Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeNuggetsThe VV View: Vino - one of a Certain Breed

The VV View: Vino – one of a Certain Breed

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Vino’s back! Richard Pestes’s reaction was;

“I’m still aghast at the arrogance of that guy.. “

And whilst I can understand his outrage, we have to take a minute to try and put ourselves inside the mind of the little Kazahk.

He has ridden as a pro since 1993; let’s ignore Astana and look at his previous teams:

  • Casino
  • Telekom/T-Mobile
  • Liberty-Seguros
Vino
He has the face of an angel.

There’s a common thread there; every one has been rocked by major drugs scandals.

Indeed, the T-Mobile saga is still making news.

In all of these teams, drugs were quite simply as much a part of being a pro as eating properly, getting plenty of sleep and doing the hours on the bike.

The culture of these teams is instilled into the man.

Talking of culture, Kazahkstan is not Europe, until 20 years ago it was part of what we in the West referred to as ‘The Evil Empire’ of the Soviet Union.

Since the second world war there’s been a climate of mutual distrust and fear between East and West.

The Berlin Wall may be gone, but old mindsets don’t disappear over night.

To many in the East, the “new breed of clean cyclists” we read so much about will just be a Euro publicity stunt.

A front for new, improved, undetectable substances.

In Vino’s mind, everybody will still be ‘kitting’ and the only thing he did wrong was to get caught.

His presence will grate with many, but he’ll be 37 next month; he’s not going to be around much longer – one of the last of a certain breed that the sport will be better without.

The UCI will be keeping a close eye on him – “so what, you can beat those linear tests, no problem !” I hear you say.

Tell that to Di Luca.

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.