Reactions from the Pro Peloton to #USPSConspiracy (USADA) - post here

[Anonymous]

Two Croatian riders sided with LA in an article in our daily newspapers.

Robert Kiserlovski sided strongly with LA (I guess that's understandable now that he signed with RSNT)

"It's not fair, I do not think Lance is guilty. It is a search for a hair on tongue(?) and search for the scapegoat. 'Let hangs Pedro'. It's all so strange, they now proclaim him a cheater, after so much time and so many negative doping controls. To my mind, there is no evidence, only some indications. They also did the same to Marco Pantani, Jan Ulrich and to whom not."
...
" Most importantly, it is an attack on the basis of the charges and the testimony of his former co-driver. They were the ones that fell on the controls. It is logical to accuse him, and snitch on him to wash their own guilt..."

Vladimir Miholjevic was more moderate, siding with LA but with more caution - I guess the wisdom that comes with age.

"A man is attacked so many years after he drove the last race. This is the best evidence of the inefficiency of the system that is to fight against cheating, doping, corruption ... If Armstrong cheated - I repeat - if he cheated, then the same teams, structures, international organizations are culprits. In that case they allowed him to deceive, they are to blame, not Armstrong.
...
Another is the fact that all these WADAs, USADAs annually spend enormous millions. I guess every now and then they should justify the funds spent miserably. While we're at it, any fight with them, with these USADAs, FIFAs, FINAs, UEFAs, with all the structures ... is in advance a lost struggle. I understand why Armstrong gave up fighting and defense. There is example of Alberto Contador in cycling. He allegedly cheated and failed a drug test. How, then he got six months sentence?! They realized that he is not guilty, and find it difficult to admit. For doping as apparently was his, the minimum sentence of two years. What's this then?!"

There is also a quote of a Croatian doping expert dr. Bozidar Fučkar who sided strongly against LA.

You can check the article on this link

The English translation is quite readable, if someone finds some parts ambiguous I can translate them.

 

[noddy69]

“Lance has been very correct all through his career,” Merckx told La Dernière Heure. “What more can he do? All of the controls that he has done – over 500 since 2000 – have come back negative. Either the controls don’t serve any purpose or Armstrong was legit. The whole case is based on witnesses, it’s deeply unjust.”

Merckx on the case. What an absolute idiot. I am deeply disappointed by the reaction of the pro riders to the case. It looks like Armstrong still controls it in his absence with the idea of it been bad for cycling.......can they not see that what is bad for cycling is the fact that people were allowed get away with doping for so long.What is actually bad for cycling is the dopers and not people getting caught.
The idea that someone getting busted for cheating is a sad affair and just bad for cycling rather than actually been good for cycling and it been good that a cheat has been caught is evidence enough that cycling still has a long way to go.

 

[cineteq]

Too bad that he's the exception to the rule.

“If we can’t believe in Lance Armstrong, who can we believe in?” said Osgood, almost as if this news had come out in 2001, prior to everyone pretty much accepting the fact that Armstrong was a hypercompetitive a-hole who would do anything to gain an advantage. “This is a sad day for America.”

http://www.theonion.com/articles/lance-armstrong-lets-down-single-person-who-still,29313/

 

[Darryl Webster]

The reaction of most of the pro peloton , most managers etc comes as no surprise to me at all.
Most are self serving, egotistical *** who could not care less about "the fans"..would stab each other in the back for a better deal and are friends mostly to there own reflections.
You want to know how clean the sport is now?...I think there reaction speaks volumes.
Its no better than its ever been.

 

[noddy69]

The reaction of most of the pro peloton , most managers etc comes as no surprise to me at all.
Most are self serving, egotistical *** who could not care less about "the fans"..would stab each other in the back for a better deal and are friends mostly to there own reflections.
You want to know how clean the sport is now?...I think there reaction speaks volumes.
Its no better than its ever been.

It would make a good study, how an attitude can reach in and take hold of an entire sport. Its infiltrated the entire peloton and is a disgusting way to go about sport. The whole idea that actually catching drugs cheats is bad for cycling shows what they actually think on doping.
Nobody has said doping is bad for cycling.
Nobody is saying that the guys who cheat are bad for cycling and should go.
Nobody has said that its been way too long and that isnt good for cycling but at the end of the day the biggest fraud has been exposed and that can only be good in the long run........they have only said drop it its been too long.
The peleton are not sick of doping questions they are frightened of scrutiny. If they were not they would come out with common sense answers supporting clean cycling.
They are saying someone getting caught is bad for cycling and that is what will keep cycling in the mud for the foreseeable future.

 

[rickshaw]

At least five of you guys have posted quotes that were posted earlier. Maybe you should glance through the thread first.

Glance through the 359, and growing, posts? You sir are an optimist! We do have real lives to live. You ask too much, especially since so many, this included, that are in large part not on topic.

Chris Horner's interview at the Colorado gig, while trademark Horner stuff, was very disappointing. Does he know he no longer has to kiss the Dark Lord's heinie?. He don't seem too bryte.

PnP were Pretty Predictable.

Buffoon Day France Roll was embarrassing. His stumbling bombastic style does not convince me of anything except that he is a fool.

 

[BotanyBay]

Axel Merckx works with Bontrager-Livestrong team, what else could he say?

Lance, be my friend, please. Let me stand next to you in the next beer commercial so my family will believe that we're actually friends!

 

[BotanyBay]

You know what guys? With this many Lance-supportive statements from pros (past and present), I hope that the UCI, ASO, USAC, etc try and make a power play and ignore USADA's authority to punish here.

Our sport now absolutely deserves the inevitable outcome of being discluded from the Olympics. Our sport is dirty dirty dirty, through and through, still is, and probably always will be.

But at least we got to throw the worst ******* under the bus and run back and forth a few times.

 

[hrotha]

Too bad that he's the exception to the rule.

“If we can’t believe in Lance Armstrong, who can we believe in?” said Osgood, almost as if this news had come out in 2001, prior to everyone pretty much accepting the fact that Armstrong was a hypercompetitive a-hole who would do anything to gain an advantage. “This is a sad day for America.”

http://www.theonion.com/articles/lance-armstrong-lets-down-single-person-who-still,29313/

That and this are hilarious, but I always have to laugh at how American mainstream media still think steroids are the PED of choice and game-changer in every sport.

 

[ggusta]

Glance through the 359, and growing, posts? You sir are an optimist! We do have real lives to live. You ask too much, especially since so many, this included, that are in large part not on topic.

Chris Horner's interview at the Colorado gig, while trademark Horner stuff, was very disappointing. Does he know he no longer has to kiss the Dark Lord's heinie?. He don't seem too bryte.

PnP were Pretty Predictable.

Buffoon Day France Roll was embarrassing. His stumbling bombastic style does not convince me of anything except that he is a fool.

Yes Roll is on perma-ignore.

I thought PnP were rather cautious, imo. They seem to know that it's better to stay in the tall grass because they have no idea what evidence is about to s-hit the fan and they don't need any excess egg to wipe off.

No Vaughters. No Hincapie. I thought that was telling. I wonder if there will be any new interviews aired today. It's one thing to say something on twitter or a website, it's another to be on video, imo.

Horner was sad. He hadn't done the math yet, or maybe has too many skeletons in his own closet that others can screw him over with.

 

[BotanyBay]

Bontrager-Livestrong team members, BMC team members, RSNT staff and team members, this is Och and Bruyneel here standing over Botanybay's shoulders. It's time for you all to tweet your Lance-supportive statements. Taylor, get off your buttocks. George, you're still under contract. And Davis, if you want your kid to ride a grand tour next year, you'll get off your Parkinson's ravaged behind too.

This is an order guys. Make that Tweet. Now.

 

[Mishrak]

I facepalmed when I read this. REALLY Eddy? C'mon man. Surely you know that's not a real number of tests.


"Lance has been very correct all through his career,” Merckx told La Dernière Heure. “What more can he do? All of the controls that he has done – over 500 since 2000 – have come back negative. Either the controls don’t serve any purpose or Armstrong was legit. The whole case is based on witnesses, it’s deeply unjust.”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/merckx-continues-support-of-armstrong

 

[hiero2]

Count me as another person who doesn't have time to wade through all these pages to see if what I have is already linked. I didn't see it in the 1st few pages - and every link I have is CN.

Somebody asked for Bauer's reaction. Along with Jacques-Mayne, and Lars Michaelson:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-mixed-reactions-at-usa-pro-challenge

Phil Anderson: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/anderson-maintains-support-for-armstrong

Frankie Andreu: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/frankie-andreu-responds-to-armstrongs-ban

Fillipo Simeoni: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/simeoni-justice-has-come-a-bit-late-in-armstrong-case

Jens Voigt: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jens-voigt-hoping-lance-armstrong-case-comes-to-an-end

Taylor Phinney, Kathy Lemond, Steven de Jongh, Chiara Passerini, Brian Holm, Jan Ullrich, Herman Ram:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-case-reactions-from-around-pro-cycling

Escartin: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/escartin-calls-usada-sanction-on-armstrong-illogical

 

[Criteriums!]

About Lars Michaelson's question

This is from above mentioned CN article:
Michaelson also questioned why USADA appeared so Hell-bent on pursuing Armstrong.
“Why? Tell me why? Give me one good reason why?” Michaelson asked. “They should have a heads up of what's happening today, that they are on top of things today. That's what they should show.”

Well I can give you one good reason. How do you stop today's grand tour champions from doping when it is time tested the best and most trusted approach to winning the biggest bike race in the world?

Why would Contador or Wiggins or the next younger rider not pay Dr. Ferrari a quarter of their salary and dope to the max in order to win and make a living if everyone knows that you go unpunished and can get away with it?


link:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-mixed-reactions-at-usa-pro-challenge

 

[wannab]

Jens Voigt: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jens-voigt-hoping-lance-armstrong-case-comes-to-an-end

You go Jens, well said

 

[hrotha]

You go Jens, well said

Except for the part where he goes "some of this is what, 10 years old", ignoring that his current DS is involved.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

The reaction of most of the pro peloton , most managers etc comes as no surprise to me at all.
Most are self serving, egotistical *** who could not care less about "the fans"..would stab each other in the back for a better deal and are friends mostly to there own reflections.
You want to know how clean the sport is now?...I think there reaction speaks volumes.
Its no better than its ever been.

That pretty much sums it up.
The most disgusted i am about Eddy the big a§§hole Merckx and his 500-Test nonsense. I just flushed him down the toilet. And i will let him know. Should these pvucking cyclists all go to hell. They will not gain a single cent of me anymore.

 

[Digger]

The reaction of most of the pro peloton , most managers etc comes as no surprise to me at all.
Most are self serving, egotistical *** who could not care less about "the fans"..would stab each other in the back for a better deal and are friends mostly to there own reflections.
You want to know how clean the sport is now?...I think there reaction speaks volumes.
Its no better than its ever been.

There you go. Exactly.

 

[joe_papp]

Steve Bauer

From the same article:


Many pros have no sense of outrage because they feel they weren't cheated out of anything. On the contrary, they too cheated riders like Andy Bishop.

I think you raise an important point, even if it's a somewhat obvious one to sophisticated fans of the sport and former participants like us: any rider or ex-rider directly supporting Armstrong is likely to have doped as well, whereas any active or retired who denounces Armstrong in no uncertain terms was likely a clean competitor or at the very least is a reformed ex-doper.

Just compare Escartin and Pereiro on one hand with Andy Bishop and Frankie Andreu on the other...

Tepid support or non-committal evasive response from current/former riders creates more ambiguity. In the case of Steve Bauer, I doubt he ever doped (and he said to my face that the most he every took was the equivalent of aspirin), but perhaps b/c he thinks he needs to protect his team from even being associated w/ doping talk in the media he basically declines to comment on current events.

Cycle Sport Management Statement on USADA vs Lance Armstrong
by Steve Bauer, Owner, Cycle Sport Management

August 24, 2012 – "The recent news of the USADA vs Lance Armstrong case is not related to our current state of affairs in professional cycling. The sport of cycling, governed by the International Cycling Union (UCI), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is a leader among all sports in its anti-doping policies, with the most stringent policies actively in place among professional sports.

The UCI has done excellent work in bringing forward leading edge anti-doping programs, such as the Biological passport implemented in 2002, that every professional cyclist racing today must adhere to and abide by. The programs implemented by the UCI have resulted in clean competition for cycling.

I have personally been the longest supporter of a clean sport – all sport, and that is the philosophy and culture we are promoting at Cycle Sport Management.”

- Steve Bauer, Owner, Cycle Sport Management

Source: http://pedalmag.com/?p=170647&utm_s...agement-statement-on-usada-vs-lance-armstrong

 

[hrotha]

There's nothing sophisticated about that - we all get why all those ex-dopers aren't condemning Armstrong. But compare the response we're getting to the outrage about Riccò.

 

[Benotti69]

Except for the part where he goes "some of this is what, 10 years old", ignoring that his current DS is involved.

Also ignoring he was arround in 97 and 98 when everyone was doing it and he is still winning races at 41!

 

[hiero2]

The David Walsh and David Ullman BBC interview can be found here:
http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/qt/?title=Lance+Armstrong+Analysis,+interviews+w/+David+Walsh+&+Doug+Ullman&dashboard=&id=velorooms.com/files/bbc_radio_five_live_ullman_slater_walsh_240812.mp3&yr=2012

 

[joe_papp]

Alejandro Valverde

Rider: Alejandro Valverde

Quote: Por su parte, Alejandro Valverde comentó que "Armstrong ha sido un corredor impresionante, de auténtica categoría".

"For his part, Alejandro Valverde commented that 'Armstrong has been an impressive, genuine rider.'"

Source: Agencia EFE S.A., via Google News http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5hjv_m7iZI-gBOdezn2J_qNqUAksA?docId=1855113


(remember guys please try to state in the post title - the separate bar above the main dialogue box - the name of the subject you're quoting. it makes it easier to scan the posts and quickly find ones documenting actual references to USPSConspiracy. thanks!)

 

[Arnout]

There's nothing sophisticated about that - we all get why all those ex-dopers aren't condemning Armstrong. But compare the response we're getting to the outrage about Riccò.

Riccò was not liked, and his departure was cherished, for whatever reason. Compare it to the Contador positive, or the Frank Schleck positive. No-one appears to give a damn. This whole saga has made me, from someone who doesn't care about doping, to being very annoyed at the least with dopers. That's at least one victory of the USADA

 

[hfer07]

Jacques-Maynes

From this point, maybe it will start cleaning itself out. I don't think it's cleaned itself out yet. I think this is the first sign that however big your ambitions are, you're not too big to fail. People can go down, whatever you think of yourself.”

wise words