Tyler Hamilton confessions/accusations

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Well, put it this way, if he has won the tour himself I doubt he would have come forward. We know Landis would certainly not have. So naturally there must be an element of bitterness to why someone would do this. That doesn't mean he is lying of course. It does, however, make it a rather unattractive spectacle. I'm one of those that doesn't see anything positive from going back and raking over things from as long ago as 12 years ago. It's not nice for the fans. The most important thing is to make sure the rules are right for today.

You are putting the emotional investment of fans ahead of the interests of people whose life is cycling. THAT is the unattractive spectacle.

+1 hrotha and pmcg76

 

[thehog]

Wee transcript here: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8502/Tyler-Hamilton-says-he-saw-Lance-Armstrong-inject-EPO.aspx

 

[nvpacchi]

@lancearmstrong
Lance Armstrong
20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.

Not to mention the most tested athlete in the history of sports... I love the hole the LA camp continues to dig for themselves.

LA's attorney: "Tyler Hamilton just duped the CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes and Scott Pelley all in one fell swoop. Hamilton is actively seeking to make money by writing a book, and now he has completely changed the story he has always told before so that he could get himself on 60 Minutes and increase his chances with publishers. But greed and a hunger for publicity cannot change the facts: Lance Armstrong is the most tested athlete in the history of sports: He has passed nearly 500 tests over twenty years of competition."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hamilton-says-he-saw-armstrong-use-epo

 

[GotDropped]

I don't think it effects today's riders what riders got away with in the early part of the last decade. It's not really how they think. They're looking at the rules now and seeing if they can beat them, not if they could have beaten them in the past. It's always an evolving situation which changes every year.

Yes it does. I tells them, hey, cheat, get away with it to begin with, make lots of money, become famous, gain respect and when we finally catch you, we won't do anything about it.

 

[CMDiva]

FINALLY!!! Thank you Tyler!

 

[MacRoadie]

LA's attorney: "Tyler Hamilton just duped the CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes and Scott Pelley all in one fell swoop. Hamilton is actively seeking to make money by writing a book, and now he has completely changed the story he has always told before so that he could get himself on 60 Minutes and increase his chances with publishers. But greed and a hunger for publicity cannot change the facts: Lance Armstrong is the most tested athlete in the history of sports: He has passed nearly 500 tests over twenty years of competition."

Yep, just another group of highly-intelligent, well-educated and very experienced professionals duped by yet another country bumpkin. Man, talk about lightning striking twice...

 

[pmcg76]

So it seems Frankie Andreu is also involved in this and confirms what Hamilton says. Wonder does Frankie have a book coming as well.

 

[MarkvW]

@lancearmstrong
Lance Armstrong
20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.

That alone would be a weak case.

 

[hrotha]

I don't think it effects today's riders what riders got away with in the early part of the last decade. It's not really how they think. They're looking at the rules now and seeing if they can beat them, not if they could have beaten them in the past. It's always an evolving situation which changes every year.

Again, Armstrong was still riding this season and he was enjoying the position in the peloton he gained through PEDs. His going down is a powerful, potentially cathartic symbol, especially as many riders seem to admire him. Now, they'll know that even if you're the biggest rider, and even if you're protected by the powers that be, you're not safe.

Riders must be 100% certain that they'll get caught. Then we can work on making it so that getting caught after the fact isn't still worth it.

If you minimize the boosts you can get from doping through programs like a properly handled biological passport, AND you keep up the police pressure on PED trafficking and use, there'll be a point where doping isn't worth it for most but the most reckless riders.

 

[hrotha]

@lancearmstrong
Lance Armstrong
20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.

Wow, I was pretty sure that was satire, but then I checked it myself.

 

[Mambo95]

Bobby Julich Olympic Champion 2004 Olympic Time Trial!! Ekimov was second, but he was Armstrong's team mate, and thus, a doper.

So was Julich - they were both Cofidis riders in 1997 and at Motorola 1995-6. (I have nothing against Julich)

 

[theswordsman]

This just turned into the perfect pro cycling weekend. First, three amazing stages of the Giro, then 60 Minutes with Tyler and Frankie outing Lance for mainstream America. I'm gonna need the Rest Day Monday

 

[MacRoadie]

Wow, I was pretty sure that was satire, but then I checked it myself.

I don't spin any of that stuff. There's really no need.

 

[flicker]

Obviously Lance is innocent! These people just want money and attention. Tyler is simply depressed and lonely. Nothing to see here. Hamilton could sell vitamen supplements or anti- deppresents.

 

[thehog]

Wow, I was pretty sure that was satire, but then I checked it myself.

I thought the same. Can't believe he went for this angle. I mean seriously. Is he deluded? That's sucks even for Lance.

 

[MacRoadie]

Obviously Lance is innocent! These people just want money and attention. Tyler is simply depressed and lonely. Nothing to see here. Hamilton could sell vitamen supplements or anti- deppresents.

He could make a decent living just selling you dictionaries...

 

[SuperHuman]

Yes it does. I tells them, hey, cheat, get away with it to begin with, make lots of money, become famous, gain respect and when we finally catch you, we won't do anything about it.

Then are we going to arrest Eddie Merkx as well for testing positive? Why would Armstrong be the only one who goes to prison for doping?

If we're talking about today's riders then what influences them most is what they believe other current riders are doing. They have seen many successful past riders banned for doping and it doesn't make any difference - it's all about the rules and procedures that they currently face.

 

[thehog]

Hamilton letter to his family:

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=6567822

I hope this finds you all doing well.

First of all, sorry for sending this out as a group letter. If there was any way I could come visit each of you individually, I would. I hope we are together soon.

There's no easy way to say this, so let me just say it plain: on Sunday night you'll see me on "60 Minutes" making a confession that's overdue. Long overdue.

During my cycling career, I knowingly broke the rules. I used performance-enhancing drugs. I lied about it, over and over. Worst of all, I hurt people I care about. And while there are reasons for what I did -- reasons I hope you'll understand better after watching -- it doesn't excuse the fact that I did it all, and there's no way on earth to undo it.

The question most people ask is, why now? There are two reasons. The first has to do with the federal investigation into cycling. Last summer, I received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury. Until that moment I walked into the courtroom, I hadn't told a soul. My testimony went on for six hours. For me, it was like the Hoover Dam breaking. I opened up; I told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And I felt a sense of relief I'd never felt before -- all the secrets, all the weight I'd been carrying around for years suddenly lifted. I saw that, for me personally, this was the way forward.

 

[gttim!]

This could be dominoes starting to fall. Many of the guys who rode with Lance did not have great careers, did not make a lot of money, and were not always treated well. At some point why keep the secrets? I think it gets more interesting as time goes on.

 

[xmoonx]

I love 60 minutes.

They brought Tim Donahey to talk about his mob connections and that the whole NBA is just a fixed circus... and now they brought Tyler to talk. Alpe guessed 1 year ago he´ll do that. Nice look into the future.

I love it.

Yea they broke the news on what practically everyone on this forum has known for like 12 years or more. Lance Armstrong doped and most of the peloton does too. Serious cutting edge late breaking reportage by 60 minutes.

 

[hrotha]

Then are we going to arrest Eddie Merkx as well for testing positive? Why would Armstrong be the only one who goes to prison for doping?

If we're talking about today's riders then what influences them most is what they believe other current riders are doing. They have seen many successful past riders banned for doping and it doesn't make any difference - it's all about the rules and procedures that they currently face.

Armstrong won't go to prison if all he did is dope. Don't worry, honey.
Also, I think the statute of limitations has been mentioned?

 

[GotDropped]

So was Julich - they were both Cofidis riders in 1997 and at Motorola 1995-6. (I have nothing against Julich)

Damn, that sucks... then who will be the winner??? Rogers? Rich? Cancellara?

1 Tyler Hamilton (USA) 57.31.74 (50.062 km/h)
2 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Russia) 0.18.84
3 Bobby Julich (USA) 0.26.45
4 Michael Rogers (Australia) 0.29.93
5 Michael Rich (Germany) 0.37.72
6 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) 1.26.40
7 Jan Ullrich (Germany) 1.30.30
8 Santiago Botero Echeverri (Colombia) 1.33.02
9 Igor Gonzalez De Galdeano (Spain) 1.55.51
10 Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) 2.10.64

 

[thehog]

Bump.



.......

Hamilton letter to his family:

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=6567822

I hope this finds you all doing well.

First of all, sorry for sending this out as a group letter. If there was any way I could come visit each of you individually, I would. I hope we are together soon.

There's no easy way to say this, so let me just say it plain: on Sunday night you'll see me on "60 Minutes" making a confession that's overdue. Long overdue.

During my cycling career, I knowingly broke the rules. I used performance-enhancing drugs. I lied about it, over and over. Worst of all, I hurt people I care about. And while there are reasons for what I did -- reasons I hope you'll understand better after watching -- it doesn't excuse the fact that I did it all, and there's no way on earth to undo it.

The question most people ask is, why now? There are two reasons. The first has to do with the federal investigation into cycling. Last summer, I received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury. Until that moment I walked into the courtroom, I hadn't told a soul. My testimony went on for six hours. For me, it was like the Hoover Dam breaking. I opened up; I told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And I felt a sense of relief I'd never felt before -- all the secrets, all the weight I'd been carrying around for years suddenly lifted. I saw that, for me personally, this was the way forward.

 

[Merckx index]

LA's attorney: "Tyler Hamilton just shocked me, Lance and our whole team all in one fell swoop. Hamilton is actively seeking to avoid a perjury charge by telling the truth, and now he has completely changed the lie he has always told before when it was in his self-interest to do so. But LA's greed and a hunger for publicity cannot change the facts: Lance Armstrong could become the most testified-against athlete in the history of sports: He has been a false negative in nearly 500 tests over twenty years of competition."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hamilton-says-he-saw-armstrong-use-epo

Fixed it for you, Mark.

 

[tockit]

@lancearmstrong
Lance Armstrong
20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.

Pathetic....

Props to Tyler for finally coming around.

I'm dying to know if any bribery was commited by LA and/or his camp to try to squelch possible witnesses and if so, will any of it come out during this investigation?