@davidetxebarria grita la ‘cara B’ de Contador

El ex ciclista David Etxebarría, compañero de Alberto Contador en el seno de la formación Liberty Seguros de Manolo Sáiz los años 2005 y 2006, ha roto esta mañana la baraja con unos inusitados tuits acerca de la situación del ciclista madrileño. Etxebarría, que había anunciado unos días antes que su opinión sorprendería “a más de uno”, escribió lo que sigue en la cuenta @davidetxebarria :
“Alberto Contador: gritas justicia y, cuando ésta es benévola, vuelves a gritar que no crees en ella… Cuando hubo ex compañeros que pidieron ser juzgados y no lo fueron callaste: no te tocó. Gritas que ha habido prensa amarillista, cuando la mayoría ha sido y es cariñosa contigo como con nadie antes en un caso similar. Gritas que no crees en este sistema antidopaje cuando antes por él ganaste un Tour; con Rasmussen callaste. Eres el tío con más clase que vi correr y ojalá corrieras mañana mismo… Pero no GRITES cuando antes CALLASTE”
* Transcripción literal y traducción al inglés unas líneas más abajo
Con estas declaraciones, Etxebarría parece referirse a cómo Alberto Contador salió de puntillas de la Operación Puerto, para cuyo caso judicial declaró el 12 de diciembre de 2006 junto al también corredor de Saxo Bank y ex Liberty Jesús Hernández, mientras muchos de sus compañeros en la estructura de Manolo Sáiz eran sumergidos en un limbo jurídico del cual muchos no salieron.
El ex ciclista de Abadiño recordó también el incidente del Tour de 2007, vencido por Contador merced a la exclusión del mismo del danés Michael Rasmussen cuando portaba cómodamente el liderato a cuatro días de la conclusión de la carrera. Por último, Etxebarría expresa sus buenos deseos para con Contador, si bien juzga implícitamente sus actos como una hipocresía.
Las declaraciones aparecidas en la cuenta @davidetxebarria (atribuida casi sin asomo de duda al ex ciclista vasco, si bien no está verificada y podría ser una impersonación realizada por una tercera persona) vienen a poner de relieve cómo la verdad de la primera plana informativa tiene casi siempre una ‘cara B’, una réplica poco honrosa. Los hechos narrados no suponen una noticia y son conocidos dentro del mundillo ciclista y en la opinión pública en general; sin embargo, toman mucha fuerza cuando quien los dice es [supuestamente] un antiguo coequipier de Alberto Contador.
English traslation of @davidetxebarria ‘s tweets
«Alberto Contador: you shout for justice and, when it is lenient [to you], you shout again that you don’t believe in it… When there were ex teammates who asked to be judged and weren’t you were quiet: you weren’t affected. You shout there has been gutter press, but most of it has been and is affectionante to you like never in any similar case before. You shout you don’t believe in this anti-doping system, but you won a Tour because of it; you were quiet with Rasmussen. You are the most classy guy I have seen, and I hope you ride tomorrow… But don’t SHOUT if you were QUIET before”
Tuits literales de la cuenta @davidetxebarria en torno a las 7.00 de la mañana del sábado 29 de enero. Las dos barras distinguen un tuit los diversos tuits
A.C gritas justicia y cuando esta es benebola vuelves a gritar k no kres en ella… Cuando… // Cuando hubo excompañeros k pidieron sr juzgados y no lo fueron callaste.. No t toko… // Gritas k ha habido presa amarillista … Cuando la mayoria a sido y es cariñosa como kon nadie antes en un caso similar… // Gristas k no kres en este sistema antidopj…cuando antes por «el» ganaste un tour «rammusen» callaste.. // Eres el tio con mas clase k vi correr y ojala corrieras mañana mismo… Pero no GRITES cuando antes CALLASTE
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Is Danilo Di Luca’s signing illegal?

This morning, Italian newspaper La Gazzeta dello Sport came with the news of the day for the world of cycling: Danilo Di Luca is set to join Katusha Team for the upcoming 2011 season. The only condition imposed by Andrei Tchmil, manager of the Russian squad, was that the cyclist from Spoltore had to ride at zero cost, receiving only bonuses for the accomplishment of certain objectives…
The background of this movement is, at least, doubtful. Leaving off sportive considerations such as what can Di Luca offer to Katusha given the facts that he is 34 years old and hasn’t took part in any competition for two years; leaving off ethical issues of signing a rider who has had several links with doping… The truth is that the movement is almost completely wrong legally. Although Di Luca has already finished his two-years ban and is free to sign with any team (in fact Astaná has been tempting him for months), he can’t go to Katusha and, in theory, he can’t ride without perceiving a minimum salary…
Ride without remuneration? Not possible in principle…
Provision number 10 on the Joint Agreements agreed by International Association of Professional Cycling Group (AIGCP) and Associated Professional Riders (CPA), in force to rule the contracts between riders and squads, establish a minimum wage of 33.000 € per year (increased to 50.000 € por ProTeam riders according to UCI regulations) for any profesional cyclist not ‘new profesional’. It can be added to this amount certains bonuses agreed by rider and team. This provision makes illegal Di Luca’s signing “at zero cost”…
But there is a clause in the Joint Agreements which makes posible to avoid this obstacle. In case of agreement between cyclist and squad to “break” the rule, the UCI ProTour Council can establish exemptions “in interest of sport”. In fact, Danilo Di Luca’s is not the first time in professional cycling when a rider doesn’t perceive any salary: oficially, neither did Jorg Jacksche nor Lance Armstrong in Cinelli and Astaná in 2008 and 2009, respectively. And no word about the cyclist who doesn’t receive any euro of those they had signed…
With Di Luca, Katusha’s roster would be out of the law
The true problem for Di Luca’s signing with Katusha comes because, if the Italian joins, the composition of Russian team’s roster would be illegal as It was according to its movements in the cycling market. Successive news this winter said that the squad had in its rangs 30 cyclist and only one new professional (Egor Silin), when UCI establishes on its 2.15.110 regulation a minimum of two and a maximum of five for those teams who reach the 30 signed riders. For the UCI, a new professional is a cyclist who joins a UCI ProTeam or Professional Continental Team for the first time no later than during his twenty-second year; the status of ‘neo’ lasts till the end of the second year as pro of the rider.
The effective of Katusha lowed to 29 cyclist when Artem Ovechkin was “cutted” before first training camp of the team in Calpe (Spain). Taken in account the movement, roster became legal again, and only able to be extended with a rider of 22 years or less and no professional expirience. The signing of Di Luca is illegal from that sight. But Tchmil hasn’t said the last word about this issue. Nowadays there are only 26 riders registrated on the UCI by Katusha, remaining to be registered amongst those with a reported contract Arkimedes Arguelyes, Joaquín Rodríguez and the ‘neo’ Egor Silin. The Russian squad can add Silin officially to its rangs, even another new professional; but only two riders of the shortlist of Arguelyes, Rodríguez and Di Luca…
If he avoids this legal problems, Danilo Di Luca would be able to return to first level of cycling in Katusha Team. His calendar would be composed by, amongst others races, Tirreno-Adriático, Milano-San Remo, the Ardennes classics, Giro d’Italia (where he would be a domestique of Joaquín Rodríguez) and Vuelta a España (where he would be leader). It would be a great ocassion to clean his name and his conscience, as advices him the priest Marco Pozza, who told him to confess his doping in front of five hundred pupils and to sign his contract with Katusha before the same children. Everything, that said, if legal considerations doesn’t brake his incorporation… At this moment, everything is a ‘would’…

The Sparrow of Cazoña can really fly

My friend Matt, the man behind that awesome blog called The Inner Ring, sent me this morning a link to an australian forum where aussie cycling fans are choosing their ‘obscure rider’ for 2011 Tour Down Under. What does this mean? Well, every year the members of PACC.org.au forums take one anonymous rider and make him a star, giving him big support, painting his name on the road… That stuff. In 2010, they took FDJ’s rider Artur Vichot; this year, their ‘obscure rider’ is going to be… ¡Movistar’s Ángel Madrazo!
And, of course, receiving a DM from Matt with that information, being me a Spanish U23 journalist… It was kind of a challenge I was eager to accept… Defend Ángel Madrazo and demonstrate he is pretty much a name to follow, a future world-class rider… rather than a geek, laughable cyclist. [[But also admiting that he looks alike that famouse McLovin]]
Born in 1988, Madrazo has always been one of the most promising young riders in Spain. During his juniors years (16-17 yo) he gathered 25 wins; as sub23, he won the prestigious Copa del Porvenir, a Challenge for amateur riders composed by around half-dozen one day races. In 2008, he raced a few days as stagiaire with Scott-American Beef (ex Saunier Duval) and was later signed by Caisse d’Épargne, biggest team in Spain with French sponsor.
His performance on this two first complete seasons as professional rider has been, at least, satisfactory. His lack of results is explained by the fact he has only taken part in difficult races, mostly the least prestigious ProTour competitions, like Tour de Pologne or Eneco Tour… but also in Classic Monuments like Roubaix or Lombardia. The sensations given by Madrazo have been fair, although his highest clasification has been a 9th place in a stage of Route du Sud.
For example, in the last Giro de Lombardia, he was in a good breakaway during the final part of the race with some well-considered riders as Vladimir Gusev and Giovanni Visconti; he was only dropped in Colma di Sormano climb. Furthermore, in a stage of latest Tour de Pologne edition, he was caught by the peloton at only one kilometer to the end of the race after a strong attack on a climb in a very Zoidberg performance.
The future looks bright for Madrazo. Nowadays, he is a decent climber and rouleur; a complete rider. His first shines as pro are expected for the final part of this year or in the start of the next season in hilly classics and one week races like Tirreno-Adriático or País Vasco, courses where Madrazo can fly like the Sparrow of Cazoña he is claimed to be.
You can name Madrazo ‘obscure rider’ and tease him, but you can also be sure that you will talk about Madrazo in a few years as a huge cyclist… and maybe still tease him.