Lance Armstrong in ruins?

[Robert****]

The process of officially stripping Lance Armstrong of his record-breaking seven Tour de France titles began in earnest last night when the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) formally sanctioned the world's best-known cyclist for doping offences.

In the wake of Armstrong's decision not to contest the charges, USADA announced the 40-year-old, who retired last year, is to receive a life ban but more tellingly have the honours he accumulated since August 1998 struck from the records. When that happens is now dependent on the UCI, cycling's governing body.

Armstrong has been sanctioned for five violations of the anti-doping rules, including use and/or attempted use of prohibited substances, possession, trafficking and an attempted cover-up. USADA outlined "aggravating circumstances including involvement in multiple anti-doping rule violations and participation in a sophisticated doping scheme and conspiracy. In addition to the lifetime ban, Mr Armstrong will be disqualified from any and all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to 1 August, 1998, including forfeiture of any medals, titles, winnings, finishes, points and prizes".

"Any time we have overwhelming proof of doping, our mandate is to initiate the case and see it to conclusion as was done in this case," said Travis Tygart, chief executive of USADA.

John Fahey, head of the World Anti-doping Authority (Wada), bluntly summed up Armstrong's decision to stop fighting USADA as admitting he is a "drug cheat".

"[Armstrong] had the right to rip up those charges but he elected not to, therefore the only interpretation in these circumstances is that there was substance in [them]," said Fahey. "It leads to the conclusion that he is a drug cheat. My understanding is that when the evidence is based upon a career that included seven Tour de France wins then all of that becomes obliterated."

Armstrong's reputation may be on the verge of ruin but it is by no means the end of a sporting saga that has stretched over more than a decade. It is for the UCI and the organisers of the Tour to implement USADA's decisions and that is unlikely to happen with any great alacrity. The UCI wants to see USADA's case against Armstrong in full before announcing its next course of action and there remains a strong possibility the case will end up before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne next year. The Tour authorities will in turn wait on the UCI's decision.

USADA says it will release the details as it is bound to do under Wada guidelines when there is no hearing. There remain clouding issues, including Wada's eight-year statute of limitations on bringing doping cases. Of Armstrong's seven Tour triumphs, only the 2004 and 2005 wins fall within those terms although USADA insists evidence from before then can be acted upon.

The UCI is a signatory to the world anti-doping code. Under its terms it has to recognise USADA's findings. The case is built around testimonies from 10 former team-mates, including former dopers Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton. USADA claims to have tests taken in 2009 and 2010 that are "consistent" with blood doping.

Five officials connected to Armstrong or his US Postal Services team, including Johan Bruyneel, his former sporting director, are also the subject of USADA charges. "Lance has never withdrawn from a fair fight in his life so his decision underlines what an unjust process this has been," said Bruyneel, who, like the others, denies the allegations.

Armstrong himself continues to deny he ever doped and says he is the victim of a "witch-hunt". He has previously vigorously contested any allegations but decided not to contest USADA's charges because of the "toll this has taken on my family". It follows a federal court in Austin, Texas, rejecting his legal application against USADA on Monday. Thursday night was the deadline for Armstrong to submit his case to USADA, instead he released an 871-word statement.

It began: "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' That time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch-hunt. The toll this has taken on my family and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense."

It continued: "If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA's process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and – once and for all – put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colours. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?"

Fahey, president of Wada, dismissed Armstrong's rejection of USADA's authority – the Texan says it is for the UCI to decide whether titles won in its sport should be stripped – and its case against him.

"They have acted on rules which are compliant with the Wada code," said Fahey. "Now Mr Armstrong has endeavoured to shoot the messenger. He's never gone before a tribunal. There has never been a hearing related to this behaviour, so what is he tired of?

"You've got to look at the facts and the evidence that has only been collected in the last couple of years. There are 10 riders and several other witnesses with evidence. There can be no other interpretation. To refuse the charges can only leave the interpretation that he is a cheat."

One consequence of a rewriting of cycling history will see Bradley Wiggins elevated on to the podium for the 2009 Tour, in which Armstrong finished third, so becoming the first Briton to make it there – three years ahead of his victory this summer.

Tour de farce: Who takes Lance's titles?

1999 Who finished second? Alex Zülle (Swit) who admitted to doping as part of Festina Affair in 1998. Banned for year but returned for 1999.

2000 2nd: Jan Ullrich (Ger). Five-time runner-up was given a two-year ban in February this year after the Operation Puerto doping scandal in 2006, with his races from 2005-2007 banished.

2001 2nd: Ullrich

2002 2nd: Joseba Beloki (Sp). Clean.

2003 2nd: Ullrich

2004 2nd: Andreas Klöden (Ger) Connected to a 2006 doping programme, the rider eventually paid a €25,000 fine. German ADA announced an investigation into Klöden and others on doping suspicions.

2005 2nd: Ivan Basso (It). Acquitted in October 2006 in Operation Puerto, but reopened in 2007 and proved guilty. The Italian was banned for two years after he admitted to attempting doping.

[Robert****]

Here is Lance's reply:

Lance Armstong's Statement of August 23, 2012


AUSTIN, Texas - August 23rd, 2012 - There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense.

I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADA’s charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADA’s motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene.

If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA’s process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and – once and for all – put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colors. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In-competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?

From the beginning, however, this investigation has not been about learning the truth or cleaning up cycling, but about punishing me at all costs. I am a retired cyclist, yet USADA has lodged charges over 17 years old despite its own 8-year limitation. As respected organizations such as UCI and USA Cycling have made clear, USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges. The international bodies governing cycling have ordered USADA to stop, have given notice that no one should participate in USADA’s improper proceedings, and have made it clear the pronouncements by USADA that it has banned people for life or stripped them of their accomplishments are made without authority. And as many others, including USADA’s own arbitrators, have found, there is nothing even remotely fair about its process. USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honor its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers’ expense. For the last two months, USADA has endlessly repeated the mantra that there should be a single set of rules, applicable to all, but they have arrogantly refused to practice what they preach. On top of all that, USADA has allegedly made deals with other riders that circumvent their own rules as long as they said I cheated. Many of those riders continue to race today.

The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s just not right.

USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles. I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours. We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront. There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart.

Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet.

[Tig***]

It's been a common suspicion in the cycling community that he has always been at the forefront of high tech, undetectable doping. In short, micro-dosing of PED's and blood banking. Lance is a type AA personality. Huge ego, and not a nice guy to spend much time with. I've only met him a few times at MTB races, and he was a dick on and off the bike.

As the testing became harder to beat, the players (athletes and doctors) had to work to not get caught, yet most eventually did get caught. Re-infusing blood that ended up being from someone else instead of their own was the most common mistake. A modern testing of old samples will reveal much.

The logic never panned out. Take 4 or 5 top cyclists that Lance always beat in the Tour. They all get caught doping. He claims to not dope, yet was still able to beat the dopers over and over?? Also, so many past team mates have testified of his doping, including some that were with him for many years. He finally got caught.

[Spudman***]

He's still tops in my book and over the years he's passed all the tests. That's final to me. I stand by Lance no matter whether he did or not. He's a champion and this is a stupid witch hunt.

[tjcurtin1]

I'll never understand why athletes deny themselves the ultimate high of knowing that their victories are truly their own, the result of their training and dedication and hard work, and not the result of cheating (by whatever means). Is winning by any means really that satisfying? Apparently it is, in any case, that important to them. But if you are ultimately going to lose it all when you are (inevitably) discovered, how is it worth it?

[Spudman***]

But Lance has not been proven guilty in any test. All evidence is hearsay. There is no hard scientific evidence against him.

[Tig***]

How many MORE team mates need to testify that they were doping, and witnessed LA?

The ASO even gave Lance a 20 minute heads up before testing.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/repo...oping-controls

[bigoldron]

Another athlete got caught doping. Big deal. Here's the Armstrong that we need to mourn for:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/...022250193.html

[R_of_G]

I have no idea if Armstrong cheated or not. In this era, it's difficult to give athletes the benefit of the doubt when so many of their colleagues have been exposed as cheaters.

Cycling isn't a sport I've ever really followed much so maybe that's why I'm fine with not really knowing or caring for sure if his athletic accomplishments were legitimate.

I will say this for the guy, he's become a tremendous inspiration and vocal advocate for people fighting cancer. That's admirable regardless of whether or not he cheated.

[piebaldpython***]

As Spud said.......he never flunked a drug/urine test.....not even a false positive. And considering that amount of testing that they do in cycling, it just can't be luck that he wasn't caught if he was "juicing".

Plus, he didn't have the "physical" transformation that guys like Bonds, McGwire etc had either. As to testimony by teammates....well, if they said he was injecting....nobody knows what he was injecting.......and quite frankly, he may have come up with a perfectly legitimate herbal cocktail akin to what the fabled Chinese martial arts guys used to harden their bodies internally and externally.

To me.....based on the above.....this smacks of a witch-hunt and sour grapes.

In a weird thought.....I can't imagine that his cancer charity work would have been anywhere near as successful as it was IF he hadn't won all of those Tour de Frances. Plus, no way he gets Sheryl Crow by finishing 2nd a bunch of times. lol

[marnold***]

The entire sport is completely corrupt. The thing I don't like is the guilty until proven innocent aspect. If he really was tipped off about the tests, then that proves my first point. As it is, the evidence is all circumstantial. There's lots of it, but no smoking gun. I don't trust when the best witnesses have a lot to gain by giving their testimony.

As it is, the titles should go unawarded since you can't prove the others weren't cheating as well.

[Spudman***]

The "tipped off" thing doesn't hold water either. You win a stage, you go directly to control and pee in a cup. You'd think there would be no way to secretly prepare for that.

[Tig***]

"The truth comes out in the wash." "Time will tell."
These old saying will be relevant some time soon, regardless of which way things swing. The public has not been exposed to all of the evidence and testimony in this case.

Six different 1999 urine samples of Armstrong's tested positive for EPO when retested later with better, more accurate tests.

No one likes to see their heroes dismantled. I was pizzed and hurt when I saw US guys like Tyler Hamilton, Levi Leipheimer, Floyd Landis, David Clinger and Kirk O'Bee get caught, and then lie over and over to cover it up. I hated finding out guys I admired like David Millar, Jan Ullrich, Alexander Vinokourov, Ivan Basso, Marco Pantani, Rolf Aldag, Udo Bolts, Bjarne Riis, Erik Zabel, Jan Ullrich, Richard Virenque, Stefano Garzelli, Frank Vandenbroucke, and Manuel Beltran were caught or admitted to doping.

It is well known in the cycling racing community that coach Eddie Borysewicz doped the entire and highly successful US team in the '84 Olympics.
Less know is that Eddy Merckx tested positive for banned doping substances in the '69 Giro d'Italia, getting kicked out, and again in the '73 Giro di Lombardia.

The bottom line here is, Lance Armstrong is no better or worse than the many names listed above. Sure, he had plenty of money to buy the best doctors and testing, but he is just like any other athlete that became mentally addicted to the benefits of the extra performance. There is no witch hunt, just business as usual in the game of cat and mouse.

[sunvalleylaw]

This guy covers the first thoughts I had. So who they gonna crown? I am not completely on top of it, but most the contenders I can think of have had there own scandals.

http://www.vice.com/read/so-wait-who...ction_ref_map=[]


So who are they gonna say won all those races? Good luck finding a contender.

[@nthony]

USADA need to look at their own practices... Offering incentives to those caught out and then offering to cut their ban for tetifying against Lance Armstrong is highly unethical. Of course a cheat is going to do anything to get their own ban cut shorter.

[sunvalleylaw]

I want to be clear that I recognize it is very hard not to suspect that Lance may have cheated. Beating all the other dopers all those years is pretty amazing. But is has not been "proved" in an appropriate forum. But I just don't like how this whole thing is being handled, and until it is proved, I just don't see what good they are doing.

EDIT: see my post below regarding what I mean about an appropriate forum. The US judge that had to decline jurisdiction went ahead and commented on the conflicts within the current bodies handling this.

[poodlesrule]

So who are they gonna say won all those races? Good luck finding a contender.

There is a Wikipedia page listing dopers.
It is a long, long sad list, which also shows penalties given, and IRRC, the medical problems some dopers encountered.

[Tig***]

I'm with you there. I never wanted anything bad like this to happen. I've always wanted guys like Lance to be on the up and up. I'd hate to see any fallout affect the Live Strong cancer foundation or his kids. I remember Lance saying he'd rather be remembered for his cancer related work than his cycling career.

When I found out from some back channels (people who I'll decline from naming even though they no longer compete) about the wide spread doping on the then USPS Cycling Team, I didn't want to believe it. Later, I was just plain mad. It was still hard to accept, but occasional news stories confirmed a few things, especially the time their soigneurs were caught dumping spent vials and IV equipment in a dumpster.



As to the USADA, they have been a bad joke for years. A good pro racing friend, Jason Sager, missed a doping control right after an MTB race here in Texas. They wrote his name on a board on their trailer, which NO ONE saw. They did not request his name on the PA until much later, after he had left. A friend called him and he came right back, but they said it was too late. Then, they banned him for 6 months, but showed up at his home several times for unannounced tests, which he always passed. The guy is vegan! He'd never put anything in his body that wasn't WADA legal and organic.

[sunvalleylaw]

I also want to be clear that one of the reasons I don't like this, and particularly the USADA's approach, is related to fundamental american judicial system concepts of fairness. Innocent until proven guilty. You may have your suspicions, but if it is not proved, . . .

This excerpt is from a CNN article that encloses some language from the judge that declined to take the case, because the US courts did not have jurisdiction, a legal principle that means that a court can't get into it unless it has a legal right to do so.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks, in ruling Monday that the court did not have jurisdiction, acknowledged that "the appearance of a conflict on the part of both organizations creates doubt the charges against Armstrong would receive fair consideration in either forum." But that doesn't mean federal courts should intervene, the judge said, adding that "these matters should be resolved internally, by the parties most affected."

"If these bodies wish to damage the image of their sport through bitter infighting, they will have to do so without the involvement of the United States courts," Sparks said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/23/sp...ion/index.html

Again, as is always the case, "not guilty" is not the same as "innocent". And eyewitness testimony can certainly be considered in a US court, as opposed to hearsay, which normally cannot be considered. But the cycling world (or at least USADA world) does not seem to want to handle it that way.