I am currently trying to stay out of all the Lance threads but the BS I have read on the previous pages in regards to the Simeoni affair is unblievable. I cannot let this one pass.
It is very obvious that those criticising Simeoni know nothing about the guy or what is considered acceptable behvaiour in pro cycling.
A full recap then.
1. Simeoni along with guys liked Chiappucci & Bortolami were involved in the trial aginst Ferrari because their names were found in his files. This case started in 1999 before Lance had won a single Tour so had nothing to do with Lance. There was no conflict.
2. The athletes involved were asked what a red asterik in their training diary referred to. Simeoni admitted that Ferrari had advised him on what drugs to take when there was a red asterik and where to get them. Chiappucci who was retired by then admitted the same in his initial testimony but then changed his story saying it was amino acids or he couldnt remember. Bortolami gave the same testimony, the same Bortolami who was later busted when EPO was found in his refrigerator. Does anyone think Chiappucci wasnt on EPO in the 90s. Simeoni was the only one to tell the truth if thats what you believe.
3. For being honest and admitting to taking drugs, Simeoni was banned for a period but came back to win a stage at the Vuelta 01, famously walking over the line with his bike held in the air as a symbolic gesture for those who lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy. His photo appeared in newspapers all over the world but he was fined by stupid race organisers for his actions.
4. Armstrong only came into the picture when his relationship with Ferrari was outed by David Walsh. It was a secret before that, the Ferrari trial was ongoing for 2-3 years at this stage and Simeoni was the only athlete who had a consisent story i.e. Ferrari advised him to take EPO.
5. When Lance was asked about the ongoing trial against Ferrari in 04, he called Simeoni a liar in a newspaper. Why? If his relationship with Ferrari had never been outed, he would have never have said a word against Simeoni. He had never criticised Simeoni in the time before the link with Ferrari was common knowledge, that was a 2-3 year period.
6. Simeoni was shocked to hear the biggest star in cycling calling him a liar in a major newspaper as the trial had nothing to do with Lance and he was just telling the truth in the court of law. He felt that Lances accusations could destroy his career and as the accusations of being a liar were unfounded, he threatened to sue Armstrong and if he won, give the money to charity.
7. In the 20 years of following pro-cycling and the Tour, the last few flat stages post mountains are considered carte blanche for the lower ranked riders on GC to have a shot at a stage wins. Very often we see stage winning margins of 10/20mins, only the sprinters teams make any effort to chase breakaways if they dont have a rider in the break or there is a tight battle for the Mailllot Vert. It has always been that way and is considered part of cycling etiquette for this to happen.
8. In 2004, Simeoni was one of the lower ranked GC riders who got away on such a stage. Lance ordered USPS to chase, there was absolutely no reason for them to chase, the GC was sown up already. They were not able to bridge so Lance took it upon himself to bridge the gap. He had no intention of winning the stage, his only aim was to prevent one rider having a shot of winning and to humiliate him. That day he broke the rules of cycling etiquette because of a vendetta against a single rider who had dared to speak the truth about Ferrari.
8. It was Armstrong who made it about himself, not the other way round as Simeoni was never ever testifying against Lance or even questioning him, it only became relevant to Lance when his relationship with Ferrari was outed and that was not Simoenis problem. Lance then called an athlete he barely knew a liar in a major European newspapaer turning it into a conflict. Nobody does conflict like Lance as proven again by the whole Contador sage this year except Contador is a big rider unlike little guy Simeoni.
If people cannot follow this case and not see that Lance behaved like a complete ****, then too bad for you. I would still have been a Lance supporter when this incident occured in 2004 and it turned me completely against him as I had never seen anything like it in my time following cycling. I had known about many disagreemts/arguments in the peloton but this was so vindictive and unseemly.
For the biggest name ever in pro-cycling to behave in such a way does not constitute sporting behaviour in my book and the primary reason I dont like Lance. When you are growing up playing sport, cheating is considered wrong as is being disrespectful to your team-mates, opponents etc, yet Lance seems to hold these values in contempt.
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