Lance Armstrong: Enough is enough, won't fight doping charges
- Thread starter pencilneckgeek2
- Start date
Yes, LA is no question guilty and is now paying for his past doping sins. But if you strip LA of his titles and ban him. Than we have to apply the same rules to past cycling "champions" as well. In which case, we would have to go back 50-60 years and do a clean sweep. If you are a cycling fan, that means Coppi, Anquetil, Bartali, Maertens, Merckx, Hinault, Fignon, Kelly, Indurain, Contador, etc, etc., basically every top rider from every generation. Each were using whatever the best "dope" at the time was, be it cocaine, caffeine, amphetimines, EPO, blood transfusions, steroids, etc. Hell, some of these champion riders were even caught red handed or failed doping controls. At least in LA's case, he never (officially) failed a dope test in competition. His downfall was from testimony from team mates and a financial trail of payments to known trainers and doctors with a doping record.
Dirty cycling is getting an airing right now. But let's face it, every physically demanding sport is dirty with dopers. It's just a case of cover ups or turning a blind eye by the governing body. One of the biggest doping scandals in cycling in recent eyars was "Operation Puerto" in Spain. Of the dozens of blood samples and EPO vials found, half belonged to football players from various top European Divison 1 teams. FIFA just happens to be a bigger and better financed governing body than the UCI, so there was no repercussions and nothing ever came of it in the football world.
Dirty cycling is getting an airing right now. But let's face it, every physically demanding sport is dirty with dopers. It's just a case of cover ups or turning a blind eye by the governing body. One of the biggest doping scandals in cycling in recent eyars was "Operation Puerto" in Spain. Of the dozens of blood samples and EPO vials found, half belonged to football players from various top European Divison 1 teams. FIFA just happens to be a bigger and better financed governing body than the UCI, so there was no repercussions and nothing ever came of it in the football world.
Another nail in LA's coffin. Cycling's governing body, UCI, stripped LA of his 7 TdF titles and banned him for life. This decision will probably result in Tour de France's organizers to officially remove LA's name from the record books, no more 7 victories!
"Tour director Christian Prudhomme has said the race would go along with whatever cycling's governing body decides and will have no official winners for those years.USADA said Armstrong should be banned and stripped of his Tour titles for "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen" within his U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.
The USADA report said Armstrong and his teams used steroids, the blood booster EPO and blood transfusions. The report included statements from 11 former teammates who testified against Armstrong."
The number of teammates that testified against him are unbelievable, LA probably feels like the whole world is crashing down all around him.
"In total, 26 people — including 15 riders — testified that Armstrong and his teams used and trafficked banned substances and routinely used blood transfusions. Among the witnesses were loyal sidekick George Hincapie and convicted dopers Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis."
"Tour director Christian Prudhomme has said the race would go along with whatever cycling's governing body decides and will have no official winners for those years.USADA said Armstrong should be banned and stripped of his Tour titles for "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen" within his U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.
The USADA report said Armstrong and his teams used steroids, the blood booster EPO and blood transfusions. The report included statements from 11 former teammates who testified against Armstrong."
The number of teammates that testified against him are unbelievable, LA probably feels like the whole world is crashing down all around him.
"In total, 26 people — including 15 riders — testified that Armstrong and his teams used and trafficked banned substances and routinely used blood transfusions. Among the witnesses were loyal sidekick George Hincapie and convicted dopers Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis."
+1Yes, LA is no question guilty and is now paying for his past doping sins. But if you strip LA of his titles and ban him. Than we have to apply the same rules to past cycling "champions" as well. ...
And the rest of the professional peleton for the past 50 years.
Eddie M was far more dominant than Lance. What are the odds that he was clean and just a genetic freak?
Not bad.+1
Eddie M was far more dominant than Lance. What are the odds that he was clean and just a genetic freak?
The less technology in the sport and society, the harder it is to cheat.
And the money was not as big back then either, making it less likely as well.
In fact, Eddy Merckx was caught using various types of stimulants and amphetamines on three separate ocassions in competition. But rules were more laxed back in the 60's and 70's and penalties were virtually non-existent, especially for a patron of Merckx's status. The infamous, contoversial and convicted dope pusher Dr. Michele Ferrari was introduced to LA by no other than Eddy himself....+1
And the rest of the professional peleton for the past 50 years.
Eddie M was far more dominant than Lance. What are the odds that he was clean and just a genetic freak?
The point is that rules should apply across the board. Why not strip Eddy's record and those of every other champion rider? The difference I suppose is that LA is an arrogant, manipulative and self-centered bastard who pissed off lots of industry folks and fellow racers through the years. Now they are having their say and stuffing him.
I guess this means I have to either burn my Nike Livestrong golf shirt or only wear in inside the house from now on? Didn't much believe in the Livestrong spcheal but I picked up the shirt when it was on sale at Sportchek one time.....
The extremely precise testing, protocols and standards were not technologically available or done as is required currently to rule against the athlete. The tests of those times would not pass our current "sniff" tests.The point is that rules should apply across the board. Why not strip Eddy's record and those of every other champion rider? The difference I suppose is that LA is an arrogant, manipulative and self-centered bastard who pissed off lots of industry folks and fellow racers through the years. Now they are having their say and stuffing him.
ZOMG!!!! They are now gonna go after Armstrong's winnings, which could be in the $millions:
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/sp...even-titles-targeted-for-millions-in-winnings
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/sp...even-titles-targeted-for-millions-in-winnings
His reputation is in tatters, the cycling victories that made him a legend are wiped away, and the sponsors that gave him enormous wealth have fled faster than a downhill race to a finish line. But that's only the beginning.
Lance Armstrong is also being asked to pay back millions of dollars. And the term "Armstrong era" is now apparently a moniker for widespread cheating.
Following the union's announcement, the French Cycling Federation said it was reissuing its call for Armstrong to return 2.95 million euros -- nearly $4 million -- that he collected for winning the tours.
And $4 million might be a trifle compared to what SCA Promotions wants back.
The Texas insurance company covered bonuses that Armstrong was promised if he won the Tour de France. In 2002, it paid him $1.5 million; in 2003, $3 million, according to a Texas Monthly article that SCA posted on its website.
But after his 2005 victory, SCA withheld a promised $5 million bonus, citing reports that Armstrong had doped. He fought back in court and won. SCA had to pay not only the $5 million but also attorneys' costs and fees, bringing the total that year to $7.5 million.
So the company could seek as much as $12 million back. In a statement Monday, SCA said it was "considering all legal options to pursue a return of the funds paid by SCA to Mr. Armstrong."
No more private jetsetting for LA as he'll prep for bankruptcy protection as the vultures will be coming in for their take of what's left or owed.
