When it rains it pours. Huge Italian investigation

[CunegoFan]

It involves Dr. Ferrari, 30 million euros, and twenty teams. It looks like the old scam where the riders' contracts have a figure less than the actual salary and the balance is paid into Swiss banks to evade taxes.

Teams include Liquigas, Lampre, Colnago, Geox, Androni, Katusha, Quick Step, Cnf-Inox, Farnese Vini, Acqua&Sapone, Astana, RadioShack, Vacansoleil, Isd, Csf, Lpr, Diquigiovanni, Tinkoff, Rabobank, Gerolsteiner, and Milram.

[ultraman6970]

Looks like Levi will be nailed like 2 or 3 more times.

[tuxbailey]

Take them down. Might as well clean house. They had their fun and now is time to pay up. Some prosecutors are going make a career out of this.

Maybe the honest kids will have a chance doing what they love without sacrificing their integrity.... well hopefully for a while until the cycle repeats.

All this fallout because Lance would't throw some crumbs to the rat :)

[tuxbailey]

BTW, Google Translate is very cool:

http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/17-10-2012/sistema-ferrari-%3Ccs474%3Econti-svizzeri-contratti-finti-cosi-si-ricicla-tesoro-doping-912938790314.shtml

[EDS]

Did anyone actually believe that Lanco & co. were the only ones?

[Rueda Tropical]

Did anyone actually believe that Lanco & co. were the only ones?


Absolutely not, but Lance was the Patron of the doped peloton and the enforcer. They were all in on it.

[Grant McLean]

Of course the big question has always been where did the money come from
to pay for the doping programs. The sale of "missing" bike stuff was always
suggested as one source, but given the size and complexity of the programs,
and the amount of money needed to fund it all... it's no wonder some major
money laundering process is involved. Divert your taxes to buy dope,
hey, government only wastes your money anyway, better to invest it in
something that brings more efficient returns, and creates jobs, like motoman!

-g

[EDS]

Absolutely not, but Lance was the Patron of the doped peloton and the enforcer. They were all in on it.

Lance is actually the a perfect example to use to show the difference between what is perceived as the USA capitalist mindset versus European economic principals from that era. He took the "big business" approach whereas the Europeans in the peloton were still doing it as a "family business".

[eippo1]

Holy crap, this seems to be a much bigger story than the Lance thing in general. Widespread money laundering, fraud etc. on such a huge scale is almost a conspiracy. What a mess, but I guess at the same time the Europeans won't be able to say "those cheating Americans are messing up the sport."

[norcalbiker]

It involves Dr. Ferrari, 30 million euros, and twenty teams. It looks like the old scam where the riders' contracts have a figure less than the actual salary and the balance is paid into Swiss banks to evade taxes.

Teams include Liquigas, Lampre, Colnago, Geox, Androni, Katusha, Quick Step, Cnf-Inox, Farnese Vini, Acqua&Sapone, Astana, RadioShack, Vacansoleil, Isd, Csf, Lpr, Diquigiovanni, Tinkoff, Rabobank, Gerolsteiner, and Milram.

That's the whole Tour Teams!!!:eek:

[ultraman6970]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M50e3e3irxg

[MattTuck]

that's the whole tour teams!!!:eek:

bmc?

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . Andre Birotte I think is the name? He's lookin' stupider and stupider . . . and more corrupt for cancelling the feds investigation.

BBD

[sg8357]

Pursuing dopers in cycling is like banning booze,
taking a page from Elliot Ness, let's bust'em on tax evasion.

Forza Italia.

[MattTuck]

. . . Andre Birotte I think is the name? He's lookin' stupider and stupider . . . and more corrupt for cancelling the feds investigation.

BBD

Dave, I'm stepping into potentially dangerous waters with this post.

I don't know much about the US attorney's investigation, but at some point, the federal government (or any organization) which has finite resources has to articulate priorities so that it can allocate those resources in a sensible way.

Yes, cycling is a big deal to me, and to others on this forum. However, I am not one bit dismayed that the government ended its investigation into a predominantly European activity that is a sport meant for entertainment. To me, this would be like the feds investigating the x-factor. Were crimes committed? yep. should people be punished? yep. Am I giving them a free pass? nope. It is just about priorities and where you allocate your resources.

[1centaur]

Sponsors are going to really enjoy this angle. Even if you were the CEO of a big company, loved cycling, wanted to sponsor it, and had the budget to do so, would you wish to put up with the questions and snide comments that came from your board even if everything worked out and you had no dopers associated with your name? It's beyond whether it's worth it economically and straight into if it's worth it professionally.

When the money dries up, the structure of the sport changes.

Festina seems so quaint.

[Charles M]

What a mess, but I guess at the same time the Europeans won't be able to say "those cheating Americans are messing up the sport."

Are you kidding? Scroll up in this thread and Lance was doping's Patrone and enforcer.

Never sell euro's short on their ability to points finger at the US for anything and everything...

For that matter, never sell a Brit short on being able to point at Lance, while being completely serious in thinking that the blue train that dominated the tour, and shat people out the back of the group (including others team leaders) going in to climbs and then had a spare strongest rider in the tour at the high finishes (and that those two guys are also the best time trialists) is only a clear sign of past doping, where "past" doesn't include this July...


This is a euro sport. Doping was systemic before major US participation and this investigation is a pretty clear example of the fact that its patrone were a commission... The team bosses and UCI were and are at dopings core and they literally killed athletes in order to create better entertainment.


My issue with the lance thing has always been that it was missing the point for the sake of grandstanding and wouldn't change a thing beyond destroying a good foundation... It would not clean up the sport. It would not punish enough people to matter. It would not help or change cycling.



This investigation potentially could change cycling.

[jr59]

Are you kidding? Scroll up in this thread and Lance was doping's Patrone and enforcer.

Never sell euro's short on their ability to points finger at the US... For that matter, never sell a Brit short on being able to point at Lance, while being completely serious in thinking that the blue train that dominated the tour, and shat people out the back of the group (including others team leaders) going in to climbs and then had a spare strongest rider in the tour at the high finishes (and that those two guys are also the best time trialists) is only a clear sign of past doping, where "past" doesn't include this July...


Well said sir; Well said indeed! :beer:

[LO^OK]

:D.... but Dr. Michele Ferrari say, Coaching is Art...

http://53x12.com/

[Elefantino]

Doping was systemic before major US participation ...
Except we did it better. Way better.

http://poser.smithmicro.com/images/user-stories/beirnelowry/colbert_eagle3.jpg

[Rueda Tropical]

I don't know much about the US attorney's investigation, but at some point, the federal government (or any organization) which has finite resources has to articulate priorities so that it can allocate those resources in a sensible way.


If they could spend millions nailing Martha Stewart for making a paltry 50 grand on insider trading, spending a few million on prosecuting a scam that netted 100 million seems like money well spent.

[tiretrax]

This is a euro sport. Doping was systemic before major US participation and this investigation is a pretty clear example of the fact that its patrone were a commission... The team bosses and UCI were and are at dopings core and they literally killed athletes in order to create better entertainment.


My issue with the lance thing has always been that it was missing the point for the sake of grandstanding and wouldn't change a thing beyond destroying a good foundation... It would not clean up the sport. It would not punish enough people to matter. It would not help or change cycling.


+1000



This investigation potentially could change cycling.

We can only hope. As I have said in another post, cheating allegations in cycling are as old as the TDF itself (and even predate it).

[Rueda Tropical]

Are you kidding? Scroll up in this thread and Lance was doping's Patrone and enforcer.




My issue with the lance thing has always been that it was missing the point for the sake of grandstanding and wouldn't change a thing beyond destroying a good foundation... It would not clean up the sport. It would not punish enough people to matter. It would not help or change cycling.



This investigation potentially could change cycling.

None of this would have come out if it wasn't for the Armstrong investigation. Who chased down French and Italian pros who dared to threaten the Omertà? -it was Lance. What other pro paid off the UCI? With 7 Tour wins and the dominant team with the most effective program and a 'unique' relationship with the UCI. He was the American kingpin of the Euro dope-athon. The fact that he was the only pro approached by the USADA who refused to cooperate earned him everything he's getting.

The ball the USADA started rolling will now be picked up by doping agencies and police forces across the world. Chapeau Tygart. Screw the dopers and double screw the doper-in-chief.

[dd74]

. . . Andre Birotte I think is the name? He's lookin' stupider and stupider . . . and more corrupt for cancelling the feds investigation.

BBD
Birotte's here in L.A., used to be with the City of L.A. Birotte learned to cave from the best our city has to offer. Just look at our current police chief, O.J. Simpson trial, etc., etc. :rolleyes:

[1centaur]

Just a random thought, but maybe the Lance tax angle investigation turned into/stumbled over the entire peloton tax fraud investigation referenced here and the US attorney chose not to tip the hand on a Lance-only version in order to allow Euro authorities to take the lead on what is primarily their problem.

Multi-jurisdictional cross-border tax fraud is not something every prosecutor would stick up his hand and say, "ooh, me sir," when asked "who wants to handle this mess?"

Of course, Lance may well get the tax angle foisted on him from another direction in the end and that may have been understood in reaching an agreement to drop the case.

Would explain why the investigators were not tipped off and given a reason for the sudden withdrawal of the case.

If I recall correctly, Popo's computer was mentioned in the Lance investigation time line and is showing up in this story as well.

[joev]

I seen the news flash about the italian investigation, the cast of characters involved, and agree that this might just overshadow the Armstrong story. The tax evasion angle alone will start the criminal investigations.

I could use a break in the bad news this week....not much left in the ranks of the Armstrong sponsors. Levi getting let go...(sigh)...Lim denying accusations - and I just tried and liked the Skratch Labs drink!

I'm going on a ride by myself tomorrow morning and hope that my Saturday group ride is at least clean, but then again, you never know.

[Rueda Tropical]

http://english.gazzetta.it/More_sports/17-10-2012/the-ferrari-system-swiss-bank-accounts-fake-contracts-912946609743.shtml

Around twenty professional teams are alleged to have been involved in this scam over the four-year period 2008-2011. The prosecutor's office have obtained the contracts of all the cyclists who rode in that period for Liquigas, Lampre, Colnago, Geox, Androni, Katusha, Quick Step, CNF-Inox, Farnese Vini, Acqua&Sapone, Astana, RadioShack, Vacansoleil, ISD, CSF, LPR, Diquigiovanni, Tinkoff, Rabobank, Gerolsteiner and Milram to compare them with the contracts deposited with the UCI to see how much money they failed to declare.

So much for the "clean riders of today are paying the price for the dirty riders of a decade ago" why dredge up the past BS. The doping enablers names are the same named in the Armstrong case. When the Rabobank execs saw the Rabobank team they are sponsoring on that list it was likely the last straw. Note that in this 2008-2011 time frame Radioshack was also implicated.