[yosoyellobo]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/story/2012-08-23/Armstrong-doping-charges/57258616/1

Cycling is the one sport that I have no trouble with doping. I would love to see Hulk Hogan win the Tour.

 

[sigma1914]

That's not the same type of doping. :lol: Cyclists aren't getting HGH and steroids,

 

[yosoyellobo]

That's not the same type of doping. :lol: Cyclists aren't getting HGH and steroids,

I believe they do something call Blood Doping were they take their own blood for later use.

 

[dpeters11]

Here is his statement:

http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstongs-statement-of-august-23-2012

 

[Carl Spock]

Such a shame.

Feet of clay in stirrups.

 

[hdtvfan0001]

This entire process has been a debacle.

Having read the complete history on what tests have been conducted to date over many years, I lost total respect for the organization overseeing the sport.

Ironically, the promotion of guilty until proven innocent has been the marching order of the day for this organization.

It's a shame for Lance, the sport, other riders, and those who are followers of the sport as well. Everyone lost in this process and these latest actions.

 

[Laxguy]

How can an American institution strip any athlete of titles or medals from a French or international competition?

 

[hdtvfan0001]

How can an American institution strip any athlete of titles or medals from a French or international competition?

It's the French....

...let's just say they're retreating from their original position...

 

[Laxguy]

Well, I mean, did the USADA threaten to invade France or something?? :nono2:

 

[dpeters11]

How can an American institution strip any athlete of titles or medals from a French or international competition?

I do t think they really can. The organizers of the Tour can strip the winnings I think, or the UCI. USADA does not have the jurisdiction.

 

[djlong]

Think about this for a minute.

The USADA, a non-profit organization, has spent $1.2M persecuting a man who has never failed a single drug test - even when old samples were tested with new technology.

The guy at the head of the USADA said Armstrong was sanctioned because of "his numerous anti-doping rule violations, including his involvement in trafficking and administering doping products to others" - and yet I haven't seen a single conviction for drug trafficking or anything of the sort except the occasional allegation by someone that Armstrong beat.

Reading Armstrong's statement, I read is as "I've had enough of this fighting to clear my name - you guys can take your years upon years of unproven allegations and your vendetta and stick it where the sun doesn't shine - cancel my subscription, I'm done with your issues".

The USADA said that his history of passed tests were "irrelevant". WELL THEN WHY DO YOU TEST?

 

[davidjplatt]

Couldn't have set it better myself.

This is a witch hunt that the French are behind. They can't stand the thought that Lance Armstrong won their race and they've been out to get him or to get someone else to get him ever since.

If they could show one positive test it would be a different matter but the USADA can't show a single test that Lance Armstrong failed.

The USADA should be disbanded - they don't give the athletes due process and they claim they are doing a service to sports - quite the opposite, they make a mockery of the entire drug testing process.

And they never actually gave the name of anyone that had any evidence against Lance Armstrong. They were always nameless entities and how do you ask a nameless entity if they really said that?

 

[Laxguy]

I do t think they really can. The organizers of the Tour can strip the winnings I think, or the UCI. USADA does not have the jurisdiction.

That's my contention. So it would seem erroneous to say the bloody USADA "stripped him". They may have pressured others, certainly.

 

[hdtvfan0001]

The Tour without Lance Armstrong is just another bike race...

This witch hunt process for so many years has been a farce.

Lance will move on, be appreciated by millions of followers for how he contributed to the sport, and the sport itself may just perhaps die a slow death now (as an international event of major proportion).

 

[sigma1914]

What pisses off the Lance haters off in Europe and what this is all about is is that he DOMINATED the Tour de France, however and this is the kicker, it's the only race he'd compete in. Almost all other riders ride month after month & tour
after tour on the European pro circuit, then Lance comes in and whoops ass and gets the glory. Many cyclist have said if you train just for the Tour then you can do it like Lance. Unfortunately the haters want to bring him down so they constantly make doping claims.

 

[hdtvfan0001]

As stated earlier...he'll be just fine going forward...

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48788983/ns/sports-cycling/

ASPEN, Colo. - Lance Armstrong says he's more at peace now than he has been in a decade.

In his first interview since the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency disciplined Armstrong with a lifetime ban from professional cycling and vacated his seven Tour de France titles, he said, "Nobody needs to cry for me. I'm going to be great."

 

[Sandra]

Lance competed and won Tours at a time where virtually everybody was cheating in one form or another. I love Lance, but it's hard to believe he was the only person not doping...and he was winning regardless.

It's not just the French who were making accusations, a number of American racers were also lining up to testify that they saw him taking banned substances. It's sad.

I was hoping Lance would make it to the Olympics in the triathlon (his original sport at 16-18), but now that does not seem possible.


Sandra

 

[dpeters11]

Older thread I know, but it has really heated up. Recently several other major riders, including George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer admitted they doped in the past. Of course, not to defend them, but it got to the point where you felt like you had to dope just to keep up, it was so rampant. In baseball, if you're only one of 2-3 players on both teams that isn't doping, your performance will look a lot lower than the others, and you can't compete.

Armstrong has stepped down as Chairman of Livestrong, and Nike has severed their deal with Armstrong. They will continue their relationship with Livestong. Of course they could face other problems as well. Armstrong received bonuses for performance in race results. The USADA also says he testified under oath that he did not use performance enhancing drugs, so there's possible perjury as well.

Leipheimer has been dropped from the Quick Step team as well, due to his admitting to doping previously. I don't think it had been shown that he did this year while on the Quick Step team.

To say this is a huge mess is an understatement.

 

[Stewart Vernon]

More interesting to me... I remember all the anti-French stuff when France kept saying they thought Lance and others were doping... people said they were just jealous.

I hope France gets an apology out of this too.

 

[hdtvfan0001]

More interesting to me... I remember all the anti-French stuff when France kept saying they thought Lance and others were doping... people said they were just jealous.

I hope France gets an apology out of this too.

No way - let them eat cake.