Armstrong in the mire again. LeMonde reports

[Bag_O_Wallet]

Hah, I had forgotten that. I guess that was before his heart grew to 3 times the normal size huh?

Well, all that weight loss, I mean it was systematic training... yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[burninglegs]

Substance over form

Stranger that you should put armstrong's name in the thread title, yet the whole implied drama you posted is about astana as a whole. It's almost like you have a major anti armstrong agenda. Oh wait.....

By the way when does Sept 5th happen again ??

This article isn't based on any facts, the UCI denies it, and no one on Astana
tested positive for banned substances. I think the article was published just to sell the papers. The article doesn't pass the journalistic smell test & was probably written because of the love and sympathy that the French have for some unmentioned rider. I think the French have the major anti armstrong agenda. This is my first post. Hello everyone.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

Damn, it's good.
Yup, a lot of new results there, some obscure to say the least
Tour of Lombardy is a nice little race. Used to be a 2.5, back in the old money days.

However, here's Bertie's and guess what? Just the same. Mucho more wins, of some real oddities.

http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/coureuruitslagenfiche.php?coureurid=1567

Roughly 100 wins recorded for Tex, and about 50 for Bert.

Some context... the single season victory record by Merckx is 54.

 

[Hugh Januss]

This article isn't based on any facts, the UCI denies it, and no one on Astana
tested positive for banned substances. I think the article was published just to sell the papers. The article doesn't pass the journalistic smell test & was probably written because of the love and sympathy that the French have for some unmentioned rider. I think the French have the major anti armstrong agenda. This is my first post. Hello everyone.

No offense meant, but you may have wanted to read up a little before posting.

 

[peloton]

Roughly 100 wins recorded for Tex, and about 50 for Bert.

Some context... the single season victory record by Merckx is 54.

Heh, Tex is 38, Bert 26.....

Eddy will remain the cycling legend, no one will come close to him.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Heh, Tex is 38, Bert 26.....

Eddy will remain the cycling legend, no one will come close to him.

Yes and many of the wins are so obscure.
I kept my palmares to UCI rated 2.1 or above races and up to Armstong matching Contador's current age.
Then, you end up with one very short list and another much longer list.

Shows how statistics can say pretty much anything.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

This article isn't based on any facts, the UCI denies it, and no one on Astana
tested positive for banned substances. I think the article was published just to sell the papers. The article doesn't pass the journalistic smell test & was probably written because of the love and sympathy that the French have for some unmentioned rider. I think the French have the major anti armstrong agenda. This is my first post. Hello everyone.

Welcome to the forum:
If you concentrate on just Astana or LA then you miss the significance of the story. These are the allegations:

• That the samples were stored in car boot and not in a proper container.
• That samples were marked "Out of Competition"
• Talking loudly about a suprise control the night before.
• The UCI did not give the AFLD the 'whereabouts' of the Astana team
• Astana were last to give their samples .
• Test delayed by 45 minutes, and AFLD escorts not permitted to attend.
• Excessive amount of time in notifying riders of post race tests.

In the UCI press relesase the UCI only discuss the case of the preferencial treatment of Astana - citing an unpublished investigation - but make no comment on the other allegations.

 

[mikkemus23]

This article isn't based on any facts, the UCI denies it, and no one on Astana
tested positive for banned substances. I think the article was published just to sell the papers. The article doesn't pass the journalistic smell test & was probably written because of the love and sympathy that the French have for some unmentioned rider. I think the French have the major anti armstrong agenda. This is my first post. Hello everyone.

What`s up with all the conspiracy theories?
SSDD

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

Yes and many of the wins are so obscure.
I kept my palmares to UCI rated 2.1 or above races and up to Armstong matching Contador's current age.
Then, you end up with one very short list and another much longer list.

Shows how statistics can say pretty much anything.

Quick clarification... Do you mean anything above the "point one" (x.1) level or just the multi-day stuff?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Point one.
Otherwise LA, in his early years, would be at a major disadvantage, being a mainly one day specialist!
I should have said 1.1/2.1.

 

[Marmot]

The key to not storing the sample correctly means it much more difficult to ascertain a positive as there is too much "noise" in the testing to affirm a positive. This is especially true when testing for EPO and micro dosing.

When never hear of these tests. They are just marked negative or "non conclusive" - no result.

Apart from the risk of spoiling the samples, I am just as troubled by the idea that samples are stored in a place that isn't particularly secure. Half the juvenile delinquents in Argeles Gazost (or wherever else it occurred) could probably break in (possibly through the ski portal if breaking the boot lock is tricky or a little too obvious). Also, most cars have a couple of sets of keys. I wonder if the UCI knew the location of all sets at all relevant times.

 

[Race Radio]

This article isn't based on any facts, the UCI denies it, and no one on Astana
tested positive for banned substances. I think the article was published just to sell the papers. The article doesn't pass the journalistic smell test & was probably written because of the love and sympathy that the French have for some unmentioned rider. I think the French have the major anti armstrong agenda. This is my first post. Hello everyone.

why is it every Armstrong groupies starts off with the "French Conspiracy" story?

It is a FACT that Astana avoided testing for 55 minutes when the testers showed up in the morning. It is also a FACT that after the TTT Astana kept the chaperon waiting outside for 40 minutes.

 

[progressor]

why is it every Armstrong groupies starts off with the "French Conspiracy" story?

It is a FACT that Astana avoided testing for 55 minutes when the testers showed up in the morning. It is also a FACT that after the TTT Astana kept the chaperon waiting outside for 40 minutes.

ssdd. At least I'm officially not an armstrong groupie LOL

 

[hfer07]

why is it every Armstrong groupies starts off with the "French Conspiracy" story?

It is a FACT that Astana avoided testing for 55 minutes when the testers showed up in the morning. It is also a FACT that after the TTT Astana kept the chaperon waiting outside for 40 minutes.

It is also a FACT that LA disappeared entirely on the 2nd rest day, which matches coincidentally with his "jump" on blood values"....

 

[WonderLance]

This article isn't based on any facts, the UCI denies it, and no one on Astana
tested positive for banned substances. I think the article was published just to sell the papers. The article doesn't pass the journalistic smell test & was probably written because of the love and sympathy that the French have for some unmentioned rider. I think the French have the major anti armstrong agenda. This is my first post. Hello everyone.

Will you be my friend. They all think I'm an idiot two.

 

[thehog]

PARIS (Reuters) - The International Cycling Union (UCI) did not fully respect the testing procedures during this year's Tour de France and the fact that suspicious drugs were seized also casts doubts over the event, the French anti-doping chief said on Wednesday.

"The way UCI organised the controls was not quite in accordance with the regulations", French anti-doping agency (AFLD) president Pierre Bordry told a news conference.

"It does not mean that the Astana team were on drugs," added Bordry.

AFLD suggested in its report on the 2009 Tour that the Astana team, including Tour winner Alberto Contador and third-placed Lance Armstrong, were given preferential treatment during the race.

The UCI dismissed the accusations as completely groundless and Astana said they had always done what testers asked them.

However, AFLD testing director Jean-Pierre Verdy repeated on Wednesday that there was a problem.

"It's mainly Astana that has been pointed at (regarding testing irregularities)," he said. "For the other teams, it was not as obvious."

The delay between the notification that a test would be conducted and the test itself was too long, Bordry said.

"We were surprised to see that, for reasons we ignore, a long delay was awarded to the riders," he said.

SUBSTANCES SEIZED

Such a delay could have given teams and riders a way to make sure illegal performance-enhancing substances could not be found by testers, said AFLD doctor Michel Rieu.

"We know well the methods that can be used to do that," Rieu said.

Bordry and Rieu also said they were surprised to have seized during the Tour a number of substances that were not performance-enhancing as such but could have been used as part of doping methods.

"Drugs against high blood pressure or diabetes are incongruous when dealing with people supposedly in good health," Rieu said.

"We were a bit surprised to see the range of medicine being taken by the riders," Bordry said.

The UCI and the AFLD had agreed to work together on the Tour de France, but the sport's governing body is now considering another option for next year's race.

None of the tests performed during the 2009 Tour turned out to be positive.

(Writing by Patrick Vignal, Editing by Ed Osmond; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

 

[franciep10]

Bordry and Rieu also said they were surprised to have seized during the Tour a number of substances that were not performance-enhancing as such but could have been used as part of doping methods.

"Drugs against high blood pressure or diabetes are incongruous when dealing with people supposedly in good health," Rieu said.

"We were a bit surprised to see the range of medicine being taken by the riders," Bordry said.

The UCI and the AFLD had agreed to work together on the Tour de France, but the sport's governing body is now considering another option for next year's race.

None of the tests performed during the 2009 Tour turned out to be positive.

(Writing by Patrick Vignal, Editing by Ed Osmond; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

interesting, it seems that either cyclists aren't as health as before or those are being used as masking agents.

 

[franciep10]

Will you be my friend. They all think I'm an idiot two.

not this idiot again, I don't normally ignore people but you are on my short list

 

[peloton]

UCI doping inspector's take on how things went
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...about-testing-Armstrong-Contador-at-Tour.aspx

Bizarre fighting by AFLD & UCI.