NY Times Says More To Come

[Roadent]

Oh, baby - big time press all over this....

Federal authorities investigating allegations that Lance Armstrong and other top cyclists engaged in doping are considering whether they can expand the investigation beyond traditional drug distribution charges to include ones involving fraud and conspiracy, according to two people briefed on the investigation.

Strangely, Lance's manager didn't return calls from the reporter...

My, things are starting to get sticky....

 

[BroDeal]

Armstrong and Bruyneel later gave their reaction in pictorial form.

 

[buckwheat]

Good for the NYT!

Oh, baby - big time press all over this....



Strangely, Lance's manager didn't return calls from the reporter...

My, things are starting to get sticky....

Did you see their article on microdosing?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/sports/cycling/26micro.html?ref=global

Microdoses of EPO let athletes put in superhuman hours of training without suffering the natural consequence of fatigue.

Microdosing, however, appears to increase users’ blood volumes significantly. So although EPO raises users’ overall red blood cell level, its concentration stays constant because blood volume increases.

The body’s adjustments, Ashenden said, also disguise changes to other markers in the blood that would normally prompt an investigation under the passport program.


I like TFF's quote of the domestic pro, can't recall his name.

To paraphrase, burn the whole thing down and I'll stand there with Floyd and watch the flames.

To see Hincapie whining about training 5 to 7 hours a day. Eff him. People are working 2 and 3 jobs just to stay afloat.

Burn the whole friggin thing down.

I'll still ride my bike.

 

[filipo]

Oh, baby - big time press all over this....

What struck me the most was this paragraph:

Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, has been dogged by doping allegations throughout his career and continues to deny them. He tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs once, for cortisone at the 1999 Tour, but later produced a doctor’s note saying the drug was needed to combat his saddle sores.

I can't recall seeing that ever in a major publication. Usually LA has "never tested positive". This seems to be a major change in tone -- that "later produced a note" should almost have a next to it.

 

[santacruz]

I believe the quote said something about setting a bag of poo aflame and watching it burn on Pat McQuaid's doorstep?

 

[buckwheat]

Good catch

What struck me the most was this paragraph:



I can't recall seeing that ever in a major publication. Usually LA has "never tested positive". This seems to be a major change in tone -- that "later produced a note" should almost have a next to it.

Yeah, Armstrong is on good terms with Juliet Macur and often refers to her by first name. He definitely has respect for her power, and with her drastically changing the tone here, signifies sea change. I agree with you.

Armstrong is done. The beginning of the end.

 

[Roadent]

What struck me the most was this paragraph:



I can't recall seeing that ever in a major publication. Usually LA has "never tested positive". This seems to be a major change in tone -- that "later produced a note" should almost have a next to it.

Uh, huh - never seen the SCA hearings ever mentioned, either, especially not in the NY Times - don't throw real journalists bones like this and expect them to be like the cycling lapdogs (sorry for the creaky metaphor...)

 

[BroDeal]

If there really is an investigation into this, even if Armstrong beats the rap, it will do irrepairable damage to his public image. It could not happen to a nicer guy.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Wow! Every day something new and negative comes out in the main stream press, now the SCA trial, Weisel and Ashenden are being discussed......Weisel..... They are onto some business connections. How long before the question gets asked:

Lance, how much do you earn through personal endorsement deals with companies selling or marketing livestrong branded products?

Can't wait.

Edit: @bro - did you have to search for ages to find a pic with a YELLOW fish?

 

[filipo]

Wow! Every day something new and negative comes out in the main stream press, now the SCA trial, Weisel and Ashenden are being discussed......Weisel..... They are onto some business connections. How long before the question gets asked:

Lance, how much do you earn through personal endorsement deals with companies selling or marketing livestrong branded products?

Can't wait.

Ding ding ding ding ding!

The Weisel connection is a huge ol' can of worms, one that certain aggressive reporters would love to open up.

As far as the cancer/Livestrong angle, I'm wondering how long the Inviolable Shield of Cancer (TM) will hold up. I mean, if anything untoward is uncovered vis-a-vis Armstrong's financial relationship with his cancer foundation -- oh holy hell, that's going to be It.

 

[Greyhound Velo]

I like TFF's quote of the domestic pro, can't recall his name.

To paraphrase, burn the whole thing down and I'll stand there with Floyd and watch the flames.

That was Adam Meyerson, who's one of the few pro's I believe about being clean.

If the Fed's are getting in on this, it could get really messy for pro cycling in general, although I doubt even the US government has the power to subpoena evidence held by the UCI. Maybe from the IOC, which would be opening a whole order of magnitude larger can of worms .

 

[Colm.Murphy]

This ties back to the UCI bribe, and possibly to the Livestrong.org and Wiesel. I have hear it spoken that teams often hae two contracts for a racer. One for the UCI, and for their agent/manager, and one for themselves with money funneling straight to Monaco or Switzerland.

My thinking is that there will be money stuffed away in swiss accounts, useful in bribing and other activities. There is a seeming money laundering element to this that would need to be in place to move sponsor funds through a shell company and then into the reserve account.

Perhaps I have read too many espionage/crime novels (my real weakness) though this is now seeming far more plausible than a week ago.

 

[BroDeal]

Edit: @bro - did you have to search for ages to find a pic with a YELLOW fish?

I stumbled across it by accident. Been saving it for a special occasion.

 

[riobonito92]

This is my favourite bit:

authorities want to know whether money from the United States Postal Service, the main sponsor of Armstrong’s team from 1996 to 2004, was used to buy performance-enhancing drugs

It's no longer about cheating in a bicycle race but REAL CRIME.

 

[BroDeal]

Ding ding ding ding ding!

The Weisel connection is a huge ol' can of worms, one that certain aggressive reporters would love to open up.

As far as the cancer/Livestrong angle, I'm wondering how long the Inviolable Shield of Cancer (TM) will hold up. I mean, if anything untoward is uncovered vis-a-vis Armstrong's financial relationship with his cancer foundation -- oh holy hell, that's going to be It.

It would not surprise me one bit if Armstrong's foundation has been funding some of his lifestyle expenses like travel and hotel expenses. This is a guy who cheated his teammates out of a few thousand dollars in prize money when they went to other teams. You have to think that he has the personality to offload expenses onto the foundation whenever possible.

 

[BikeCentric]

No possible way Strongarm rides the TDF now - can't possibly train effectively while $hitting bricks. "Big Tex is going to jail." LOL.

 

[santacruz]

oh ho ho ho happy days are here at last !! pls can there be a made for TV movie about this?? or perhaps a major motion picture starring brad pitt as Jeff Novitzky and james gandolfini as LA???

 

[Epicycle]

It would not surprise me one bit if Armstrong's foundation has been funding some of his lifestyle expenses like travel and hotel expenses. This is a guy who cheated his teammates out of a few thousand dollars in prize money when they went to other teams. You have to think that he has the personality to offload expenses onto the foundation whenever possible.

That's an interesting point. Betsy has pointed out in the past that the LAF has spent more on expenses than the average non-profit.

 

[tubularglue]

I wonder if they have knocked on Amgen's door yet ?

 

[Love the Scenery]

Pressure on the Domestiques

This changes everything. As the article states, most investigations focus on the PED distribution rings. An athlete can get off scot-free if he or she gives testimony against their suppliers. Of course, the athlete must confess and be publicly disgraced, but they avoid prison, which is a big incentive to confess.

In this case, if the article is correct, LA is being looked at as one of the leaders of a conspiracy to commit fraud. That means instead of pressuring LA to turn on his suppliers, the feds will be pressuring LA's ex-domestiques to turn on LA. His former domestiques can be threatened with obstruction of justice charges if they refuse to testify against their former leader. Sometimes this doesn't work. For example, Barry Bonds' former trainer has done a lot of time in prison for refusing to testify against Bonds. Will LA's domestiques also do jail time to protect LA? For example, what will Hincapie do if the feds come knocking on his door asking for details? What will Tyler do? What would the likes of Beltran and Heras do? Will the cycling omerta survive the assault of the US federal government?

 

[ergmonkey]

Boy, is this thread fun to speculate on. One more thing I've been wondering in addition to what's already been posted: where has Lance been getting his drugs? Prescription drugs have to come from somewhere, after all, and Big Pharma is a heavily regulated industry. I would love to know if the Foundation has been particularly friendly to a few doctors who were willing to supply LA and Bruyneel. That would not look good. Bring on the auditors! Like Al Capone, perhaps Lance Armstrong should be most fearful of accountants.

 

[Anonymous]

so livestrong is a front for drug trafficking.. it all makes sense now.. donations to "cancer clinics", semenars, etc.. why didnt i think of this before

 

[theswordsman]

It would not surprise me one bit if Armstrong's foundation has been funding some of his lifestyle expenses like travel and hotel expenses. This is a guy who cheated his teammates out of a few thousand dollars in prize money when they went to other teams. You have to think that he has the personality to offload expenses onto the foundation whenever possible.

Yep. He claimed that he got nothing from Astana, but during Team Faded a year ago he claimed the team had not paid Ryzard, his personal soigneur, and that he might be forced to do it himself. What do you thing a guy earns who's willing to be there every day, whenever he's needed, in Hawaii or Nice or wherever?

WCN: How did you get involved with Lance and the Foundation?

EK: “Lance and I were friends before he had cancer and then when he was diagnosed in October 1996, all his friends and his good friend John Korioth, had a Race for the Roses to raise money. I volunteered and really enjoyed being involved so when Lance formed the Foundation, his good friend John Korioth was the Director and CEO and they asked me to be the second employee. I did PR, fund raising, I was in charge of the Peloton project which kind of morphasised into the whole Livestrong big fund raising event. Now there are 80+ employees and I am still involved in the photography and it is special to be involved in that way.”

http://www.womenscycling.net/2009/EventsPages2009/01_TDU/LizKreutz.htm

Twitter @LivestrongCB

# Previewed the TdF stage 1 finish in NW Brussels. It's one for the sprinters, but a long gradual incline to the line. Don't go to soon! #TRS 1:16 PM Apr 23rd via TweetDeck


Now in Rotterdam scouting out the Tour de France prologue course. Not exactly a lot of "tour fever" evident here yet... 8:18 AM Apr 23rd via TweetDeck

Something to do on a vacation day?

 

[tubularglue]

Boy, is this thread fun to speculate on. One more thing I've been wondering in addition to what's already been posted: where has Lance been getting his drugs? Prescription drugs have to come from somewhere, after all, and Big Pharma is a heavily regulated industry. I would love to know if the Foundation has been particularly friendly to a few doctors who were willing to supply LA and Bruyneel. That would not look good. Bring on the auditors! Like Al Capone, perhaps Lance Armstrong should be most fearful of accountants.

For example, Balco custom made their steroids for there customer, and as stated - non detectable until Catlin developed a test. They started off as a private company testing samples and selling supplements. Voila, in house chemists.

And then who uses Catlin as their tester......................Astana, Slipstream, Columbia..............this is not very funny is it ?

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

As far as the cancer/Livestrong angle, I'm wondering how long the Inviolable Shield of Cancer (TM) will hold up. I mean, if anything untoward is uncovered vis-a-vis Armstrong's financial relationship with his cancer foundation -- oh holy hell, that's going to be It.

I actually think this is the big one, but not in the way most here do.

Folks get all excited that LA might be profiting from purchases on livestrong.com, through his stake in demand. The elephant in the room, is that his entire stake in demand was a payment for agreeing to promote livestrong.com in various ways.* That would mean every cent of his 'significant' share in demand media, and every cent he earns of that share, is personal income from promoting the brand of the charity he founded.

It's probably legal (although the words "conflict of interest" spring to mind), but ethical? How big was the deal with Nike? How many other deals? Unamused doesn't even begin to describe the public reaction if the right questions get asked, and answered.

*Just going off my recollection of various media reports here - encourage people to verify for themselves.......while you are at it, go and have a look for other signs of "three way deals" between companies that have "teamed up with Lance Armstrong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation".........