Cycling: Riccardo Ricco banned for 12 years

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/g...s-7661386.html

Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco has been banned for 12 years by the country's
anti-doping tribunal for his second doping offense.

The tribunal agreed today with the length of the ban proposed by the Italian
Olympic Committee in October. Ricco has also been fined 5,000 euros and
ordered to pay legal costs of 15,000 euros.


Ricco hasn't raced since he was rushed to a hospital after falling ill at
his home near Modena in February, 2011. The doctor who treated him
reportedly told police the cyclist confessed to using tranfusions of his own
blood, which he allegedly kept in his home refrigerator.

Looks like a Ratner style gaffe to me.

QUOTE:
John Griffin, head of minicab firm Addison Lee who caused a storm this
week and threats of legal action from TfL by telling his drivers to
illegally use London's bus lanes has provoked further controversy with
his views on the rise in the number of cyclists killed on the
capital's roads.

The opinions expressed by Mr Griffin in Add Lib magazine, distributed
free to the passengers who each year undertake 10 million journeys in
Addison Lee’s fleet of nearly 4,000 vehicles, have already received
widespread condemnation on social networks such as Twitter from
ordinary cyclists and cycle campaigners alike.

We’ve repeated Mr Griffin’s column in full below. If you’re a cyclist,
and particularly one who rides a bike in London, it makes for chilling
reading.

Here's what he wrote.

“Green party candidates and others are up in arms about what they see
as the murder of Cyclists on London Roads.

“There has, as we all know, been a tremendous upsurge in cycling and
cycling shops. This summer the roads will be thick with bicycles.
These cyclists are throwing themselves onto some of the most congested
spaces in the world. They leap onto a vehicle which offers them no
protection except a padded plastic hat.

“Should a motorist fail to observe a granny wobbling to avoid a
pothole or a rain drain, then he is guilty of failing to anticipate
that this was somebody on her maiden voyage into the abyss. The fact
is he just didn’t see her and however cautious, caring or alert he is,
the influx of beginner cyclists is going to lead to an overall
increase in accidents involving cyclists.

“The rest of us occupying this roadspace have had to undergo extensive
training. We are sitting inside a protected space with impact bars and
air bags and paying extortionate amounts of taxes on our vehicle
purchase, parking, servicing, insurance and road tax.

“It is time for us to say to cyclists, ‘You want to join our gang, get
trained and pay up’.”

Reading the content of Mr Griffin’s column, it occurred to us that we
could comment upon his apparent belief that roads belong to motorists.

We could take him to task for his apparent victim-blaming of those who
lose their lives while quite legally cycling on London’s roads.

We could reflect on the fact that not just Greens but politicians of
all hues ride bikes, including a Mayor of London who belongs to a
party which Addison Lee supports financially with six-figure
donations.

We could remind Mr Griffin that with cycle safety centre stage in the
London mayoral elections, his views are woefully out of touch with one
of the key political issues in the city his business operates in.

We could point out that experienced cyclists, as well as comparative
newcomers, are all too often the victims in fatal incidents in the
capital.

We could elaborate on the fact that there are many things that can be
done to improve the safety of cyclists besides their wearing “a padded
plastic hat.”

We could underline his apparent belief that ‘Sorry mate, I didn’t see
you’ is an acceptable excuse for hitting a cyclist.

We could highlight that in many cities throughout Europe and beyond,
bicycles and cars do co-exist on the same roads.

We could correct him on his erroneous use of the term ‘road tax’ or
his failure to acknowledge that cyclists and motorists are often one
and the same person.

We could go on to say that the majority of adult cyclists hold driving
licences, and will therefore have received exactly the same level of
‘extensive training’ as most motorists on the road.

We could correct his use of the word ‘accident,’ which implies chance
with no human intervention, when the emergency services and much of
the media have switched to using the neutral ‘incident.’

We could consider that a motorist’s ‘protected space’ can lead them to
forget that they are sitting inside a machine with the capability of
easily inflicting death or serious injury on more vulnerable road
users.

Or we could highlight the comments found on a variety of forums that
London cyclists post on that regularly single out Addison Lee’s self-
employed drivers as among the worst on London’s roads.

We won’t do any of that because Mr Griffin does not come across as a
man who would be well disposed to engage in reasoned debate about the
issues involved and who might be persuaded to come round to a point of
view opposed to that he currently holds.

We’re not convinced he’d understand that contrary viewpoint, far less
embrace it.

What he does understand, however, is business. He has built a company
from a single vehicle into Europe’s largest cab operator. That doesn’t
happen by chance.

But while he acknowledges that cycling in London is booming, he misses
the point about where much of that growth comes from; it isn’t from
‘grannies’ taking to two wheels for the first time.

Instead, a lot of the rise in cycling is driven by middle-aged
professionals such as lawyers, bankers and accountants who in some
cases will be the people who decide which cab firm their company uses,
or at least help influence that decision.

Currently, for many companies and organisations, that firm will be
Addison Lee.

Earlier this week, the company used its Twitter feed to proclaim
proudly that its account customers had overwhelmingly backed its
unilateral decision to illegally use London’s bus lanes; we wonder
whether all of his customers will endorse his views on cycling, and
those who have died while riding their bikes, once they learn of them?

We also wonder whether any of them might take their business
elsewhere?

It's a safe bet Mr Griffin would understand that.

http://road.cc/content/news/56999-ad...cyclist-deaths

--
Simon Mason

On 20/04/2012 06:54, Simon Mason wrote:
Looks like a Ratner style gaffe to me.

QUOTE:
John Griffin, head of minicab firm Addison Lee who caused a storm this
week and threats of legal action from TfL by telling his drivers to
illegally use London's bus lanes has provoked further controversy with
his views on the rise in the number of cyclists killed on the
capital's roads.

The opinions expressed by Mr Griffin in Add Lib magazine, distributed
free to the passengers who each year undertake 10 million journeys in
Addison Lee’s fleet of nearly 4,000 vehicles, have already received
widespread condemnation on social networks such as Twitter from
ordinary cyclists and cycle campaigners alike.

We’ve repeated Mr Griffin’s column in full below. If you’re a cyclist,
and particularly one who rides a bike in London, it makes for chilling
reading.

The truth hurts sometimes

Here's what he wrote.

“Green party candidates and others are up in arms about what they see
as the murder of Cyclists on London Roads.

“There has, as we all know, been a tremendous upsurge in cycling and
cycling shops. This summer the roads will be thick with bicycles.
These cyclists are throwing themselves onto some of the most congested
spaces in the world. They leap onto a vehicle which offers them no
protection except a padded plastic hat.

“Should a motorist fail to observe a granny wobbling to avoid a
pothole or a rain drain, then he is guilty of failing to anticipate
that this was somebody on her maiden voyage into the abyss. The fact
is he just didn’t see her and however cautious, caring or alert he is,
the influx of beginner cyclists is going to lead to an overall
increase in accidents involving cyclists.

“The rest of us occupying this roadspace have had to undergo extensive
training. We are sitting inside a protected space with impact bars and
air bags and paying extortionate amounts of taxes on our vehicle
purchase, parking, servicing, insurance and road tax.

“It is time for us to say to cyclists, ‘You want to join our gang, get
trained and pay up’.”

Thunderous applause!!!!

Mr Griffin for Mayor of London!

On Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:54:54 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason
wrote:

Looks like a Ratner style gaffe to me.

QUOTE:
John Griffin, head of minicab firm Addison Lee who caused a storm this
week and threats of legal action from TfL by telling his drivers to
illegally use London's bus lanes has provoked further controversy with
his views on the rise in the number of cyclists killed on the
capital's roads.

=====Quote from email I received=====

Most London cyclists will have probably heard about John Griffin, boss
of minicab firm Addison Lee, instructing his drivers to use the bus
lanes and that he will personally indemnify them against prosecution
[http://itv.co/IqON26]. Minicabs can not legally use the bus lanes
and, although a testament to the poor standard of provision for
cyclists in London, this is one place where a cyclist can get some
respite from the often mind-bogglingly awful driving seen from many
Addison Lee drivers.

Also in a further move, John Griffin has also published a factually
inaccurate and victim-blaming rant about cyclists that Dr. Robert
Davis, Chair of the Road Danger Reduction Forum, dubbed a "display of
self-pitying bigotry and victim-blaming" and that "above all, [this
is] the kind of incendiary message that exacerbates rule and law
breaking behaviour by motorists." [http://bit.ly/IqDxmj]

In a time where cyclists are fighting to be heard and warning of the
dangers of the roads John Griffin has decided to instead focus on his
own profit above the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.

Please join us for a mass 'die-in' at 6pm on Monday the 23rd April
outside of Addison Lee's London offices. We will meet at the junction
of Stanhope Street/William Road then head to their office to deliver a
letter to John Griffin of Addison Lee and stage a 'die-in' by lying
down outside the office to highlight the real danger his drivers pose
to cyclists and pedestrians. It's short notice, but this is an event
that's happening now, so acting quickly is important!

Make-up and fake blood welcome!

=====/Quote=====

On Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:54:54 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason
wrote:

snip


Here's what he wrote.

“Green party candidates and others are up in arms about what they see
as the murder of Cyclists on London Roads.

“There has, as we all know, been a tremendous upsurge in cycling and
cycling shops. This summer the roads will be thick with bicycles.
These cyclists are throwing themselves onto some of the most congested
spaces in the world. They leap onto a vehicle which offers them no
protection except a padded plastic hat.

“Should a motorist fail to observe a granny wobbling to avoid a
pothole or a rain drain, then he is guilty of failing to anticipate
that this was somebody on her maiden voyage into the abyss. The fact
is he just didn’t see her and however cautious, caring or alert he is,
the influx of beginner cyclists is going to lead to an overall
increase in accidents involving cyclists.

“The rest of us occupying this roadspace have had to undergo extensive
training. We are sitting inside a protected space with impact bars and
air bags and paying extortionate amounts of taxes on our vehicle
purchase, parking, servicing, insurance and road tax.

“It is time for us to say to cyclists, ‘You want to join our gang, get
trained and pay up’.”



Well thank you so much Mr Mason.


(Own goal)

Mr Benn wrote:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/g...ccardo-ricco-b
anned-for-12-years-7661386.html

Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco has been banned for 12 years by the country's
anti-doping tribunal for his second doping offense.

The tribunal agreed today with the length of the ban proposed by the Italian
Olympic Committee in October. Ricco has also been fined 5,000 euros and
ordered to pay legal costs of 15,000 euros.


Ricco hasn't raced since he was rushed to a hospital after falling ill at
his home near Modena in February, 2011. The doctor who treated him
reportedly told police the cyclist confessed to using tranfusions of his own
blood, which he allegedly kept in his home refrigerator.

Road racing is a dirty sport, it seems.

so is MTBing though seems to be mud, if they get caught with drugs,
Downhillers in partical seems to be stuff they where relaxing with at a
party than performace as such.

Roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

On Apr 20, 3:48*pm, Phil W Lee wrote:
Simon Mason considered Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:54:54
-0700 (PDT) the perfect time to write:





Looks like a Ratner style gaffe to me.

QUOTE:
John Griffin, head of minicab firm Addison Lee who caused a storm this
week and threats of legal action from TfL by telling his drivers to
illegally use London's bus lanes has provoked further controversy with
his views on the rise in the number of cyclists killed on the
capital's roads.

The opinions expressed by Mr Griffin in Add Lib magazine, distributed
free to the passengers who each year undertake 10 million journeys in
Addison Lee’s fleet of nearly 4,000 vehicles, have already received
widespread condemnation on social networks such as Twitter from
ordinary cyclists and cycle campaigners alike.

We’ve repeated Mr Griffin’s column in full below. If you’re a cyclist,
and particularly one who rides a bike in London, it makes for chilling
reading.

Here's what he wrote.

“Green party candidates and others are up in arms about what they see
as the murder of Cyclists on London Roads.

“There has, as we all know, been a tremendous upsurge in cycling and
cycling shops. This summer the roads will be thick with bicycles.
These cyclists are throwing themselves onto some of the most congested
spaces in the world. They leap onto a vehicle which offers them no
protection except a padded plastic hat.

“Should a motorist fail to observe a granny wobbling to avoid a
pothole or a rain drain, then he is guilty of failing to anticipate
that this was somebody on her maiden voyage into the abyss. The fact
is he just didn’t see her and however cautious, caring or alert he is,
the influx of beginner cyclists is going to lead to an overall
increase in accidents involving cyclists.

“The rest of us occupying this roadspace have had to undergo extensive
training. We are sitting inside a protected space with impact bars and
air bags and paying extortionate amounts of taxes on our vehicle
purchase, parking, servicing, insurance and road tax.

“It is time for us to say to cyclists, ‘You want to join our gang, get
trained and pay up’.”

Reading the content of Mr Griffin’s column, it occurred to us that we
could comment upon his apparent belief that roads belong to motorists.

We could take him to task for his apparent victim-blaming of those who
lose their lives while quite legally cycling on London’s roads.

We could reflect on the fact that not just Greens but politicians of
all hues ride bikes, including a Mayor of London who belongs to a
party which Addison Lee supports financially with six-figure
donations.

We could remind Mr Griffin that with cycle safety centre stage in the
London mayoral elections, his views are woefully out of touch with one
of the key political issues in the city his business operates in.

We could point out that experienced cyclists, as well as comparative
newcomers, are all too often the victims in fatal incidents in the
capital.

We could elaborate on the fact that there are many things that can be
done to improve the safety of cyclists besides their wearing “a padded
plastic hat.”

We could underline his apparent belief that ‘Sorry mate, I didn’t see
you’ is an acceptable excuse for hitting a cyclist.

We could highlight that in many cities throughout Europe and beyond,
bicycles and cars do co-exist on the same roads.

We could correct him on his erroneous use of the term ‘road tax’ or
his failure to acknowledge that cyclists and motorists are often one
and the same person.

We could go on to say that the majority of adult cyclists hold driving
licences, and will therefore have received exactly the same level of
‘extensive training’ as most motorists on the road.

We could correct his use of the word ‘accident,’ which implies chance
with no human intervention, when the emergency services and much of
the media have switched to using the neutral ‘incident.’

We could consider that a motorist’s ‘protected space’ can lead them to
forget that they are sitting inside a machine with the capability of
easily inflicting death or serious injury on more vulnerable road
users.

Or we could highlight the comments found on a variety of forums that
London cyclists post on that regularly single out Addison Lee’s self-
employed drivers as among the worst on London’s roads.

We won’t do any of that because Mr Griffin does not come across as a
man who would be well disposed to engage in reasoned debate about the
issues involved and who might be persuaded to come round to a point of
view opposed to that he currently holds.

We’re not convinced he’d understand that contrary viewpoint, far less
embrace it.

What he does understand, however, is business. He has built a company
from a single vehicle into Europe’s largest cab operator. That doesn’t
happen by chance.

But while he acknowledges that cycling in London is booming, he misses
the point about where much of that growth comes from; it isn’t from
‘grannies’ taking to two wheels for the first time.

Instead, a lot of the rise in cycling is driven by middle-aged
professionals such as lawyers, bankers and accountants who in some
cases will be the people who decide which cab firm their company uses,
or at least help influence that decision.

Currently, for many companies and organisations, that firm will be
Addison Lee.

Earlier this week, the company used its Twitter feed to proclaim
proudly that its account customers had overwhelmingly backed its
unilateral decision to illegally use London’s bus lanes; we wonder
whether all of his customers will endorse his views on cycling, and
those who have died while riding their bikes, once they learn of them?

We also wonder whether any of them might take their business
elsewhere?

It's a safe bet Mr Griffin would understand that.

http://road.cc/content/news/56999-ad...airs-his-opini...

I have to retract my earlier comment that it would be a public service
if Mr Griffin suffered a fatal accident.

It would clearly be far better if he was left as a permanent cripple,
unable to spew his filth and bribe politicians with campaign
contributions but able to understand and endure his existence.

I will post a full reaction to his comments later on tonight.

--
Simon Mason

On Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:02:07 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason
wrote:

[Big snip]

Earlier this week, the company used its Twitter feed to proclaim
proudly that its account customers had overwhelmingly backed its
unilateral decision to illegally use London’s bus lanes; we wonder
whether all of his customers will endorse his views on cycling, and
those who have died while riding their bikes, once they learn of them?

We also wonder whether any of them might take their business
elsewhere?

It's a safe bet Mr Griffin would understand that.

http://road.cc/content/news/56999-ad...airs-his-opini...

I have to retract my earlier comment that it would be a public service
if Mr Griffin suffered a fatal accident.

It would clearly be far better if he was left as a permanent cripple,
unable to spew his filth and bribe politicians with campaign
contributions but able to understand and endure his existence.

I will post a full reaction to his comments later on tonight.

The Times have made their comment already:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public...cle3390328.ece

I hope it really does turn out to be Griffin's Gerald Ratner's moment.

On Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:54:54 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason
wrote:

Looks like a Ratner style gaffe to me.

Here's Griffin's original press release:
http://www.addisonlee.com/press/read/560

He has some valid points, but wrong solutions. The better solution
would be to ban all taxis from bus/cycle lanes, and replace taxi ranks
with cycle hire stations and pedicab ranks.

On Apr 20, 4:30*pm, Bertie Wooster wrote:
On Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:02:07 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason

wrote:

[Big snip]





Earlier this week, the company used its Twitter feed to proclaim
proudly that its account customers had overwhelmingly backed its
unilateral decision to illegally use London’s bus lanes; we wonder
whether all of his customers will endorse his views on cycling, and
those who have died while riding their bikes, once they learn of them?

We also wonder whether any of them might take their business
elsewhere?

It's a safe bet Mr Griffin would understand that.

http://road.cc/content/news/56999-ad...airs-his-opini....

I have to retract my earlier comment that it would be a public service
if Mr Griffin suffered a fatal accident.

It would clearly be far better if he was left as a permanent cripple,
unable to spew his filth and bribe politicians with campaign
contributions but able to understand and endure his existence.

I will post a full reaction to his comments later on tonight.

The Times have made their comment already:http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public...cle3390328.ece

I hope it really does turn out to be Griffin's Gerald Ratner's moment.

Talk about an "own goal" :-)

He still imagines cyclists to be poor old grannies and not mega rich
bankers and city boys with Twitter accounts who can ruin a guy's
reputation in an hour or two.
What a fool - first he tells his drivers to break the law by driving
in bus lanes and now this.
--
Simon Mason