The movie script for the life of Riccardo Riccò just got that little bit more surreal on Sunday. It opens on a Tuscan hillside with a young prodigy winning every race he enters at junior level. Quickly selected for the national Italian amateur squad, he then progresses to the pro ranks and is whispered to be the next big thing.
Scene 3, Lots of landscapes and training montage: The movie would follow the young star and encourage the audience to cheer for the talented, and warmly arrogant rider.
Then the twist: Riccò with the world at his feet and a similarly sly teammate by his side, get caught cheating and completely destroy the 2008 Tour de France.
Intermission
In scene 5 he returns to the sport with pro dope team Ceramica-Flaminia after serving 20 of his 24 months suspension. The peloton shuns him, as does the Giro.
In scene 7 the audience are led to feel that the movie is about to end, he has returned clean but it is to a different, cleaner sport. Viewers start looking at their watch when suddenly, police cars erupt on the scene from every direction – the mother of his child Vania, the cyclo cross star tests positive for drugs.
Scene 11 is a real show down full of banging doors, broken bottles and screaming … he dumps her in disgust at her cheating, yet strangely, shortly after, asks her to marry him. (?)
Scene 13 and Vania’s brother, Riccardo ‘s brother in law, tests positive for PED’s and is sanctioned. Happy families!!!
Stay with us.
Scene 15 is the retribution, the maturing. Winning the audience back.
He is not a popular man. After the 2010 season in the gutter, he comes out and claims that he is ready to shed his bad-boy image – as well as the nickname, “il Cobra”, which came to symbolize the former drug-cheat’s venomous nature on the bike and off it. He announces to the camera with a chuckle: “The Cobra is dead! You don’t believe me? It’s true…”
Scene 145, so then…. he hooks up with a new coach Aldo Sassi at the Centro Mapei, much viewed as home of honest cycling near Milan. The audience will view Riccò’s decision to link up with Sassi as a deliberate and perhaps cynical attempt to regain credibility after his positive test for CERA, but he has changed.
Scene 146 is last Sunday, with Riccò riding off into the sunset. But just before the closing credits, he falls of his bike and is rushed to hospital. A sudden illness could be stomach or renal problems. He is a cyclist so all were concerned.
Big Conclusion
Ricco lies in a hospital bed and Vania in floods of tears admits to waiting doctors that he had done a blood transfusion that morning using blood he had kept in the fridge at home for 25 days.” He was apparently worried about “the poor conservation of the blood he put back in.”
Postscript
Under Italian law he could face between three months and three years in jail for doping offences.
The working title for the movie “Once a cheat…”
Comments
Paddy Harty 14.02.2011 at 01:09pm
"Focus on the Positives"
BikePure NY 14.02.2011 at 11:11am
"The cook, the thief, his wife and their brother"
Paul Harte 09.02.2011 at 11:24pm
Didn't the Leopard team manager Kim Anderson gey caught 3 times? Maybe Ricco is going for his record or maybe he wants a career as a 'respected' Director Sportif!
vincent Garnier-Salvi 09.02.2011 at 10:47am
This guy is really, but really not smart! Transfusion is doctor's work, not cyclist. I hope it will be a very good example for the young generation: Doping is not only cheating, it definitely puts your health at risk. Every amateur cyclist especially should think about that! Think about your family folks before the next race!!!
Colm 09.02.2011 at 10:36am
What a two-fingered salute to Aldo Sassi.
Mark Kineer 09.02.2011 at 08:54am
You forgot to add Scene 56: Pro cycling does a 8 page spread on him- certain to test positive after that!
Peter Richards 09.02.2011 at 08:44am
Fall and rise of a cheating bastard
Trevor Smith 09.02.2011 at 02:55am
"Snake bites itself." Ricco ... take some Viagra eyedrops and have a good, long, hard look at yourself!
Tweets that mention The Cobra lives. « Bike Pure – Support Drug Free Cycling -- Topsy.com 09.02.2011 at 12:11am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by alan hall, myles mc corry . myles mc corry said: Can you help with the movie title? http://bikepure.org/2011/02/the-cobra-lives/ [...]
Gary 08.02.2011 at 11:34pm
Cant trust him. Delighted to see a new start for his team
Thomas van Bracht 08.02.2011 at 10:51pm
What a bloody w*nker... I hope he'll be send to jail for some time. Okay, one time using dope can happen... it is really sh*t but well anyone can make a mistake, but doing it twice, and just after a 24 month ban is just f*ck*d up... I hope he's send to jail. It will hopefully send a message to rest of them...
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