Reasoned decision thread (includes speculation)

[WinterRider]

I can't believe it, the story breaks and I'm still seeing comments like this one:

"So he was banned not on evidence physical evidence but on a reasoned decission using dicredited witnesses. No wonder they didn't want the defense to see the evidence before the kangaroo hearing. Usually in most legal battles one has the right to face their accusers. I for one can't wait to this goes to a real court."

Seen on a Canadian news site:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/cycling/story/2012/10/10/sp-uci-cycling-usada-doping-lance-armstrong.html

 

[BroDeal]

I can't believe it, the story breaks and I'm still seeing comments like this one:

"So he was banned not on evidence physical evidence but on a reasoned decission using dicredited witnesses. No wonder they didn't want the defense to see the evidence before the kangaroo hearing. Usually in most legal battles one has the right to face their accusers. I for one can't wait to this goes to a real court."

Seen on a Canadian news site:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/cycling/story/2012/10/10/sp-uci-cycling-usada-doping-lance-armstrong.html

Over on Slowtwitch the main talking point seems to be that it is unfair that other riders are getting six months while Armstrong is banned for life. That proves it is a witch hunt.

 

[Benotti69]

Got it.

Anything more - link?

Dave.

EDIT to add: http://www.michalbarry.ca appears to be unavailable/not responding. Overwhelmed by the interest?

Barry's statement says he was clean from 2006:

Cycling has always been a part of my life. As a boy my dream was to become a professional cyclist who raced at the highest level in Europe. I achieved my goal when I first signed a contract with the United States Postal Service Cycling team in 2002. Soon after I realized reality was not what I had dreamed. Doping had become an epidemic problem in professional cycling.

Recently, I was contacted by United States Anti-Doping Agency to testify in their investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs on the United States Postal Service Team. I agreed to participate as it allowed me to explain my experiences, which I believe will help improve the sport for today’s youth who aspire to be tomorrow’s champions.

After being encouraged by the team, pressured to perform and pushed to my physical limits I crossed a line I promised myself and others I would not: I doped. It was a decision I deeply regret. It caused me sleepless nights, took the fun out of cycling and racing, and tainted the success I achieved at the time. This was not how I wanted to live or race.

In the summer of 2006, I never doped again and became a proponent of clean cycling through my writing and interviews.

From 2006 until the end of my career in 2012, I chose to race for teams that took a strong stance against doping. Although I never confessed to my past, I wrote and spoke about the need for change. Cycling is now a cleaner sport, many teams have adopted anti-doping policies and most importantly I know a clean rider can now win at the highest level.

I apologize to those I deceived. I will accept my suspension and any other consequences. I will work hard to regain people’s trust.

The lessons I learned through my experiences have been valuable. My goal now is to help turn the sport into a place where riders are not tempted to dope, have coaches who they can trust, race on teams that nurture talent and have doctors who are concerned for their health. From direct experience, I know there are already teams doing this but it needs to be universal throughout cycling.

Progressive change is occurring. My hope is that this case will further that evolution.

http://michaelbarry.ca/

Must have been sitting beside Hincapie when writing this.

If these guys loved cycling as much as they profess they would have done more a hell of a lot more for anti-doping and backed those who did stand up to be counted in the fight against doping.

 

[kcycle12]

Over on Slowtwitch the main talking point seems to be that it is unfair that other riders are getting six months while Armstrong is banned for life. That proves it is a witch hunt.

Is Dan letting them talk over there? What happened to his ban on Armstrong talk?

 

[thehog]

Wiggins just posted a statement: “I still love him. He’s still amazing in my eyes along with everything Postal did. Team Sky wants to be just like them. Everyone has benefited from Lance Armstrong in some way”.

 

[datalore]

Wiggins just posted a statement: “I still love him. He’s still amazing in my eyes along with everything Postal did. Team Sky wants to be just like them. Everyone has benefited from Lance Armstrong in some way”.

Wow. You'd think Wiggins would want absolutely no connection with Postal at this point. Yet another serious PR error.

 

[BroDeal]

Is Dan letting them talk over there? What happened to his ban on Armstrong talk?

He said he would open one thread about the USADA decision for a couple of days.

 

[ebandit]

benefit

Wiggins just posted a statement: “I still love him. He’s still amazing in my eyes along with everything Postal did. Team Sky wants to be just like them. Everyone has benefited from Lance Armstrong in some way”.

brad your an idiot.............i have not benefitted in the slightest

lance has done everything to make our sport less credible

a big day for honest cyclists knowing that the reasoned decisions are released today

1000 pages of the truth

now what will team sky's legacy be?

 

[Briant_Gumble]

Wiggins just posted a statement: “I still love him. He’s still amazing in my eyes along with everything Postal did. Team Sky wants to be just like them. Everyone has benefited from Lance Armstrong in some way”.

Wow! LMAO (10 chars)

 

[Big Doopie]

i believe the 2006 date may start after the first week of the tour.

puerto had exploded and after a strong first week disco totally disappeared.

i believe hog and armstrong cut them off because they felt it was too risky to get refueled during that tour. and then they criticized the team saying they were riding poorly because they no longer were motivated without armstrong.

that might have been it for hincapie...it was supposed to be "his" tour.

 

[ValleyFlowers]

Wow. You'd think Wiggins would want absolutely no connection with Postal at this point. Yet another serious PR error.

*cough cough*

 

[Mishrak]

Wiggins just posted a statement: “I still love him. He’s still amazing in my eyes along with everything Postal did. Team Sky wants to be just like them. Everyone has benefited from Lance Armstrong in some way”.

Do you have a link for that?

 

[Briant_Gumble]

http://michaelbarry.ca/

Must have been sitting beside Hincapie when writing this.

If these guys loved cycling as much as they profess they would have done more a hell of a lot more for anti-doping and backed those who did stand up to be counted in the fight against doping.

If this is a pattern then it's going to be seriously damning for Lance, the other riders making out Lance corrupts everyone around him.

 

[roundabout]

And then Popo***** finished 8th next year. They may have been scared, but not for long.

 

[Briant_Gumble]

Do you have a link for that?

What he said. I can't believe he's that stupid.

 

[Merckx index]

He’s still amazing in my eyes along with everything Postal did. Team Sky wants to be just like them.

Including the doping? What exactly else was it about the USPS approach that put them above the rest?

Edit: Hoggie, you devil, you.

After reading George and MB's statements, I have new appreciation for Floyd and Tyler. Their confessions make the former two look like, well, LA.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

If these guys loved cycling as much as they profess they would have done more a hell of a lot more for anti-doping and backed those who did stand up to be counted in the fight against doping.

That's rather easy to say from afar.

If Barry is telling the truth about riding clean from 2006 (and why wouldn't he tell the truth, now that he's retired) that deserves some respect. At the very least it shows that he felt guilt for doping. Given that doping was a systemic rather than simply an individual problem, opting out of it, at an inevitable career cost, took at least some moral fibre.

Yes, of course, it would be better if he'd just come out and spilled the beans voluntarily when he got off the hot sauce. But in 2006 that would have ended his career. It's a rather high standard you are holding people to in other words, and one which I suspect most people wouldn't reach.

 

[Mishrak]

What he said. I can't believe he's that stupid.

I don't see it on twitter, so I'm curious where he posted it, if he did in fact post it.

 

[Big Doopie]

i believe hog is joking about the wiggo quote, fellas.

no one, i mean no one could be that stupid.

 

[Cloxxki]

Wow, so folks like Landis are paria, but a life time ban on Armstrong, and he's still a swell guy and a great role model. Hate to be Sky now...
Let's take Wiggo's TdF just fior stupidity.

Lance probably has something on him, something big. That's his ground rule for a friendly relationship with him.

 

[Mishrak]

People shouldn't take it at face value then There's enough dumb crap floating around, we don't need more. If you're joking, make it a bit more obvious. Waiting for a comment from Mr. Hog.

 

[roundabout]

You know who retired in 2005.

Of course Barry, Hincapie and co all started riding clean in 2006.

 

[Cramps]

Wiggins just posted a statement: “I still love him. He’s still amazing in my eyes along with everything Postal did. Team Sky wants to be just like them. Everyone has benefited from Lance Armstrong in some way”.

You may not have realized that people would take you seriously, but they have.

It's one thing to criticize Wiggins for things he has actually done and said, but what purpose is there to attribute fabricated and absurd quotes to him?

 

[thehog]

Including the doping? What exactly else was it about the USPS approach that put them above the rest?

Edit: Hoggie, you devil, you.

After reading George and MB's statements, I have new appreciation for Floyd and Tyler. Their confessions make the former two look like, well, LA.

Sorry I couldn't help it - Its a worry it sounded so close to Wiggins!

To the bolded. Agreed.

 

[Berzin]

You may not have realized that people would take you seriously, but they have.

It's one thing to criticize Wiggins for things he has actually done and said, but what purpose is there to attribute fabricated and absurd quotes to him?

Because it's funny, and probably a lot closer to the truth in terms of Wiggins' actual mindset than many would care to admit.