And so do I get to the point.
There is no absolute standard for cycling punishments, they are so variable it is hard to find a pattern - and cycling only pays lip service to its own rule book anyway.
All you can do is compare punishments in relative terms.
And in that comparison armstrong was clearly more harshly treated than Riis (still in the sport, still has TdF title, managing teams heavily implicated in doping since). No Ban at all, that I am aware of, unlike Bruyneel now kicked out of the sport.
And Armstrongs punishment is outrageous compared to Hincapie, who got no punishment at all ( 6 months over winter AFTER retiring, and riding last TdF) despite extorting money from the sport for an entire career of doping, and helping Lance every inch to "victory" as a willing and committed helper. If George opposed the treatment of Emma and Betsy WHY DIDNT HE LEAVE??? He knew the truth! By not speaking out or leaving, he is just as guilty, complicit from start to finish. Accessory before, during and after the fact. .
Neither riis nor hincapie "confessed" till it cost them nothing.
So Armstrong WAS harshly treated - no doubt about it.
Not as harshly as Rasmussen - a defacto ban for life by the efforts of UCI to prevent him joining any other team. His crime? Lying once on his whereabouts form! Unlike unrepetant doper Vinkourov, helped backinto the sport.
Intimidation - and defaming those who speak out deserves an extra ban for sure - Lance did it in aparticularly nasty way. But then - Mcquaid is guilty of that too. Where is his sanction? He deserves a several year ban for abusing his position to defame all who spoke out against lance - and even suing **** Pound of WADA for saying similar - now attacking journalists legally(personally), not the papers who publish their writings. Where is McQuaids lifetime ban?
Cycling has to start (a) Having a set of rules (b) enforcing them equally and everywhere without fear or favour (c) using a proper justice process to do it.
(- and that must include in spain and for such as Contador) to ever get back credibility.
Right now it is a laughing stock, that makes a mockery of "Justice"
and such as Hincapie getting off free, makes it worse.
Travis Tygart likes to say in his smug self satisfied manner "lance was given the same chance to be part of the solution" . No he wasnt. The rest were granted immunity. So lance cannot speak out. Period. A far reaching difference. If there was a conspiracy to defraud USPS (TBD, and sub judice) Hincapie was a substantive part of it. IN real law, unlike cycling law, not being the "boss" is no defence.
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