Lance Armstrong folds

[riverc0il]

VeloNews is pushing out content on this like crazy. I urge anyone with an opinion/interest on the matter to read through the USADA release which is available to public in its entirety. Many riders have been suspended (reduced sentence for cooperation) and had titles removed including George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer who both actively raced right through the last season and unlike Landis and Hamilton were not in a "nothing to lose and publicity money to gain" situation.

I think the documentation sometimes strays into too much circumstantial rather than just focusing in on the fact that guys, many well respected especially GeorgeH, that were never caught doping are on record saying they saw LA dope or heard him discuss his doping or received dope from Lance. But when you read and digest it all, it is pretty wild.

I found the intimidation part of the release the most interesting. Specifically the case in which LA chased down a break away in a Tour (not something a GC contender ever does) to pull back someone dishing on doping to the media and gaving him a "zip it" visual captured by the media. It doesn't seem like a huge to do was made out of it back then, but in hind sight, that is pretty telling.

 

[JimG.]

No more defense of LA.

I watched that 30-30 series on ESPN last night, the one about Ben Johnson, the 100 meter champ who set a world record of 9.79 in the Olympics then was busted for doping a day later. What an eye opener! I used to think Johnson was a maverick, a cheater, and a bad guy in general. How naive I was. Turns out he was just doing what everyone else did and had the audacity to beat Carl Lewis regularly. So Lewis made it his mission to get the guy busted. Turns out old Carl was a doper too.

What a jerk...Lewis was never a likeable athlete.

 

[wa-loaf]

Stepping down from Livestrong and Nike is cancelling his contract.

 

[wa-loaf]

I wonder if he'll ever just come out and admit it?

 

[Nick]

i doubt it

 

[ScottySkis]

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

Drugs are bad.

 

[riverc0il]

I wonder if he'll ever just come out and admit it?

I don't think he ever will. Even if he wants to, he has too much money tied up in everything. There would be massive law suits against him. Perhaps criminal penalties as well for perjury for lying in the civil suit brought against him. I don't know if the Federal investigation can be reopened or not? That carried some pretty hefty issues regarding defrauding the government.

 

[bigbog]

Stepping down from Livestrong and Nike is cancelling his contract.

Yeah, that's what hits home......

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

i'm defending lance at all, but you have to assume that the majority of the Tour riders dope/doped when Lance was winning and crushing everyone...so, in theory, it was a level playing field

that sport is a mess

 

[riverc0il]

i'm defending lance at all, but you have to assume that the majority of the Tour riders dope/doped when Lance was winning and crushing everyone...so, in theory, it was a level playing field

In so much as the top riders capable of winning were all doped, yes. One thought about doping is that is that different people's various physiology interact differently with the PEDs. So it might not be that the best of the dopers won but rather the best of the dopers that had the best physiological comparability with the drugs. Kinda a moot point any way, certain people will never be able to get their bodies into tour shape (i.e. the taller you are, the more bone you have, the less likely chance you have of loosing enough weight to be competitive).

But I agree with your point in that Armstrong probably was the best of the dopers and he didn't pip anyone else that wasn't doping at the top of the sport.

From what I have read, it does seem like more riders were clean than I originally thought. I've read Hamilton's book and the affidavits. It seems like you needed to put out good results and be trust worthy to get on the team doping programs. But those guys probably weren't good enough to compete at the top of the peloton even doped if they weren't been sought out to take PEDs to support the team.

 

[o3jeff]

Looks like he admitted using something, guess we'll have to watch Oprah to see.

 

[mattm59]

damn was I duped. Glad I'm old and am used to humanity...but lance really pulled the wool over my eyes. Apologies for defending him....

 

[Hawkshot99]

Big deal. So the guy that was doping beat the rest of the field that was doping. He was still never caught, just had people tatle on him.

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2

 

[ScottySkis]

I don't care about the story but in my book he is one son of a bitch because he kept on and on about how he didn't abuse and then he sued lots of people who said he did it that the worst part of the story.

 

[Warp Daddy]

He has been an egotistical,avaricious ,mean spirited prick ,that lied pathologically and consistently ,without remorse for any collateral damage that he did to his kids , his family , his friends and to the heretofore adoring public .

He apparently is dealing at a level of abstraction that allows him to justify and spew revisionist history and self aggrandized personal dictionary that PARSES the situation in the most favorable light . His only remorse is that he got exposed, not for any pain financial , emotional or otherwise that he caused to many others .

i hope the feds and the IRS hound him with forensic audits for the entire period and inflict justifiable pain on his finances

 

[deadheadskier]

I think Geoge Carlin said it best. NSFW obviously

 

[Warp Daddy]

I think Geoge Carlin said it best. NSFW obviously

p

Outstanding !!!!! ROFLMBFAO:beer:

 

[mlctvt]

p

Outstanding !!!!! ROFLMBFAO:beer:

I agree, perfect timing deadheadskier!

 

[gmcunni]

i googled but couldn't find it - anyone know why he chose Oprah of all people to confess to? Wife says it is because he knew Oprah wouldn't push hard on details related to the "how" he cheated.

 

[riverc0il]

i googled but couldn't find it - anyone know why he chose Oprah of all people to confess to? Wife says it is because he knew Oprah wouldn't push hard on details related to the "how" he cheated.

How is somewhat irrelevent. Opera started out the interview with some straight up yes or no questions. Once he admitted to doing all the dope, who cares about the how? I know USADA and WADA would love more details to throw out additional racers but when everyone already believes that everyone was doped to the gills (at least the top guys) back then, what is the point?

I think he picked Opera because he wanted a national audience, particularly people that are NOT cyclists and fans. I think he wanted to sway the court of public opinion back into his favor. I'm sure OWN offered him a nice pay check, too. He may need that soon to pay for lawyers.