not allowed to race granfondo for a certain number of years<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>2. Pros can ride but not race granfondos.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>3. The Top 100 riders of the previous year are subject to blood testing before each 5 Star League event<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0[the TOP 100! \u2013 cp.]<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a result, the speeds at the races dropped and many of the Top 100 riders disappeared from the 5 big events. Of course it didn\u2019t stop all dopers but it was a good start. While the league does not exist anymore (trying to get the 5 biggest events at one table was probably too difficult), its spirit lives on in each of the event. Ex-pros are still not allowed to race for a number of years and doping controls continue to be done by the federation at <a href=\"\/\/www.granfondonews.it\/v5\/articles.asp?id=1173\">numerous granfondo events<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The number of names, the vast majority amateur, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.coni.it\/it\/attivita-istituzionali\/antidoping.html\">here on this list<\/a> (in fact on the first page alone!) is impressive.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The conclusion,&#8221; says Uli, &#8220;is not that Italians are all cheaters. The conclusion is that there is testing happening at races and events (Triathlon, Half Marathon, Gran Fondo) where other countries look away.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Look at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.granfondonews.it\/v5\/articles.asp?id=956\">Granfondo Roma<\/a>, where organizer and attorney Gianluca Santilli also works for the Italian Cycling Federation (Federciclismo) and is part of the amateur cycling committee in the UCI. He\u2019s at the forefront of the antidoping movement in Italian cycling. One of his race rules is that a rider testing positive at his event has to reimburse the cost of the test. Furthermore, if he\/she is part of a team, the team can be held liable as well. It\u2019s a rule we also implemented at GFNY.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5093\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5093\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5093\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2014\/11\/25\/italian-cycling-is-the-dirtiest-and-most-corrupt-right-think-again\/granfondo_roma_la-gran-fondo-roma-diventa-tesi-di-laurea-universita-la-sapienza-00\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/granfondo_roma_la-gran-fondo-roma-diventa-tesi-di-laurea-universita-la-sapienza-00.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1067\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Hans-Joachim Kleine&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1381650284&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Hans-Joachim Kleine&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;15&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"granfondo_roma_la-gran-fondo-roma-diventa-tesi-di-laurea-universita-la-sapienza-00\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;the Gran Fondo Roma &amp;#8211; quite popular, then&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/granfondo_roma_la-gran-fondo-roma-diventa-tesi-di-laurea-universita-la-sapienza-00.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5093\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/granfondo_roma_la-gran-fondo-roma-diventa-tesi-di-laurea-universita-la-sapienza-00.jpg?resize=830%2C553&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"the Gran Fondo Roma - quite popular, then\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5093\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"text-decoration:underline\"><em>the Gran Fondo Roma &#8211; quite popular, then<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And finally, another notable first that I know of in cycling, the Italian national team management decided back in 2009 to no longer select former dopers for the national team, a decision that saw them clash with the Court of Arbitration in Sport.<\/p>\n<p>The British team adhered to this rule until the British Olympic Association rescinded its ban on the selection of former dopers, meaning that David Millar could compete at London 2012.<\/p>\n<p>If an athlete cheated in any other way though &#8211; for example a marathon runner getting in a taxi at KM12 and getting out ahead of the field again at KM39 \u2013 would they be allowed back?<\/p>\n<p>What exactly is the difference there?<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, I\u2019m wandering. Back to the Italians.<\/p>\n<p>One forum commentator said back in 2009 when the Italians selected their World\u2019s team and left out Basso that \u201cIt is ironic because Italy does have some of the toughest laws but most corrupt administrators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Most corrupt\u2019 &#8211; not sure how to measure that, but yes, there has been corruption in Italian soccer, cycling and athletics (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/06\/19\/sports\/olympics\/officials-accused-of-covering-up-italian-olympians-doping.html?_r=0\">such as in this case<\/a> , but <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/2003\/apr\/24\/athletics.duncanmackay\">do remember Carl Lewis et al <\/a>before you start spitting feathers), but with all the evidence, noted above, to indicate a real attempt by the Italians to clean up their most beloved sport, can we deny that they are leading the fight against doping in cycling in several major areas any longer?<\/p>\n<p>I think not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>*use Google translate please on the Italian websites featured) ___________________________________________ The Italians. Reel off the names of the heroes of Italian cycling and it reads like a Who\u2019s Who of serious heavyweight dopers. Mario Cipollini, Ivan Basso, Danilo di Luca, Francesco Moser, Riccardo Ricco, Emanuele Sella, Michele Scarponi, and of course the great imbiber, Marco Pantani. Let us not forget also Graziano Gasparre, busted for transporting a veritable drugstore about under his skin. Gasparre was busted for amphetamine, EPO, HGH, testosterone and cocaine. If you\u2019re gonna do it proper, Graziano, do it proper! Il Campionissimo, the great Fausto Coppi, is the greatest rider in a fine tradition of snorters, poppers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40955418,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","wpupg_custom_link":[],"wpupg_custom_link_behaviour":[],"wpupg_custom_link_nofollow":[],"wpupg_custom_image":[],"wpupg_custom_image_id":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119818829],"tags":[495847,767233535,77823,9496,1642,419,1929,2436,306209144,993348],"class_list":["post-5086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dopepunk","tag-basso","tag-cycling","tag-doping","tag-fight","tag-italian","tag-italy","tag-leading","tag-tests","tag-uli-fluhme","tag-valverde"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2OfoS-1k2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1014,"url":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2012\/11\/28\/cyclings-russian-roulette-the-link-between-doping-and-cancer\/","url_meta":{"origin":5086,"position":0},"title":"cycling&#8217;s russian roulette: the link between doping and cancer","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"11\u6708 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"when we put those two words together, 'cycling' and 'cancer', one thing, one name, immediately pops up in our heads: Lance Armstrong. google\u00a0pro cyclists cancer and you'll be met by page after page of news on LA and the Livestrong foundation and on his battle against testicular cancer, which, fortunately\u2026","rel":"","context":"dopepunk","block_context":{"text":"dopepunk","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/dopepunk\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/fignon-book.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5562,"url":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2015\/01\/20\/4-italian-amateurs-busted-for-a-total-of-75-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":5086,"position":1},"title":"4 Italian amateurs busted for a total of 75 years","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"1\u6708 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"You may remember an article I wrote on how the Italian authorities and race organisers are leading the way on anti-doping measures and testing not only in pro races but also on the amateur scene. News just in confirms that that drive sis continuing, with Gazzeta dello Sport annnouncing a\u2026","rel":"","context":"dopepunk","block_context":{"text":"dopepunk","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/dopepunk\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-20-at-09-27-55.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-20-at-09-27-55.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-20-at-09-27-55.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-20-at-09-27-55.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4228,"url":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2014\/05\/26\/4228\/","url_meta":{"origin":5086,"position":2},"title":"Giro Stage 15 reviewed on PEZ","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"5\u6708 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"read the original here on PEZ. Ivan Basso on the front? Was I half asleep as I watched the stage live last night? Turning into the official YouTube highlights this morning to see the Cannondale man driving up the climb on Stage 15, I was sure I was having a\u2026","rel":"","context":"PEZ cycling news","block_context":{"text":"PEZ cycling news","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/pez-cycling-news-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"giro_ditalia 2.3","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/giro_ditalia-2-3.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/giro_ditalia-2-3.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/giro_ditalia-2-3.gif?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7437,"url":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2020\/05\/21\/a-history-of-the-giro-ditalia\/","url_meta":{"origin":5086,"position":3},"title":"A History of the Giro d\u2019Italia","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"5\u6708 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This article originally appeared in Bicycle Club Taiwan. It was with a heavy heart that RCS Sport, the organisation that runs the Giro d\u2019Italia, announced the postponement of the 2020 edition of the Italian Grand Tour due to the CoVid 19 corona virus. At the time of writing, there was\u2026","rel":"","context":"giro d'italia","block_context":{"text":"giro d'italia","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/giro-ditalia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/screenshot-2020-05-21-at-15.24.15.png?fit=947%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/screenshot-2020-05-21-at-15.24.15.png?fit=947%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/screenshot-2020-05-21-at-15.24.15.png?fit=947%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/screenshot-2020-05-21-at-15.24.15.png?fit=947%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12900,"url":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2022\/05\/06\/a-history-of-the-giro-ditalia-2-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":5086,"position":4},"title":"A HISTORY OF THE GIRO d&#8217;ITALIA","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"5\u6708 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"FORZA!","rel":"","context":"giro d'italia","block_context":{"text":"giro d'italia","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/giro-ditalia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52cd0-screenshot-2022-05-06-at-22.06.47.png?fit=674%2C605&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52cd0-screenshot-2022-05-06-at-22.06.47.png?fit=674%2C605&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52cd0-screenshot-2022-05-06-at-22.06.47.png?fit=674%2C605&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17383,"url":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2020\/05\/21\/a-history-of-the-giro-ditalia-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":5086,"position":5},"title":"A HISTORY OF THE GIRO d&#8217;ITALIA","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"5\u6708 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"FORZA!","rel":"","context":"giro d'italia","block_context":{"text":"giro d'italia","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/giro-ditalia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52cd0-screenshot-2022-05-06-at-22.06.47.png?fit=674%2C605&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52cd0-screenshot-2022-05-06-at-22.06.47.png?fit=674%2C605&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/52cd0-screenshot-2022-05-06-at-22.06.47.png?fit=674%2C605&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Lee Rodgers","author_link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/author\/crankpunk\/"},"rttpg_comment":4,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/dopepunk\/\" rel=\"category tag\">dopepunk<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"*use Google translate please on the Italian websites featured) ___________________________________________ The Italians. Reel off the names of the heroes of Italian cycling and it reads like a Who\u2019s Who of serious heavyweight dopers. Mario Cipollini, Ivan Basso, Danilo di Luca, Francesco Moser, Riccardo Ricco, Emanuele Sella, Michele Scarponi, and of course the great imbiber, Marco&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40955418"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5086"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5086\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17434,"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5086\/revisions\/17434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}