USADA - Armstrong

[Dr. Maserati]

his response:

http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstrong-responds-to-usada-allegation

Ya, it is worth going through - I have added my comments in Blue.

AUSTIN, TX -- June 13, 2012 -- I have been notified (on a Tuesday) that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars (to be the US Anti doping Agency!!) but governed only by self-written rules (WADA rules, which you agreed to), intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years (I cant believe they didnt go back to the suspicious testosterone samples of 93) to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned (because paying off the UCI is not cheap).
These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. (and which I spent a fortune getting political lawyers to quash) These charges are baseless, (even though they never got to court) motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity (did Floyd get his 06 Tour back?).
Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. (you want to take away Floyds & Tylers results, again?) USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play. (indeed, USADAs stance on fair play would be very different to yours)
I have never doped, (ok) and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, (except the Classic rider to GT specialist thing) passed more than 500 drug tests (just like Valverde, Basso, Marion Jones etc) and never failed one (well, except for corticeroids on 99, oh and the 6 EPO ones, and the one in 2001...).
That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction (with good reason, as its bogus) and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence. (They havent said you're guilty, just charged you - you should welcome the chance to clear your name....)

 

[benzwire]

Go onto Anderson Cooper now on CNN. Its headlines. Juliet Macur is on now.

Yep. It's "Breaking News" on CNN/Anderson Cooper 360 right now. Also up on ESPN. It's big time.

 

[veganrob]

Just a fantastic day. Bury that SOB.

 

[Anonymous]

Ya, it is worth going through - I have added my comments in Blue.

AUSTIN, TX -- June 13, 2012 -- I have been notified (on a Tuesday) that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars (to be the US Anti doping Agency!!) but governed only by self-written rules (WADA rules, which you agreed to), intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years (I cant believe they didnt go back to the suspicious testosterone samples of 93) to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned (because paying off the UCI is not cheap).
These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. (and which I spent a fortune getting political lawyers to quash) These charges are baseless, (even though they never got to court) motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity (did Floyd get his 06 Tour back?).
Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. (you want to take away Floyds & Tylers results, again?) USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play. (indeed, USADAs stance on fair play would be very different to yours)
I have never doped, (ok) and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, (except the Classic rider to GT specialist thing) passed more than 500 drug tests (just like Valverde, Basso, Marion Jones etc) and never failed one (well, except for corticeroids on 99, oh and the 6 EPO ones, and the one in 2001...).
That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction (with good reason, as its bogus) and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence. (They havent said you're guilty, just charged you - you should welcome the chance to clear your name....)

This....................

 

[Polish]

On a personal note, I'll say what I always have, that my only hope is that the truth come out, all of it. The sport of cycling will ultimately be much the better for it.

The sport WILL be better than it is now, for sure. It ebbs and flows. The years 1999-2005 were a high water mark for cycling fans. Hard to top that era 1989-1995 and 1983-1986 were great too. Last two years- they were ok I guess. Cadel is tough grrrr.

I do have hope that Europecar does well in the Tour. First French winner in how long? We are overdue!

 

[mewmewmew13]

LOL Dr M
nice job


and the 7 Tours "I earned"...

 

[mastersracer]

Ya, it is worth going through - I have added my comments in Blue.

AUSTIN, TX -- June 13, 2012 -- I have been notified (on a Tuesday) that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars (to be the US Anti doping Agency!!) but governed only by self-written rules (WADA rules, which you agreed to), intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years (I cant believe they didnt go back to the suspicious testosterone samples of 93) to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned (because paying off the UCI is not cheap).
These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. (and which I spent a fortune getting political lawyers to quash) These charges are baseless, (even though they never got to court) motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity (did Floyd get his 06 Tour back?).
Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. (you want to take away Floyds & Tylers results, again?) USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play. (indeed, USADAs stance on fair play would be very different to yours)
I have never doped, (ok) and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, (except the Classic rider to GT specialist thing) passed more than 500 drug tests (just like Valverde, Basso, Marion Jones etc) and never failed one (well, except for corticeroids on 99, oh and the 6 EPO ones, and the one in 2001...).
That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction (with good reason, as its bogus) and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence. (They havent said you're guilty, just charged you - you should welcome the chance to clear your name....)

nice - maybe needs a bit more moral indignation like his opening line to Kimmage: "when I decided to come back, for what I think is a very noble reason..."

 

[Boeing]

this Fanboy reply on facebook takes the cake

"Oh and another thing.... I'm ashamed to call myself American for going after an "American Hero" like this and letting an illegal immigrant stay in the "White House"!


ashamed indeed

 

[TechnicalDescent]

Everybody talked to USADA, except Lance. Lance would have walked if he had talked!!

If the feds had Lance testify before the GJ under a grant of immunity a lot of possibilities emerge:
1. If he admitted to his doping to the GJ, why would he not admit it to USADA?
2. If he denied his doping to the GJ, is he still at risk for prosecution?
3. Would he dare go under oath in a USADA proceeding with the feds watching?

What's ironic about it is the riders only talked to the USADA because they had already talked to the feds due to the fear they would go to jail if they didn't tell the truth. If they'd all known the feds investigation wouldn't have come to anything, there's no chance they would have suddenly blabbed their hearts out. Got to feel sorry for the likes of Hincapie who must be very upset about how this has all panned out. Talk about being put in an impossible position.

 

[gatete]

Jesus, I'm very tempted to unblock Polish just to see what he has to say now.

But naaaaaahh

 

[Big Doopie]

one of the main things that comes from this is riders doping less.

armstrong and bruyneel basically upped the arms race to fever pitch. how to compete with guys who could dope with impunity?

for the future of cycling it is very important that they go down. And losing everything will possibly make others think twice before they commit.

 

[erader]

well, what else can he say at this point? He'll never admit.

pete rose did.

erader

 

[TechnicalDescent]

On a personal note, I'll say what I always have, that my only hope is that the truth come out, all of it. The sport of cycling will ultimately be much the better for it.

That's an interesting take. But it's hard to see how this is particularly positive for the sport IMO. It's credibility will be shot to bits with the public. I have always backed the idea, promoted by the likes of Jonathan Vaughter's, of changing the culture and environment of the sport as we go forward - a project which now sees cycling at perhaps the cleanest stage it's ever been. I don't think they'll be many takers on the idea of going back and taking away wins in a period rife with doping singling people out. I doubt Vaughter's himself will be in favor of that, though I suppose publicly he will have to support it for the sponsors. Writing off years and years of the sport isn't a good way to go IMO. Something like this is just going to suck the life out of fans.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Can it now be taken for granted that all of the major US riders who rode with Armstrong made statements to USADA?

We can assume that all of the "more than ten" statements were from US riders because USADA wouldn't be able to call anyone else to interview, right? Or could that include, say for instance, a US resident foreigner?

The USADA letter says that there were more than ten riders who made allegations to them, and it also says that all of the US pros they called spoke to them. There were a little under 25 US riders on Armstrong's teams, although some of them were kids or minor domestiques who probably didn't race much, or at all, with Armstrong.

 

[mewmewmew13]

one of the main things that comes from this is riders doping less.

armstrong and bruyneel basically upped the arms race to fever pitch. how to compete with guys who could dope with impunity?

for the future of cycling it is very important that they go down. And losing everything will possibly make others think twice before they commit.

Nicely put.

 

[MarkvW]

What's ironic about it is the riders only talked to the USADA because they had already talked to the feds due to the fear they would go to jail if they didn't tell the truth. If they'd all known the feds investigation wouldn't have come to anything, there's no chance they would have suddenly blabbed their hearts out. Got to feel sorry for the likes of Hincapie who must be very upset about how this has all panned out. Talk about being put in an impossible position.

They would have blabbed anyway. The feds were surely offering immunity for testimony. Only an idiot (Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds) lies under a grant of immunity.

That is the big weakness in Armstrong's conspiracy. The other riders in the conspiracy served Lance and didn't get much out of the doping except the thrill of participating. They had no reason to lie when the feds came knocking. The truth was their friend.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

That's an interesting take. But it's hard to see how this is particularly positive for the sport IMO. It's credibility will be shot to bits with the public. I have always backed the idea, promoted by the likes of Jonathan Vaughter's, of changing the culture and environment of the sport as we go forward - a project which now sees cycling at perhaps the cleanest stage it's ever been. I don't think they'll be many takers on the idea of going back and taking away wins in a period rife with doping singling people out. I doubt Vaughter's himself will be in favor of that, though I suppose publicly he will have to support it for the sponsors. Writing off years and years of the sport isn't a good way to go IMO. Something like this is just going to suck the life out of fans.

What credibility BPC?
The sport is perceived as having a massive doping problem - and that has been confirmed by those in authority stating the sport is clean only to have a police bust that is outside their control show that they lied and protected those dopers.

By actually tackling the issue and pursuing and punishing those that have doped do you restore some credibility in to the sport.

 

[MarkvW]

well, what else can he say at this point? He'll never admit.

I call BS. HOW DARE YOU underestimate the inexorable pull of Oprah?

 

[TechnicalDescent]

They would have blabbed anyway. The feds were surely offering immunity for testimony. Only an idiot (Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds) lies under a grant of immunity.

That is the big weakness in Armstrong's conspiracy. The other riders in the conspiracy served Lance and didn't get much out of the doping except the thrill of participating. They had no reason to lie when the feds came knocking. The truth was their friend.

But they didn't know that refusing to cooperate with the feds would have come to nothing. There was a lot of talk about people going to jail for perjury at the minimum. It was the direct threat of this that led to the decisons to talk. It's somewhat ironic that the federal investigation collapsed in the end. Most of these guys must now wish they'd held their nerve.

 

[stephens]

Interesting development. I'm wondering if the USADA really has the authority to prevent Armstrong from competing in Ironman events. I thought they were a private corporation running their own events as basically a gigantic marketing event?

It seems rational to doubt, and in fact dismiss, the myth of Armstrong, from the clutches of death to seven time tdf champion, all clean. But then it's equally rational to doubt that a guy could systematically dope for 13 years and not get caught (in the strict sense: failed official test).

I'm looking forward to how this plays out in the courts and whatnot...

 

[ManInFull]

this Fanboy reply on facebook takes the cake

"Oh and another thing.... I'm ashamed to call myself American for going after an "American Hero" like this and letting an illegal immigrant stay in the "White House"!


ashamed indeed

Spoken like a true Tea Party Republican. Disgusting.

 

[thehog]

Spoken like a true Tea Party Republican. Disgusting.

Armstrong willing to sel his own country for his freedom... sinks so low.

 

[PotentialPro]

I predict he somehow gets off like OJ, but in the end we will catch him in some sleazy hotel room in Las Vegas with a gun an attitude trying to "protect" the value of his signed TdF jerseys.

And I realize this might have been said before, but we may have to dust off some of these from days of yore. Even a cruddy line of: if the cycling glove don't fit, you must acquit!

And seriously, did I just write this? Someone take my keyboard away!

 

[MarkvW]

But they didn't know that refusing to cooperate with the feds would have come to nothing. There was a lot of talk about people going to jail for perjury at the minimum. It was the direct threat of this that led to the decisons to talk. It's somewhat ironic that the federal investigation collapsed in the end. Most of these guys must now wish they'd held their nerve.

That's my point. The flunkies don't care if it comes to nothing. They are not that invested in covering Boss Lance's buttocks.

Look at it this way: You're subpoenaed. You're given immunity. Nothing bad happens to you if you tell the truth. If you lie, you get Tammy Thomased. You get asked a specific question about a certain event on a certain day. Do you lie or do you tell the truth? Remember: You have absolutely no way of knowing what the feds already know!

The choice for the riders was always easy: Their families before Lance--or not.

 

[Runitout]

Spoken like a true Tea Party Republican. Disgusting.

Funnily enough, the use of 'White House' in apostrophes was the most revealing part of that comment. Unbelievable.