Lance Armstrong

[Rob k]

So he's being stripped of all TDF titles and will not contest the charges as he says he's fed up proving his innocence all the time.

I hope he was not on drugs but it looks bad for him and puts cyclings name back in the news for the wrong reasons again.

[Eco]

The Armstrong era is over, thank god. Seems he was doping, 10 former teammates to testify against him, why would he not defend himself if innocent ? Initially I wanted to believe in Lance but the evidence over the last few years seems incontrovertible.

Wiggins shows you can be a clean champion, got to hope this mentality continues throughout the peloton.

Incidentally I don't see how how USADA have the power to strip him of his TDF titles, would've thought that would be UCI.

[Guest]

The UCI have yet to make a statement. I'd like to believe Lance is innocent, but personally i'd fight my case till I reached the grave. Given this is a man who fought back from near terminal cancer, well, you'd think he'd have the fight for this if he was innocent.

List of finishers behind his TdF wins, good luck with that one UCI:

1999

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Alex Zülle (‘98 busted for EPO)

3. Fernando Escartín (Systematic team doping exposed in ‘04)

4. Laurent Dufaux (‘98 busted for EPO)

5. Ángel Casero (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2000

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Joseba Beloki (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

4. Christophe Moraue (‘98 busted for EPO)

5. Roberto Heras (‘05 busted for EPO)

2001

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Joseba Beloki (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

4. Andrei Kivilev

5. Igor González de Galdeano (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2002

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Joseba Beloki (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Raimondas Rumšas (Suspended in ‘03 for doping)

4. Santiago Botero (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

5. Igor González de Galdeano (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2003

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Alexander Vinokourov (Suspended in ‘07 for CERA)

4. Tyler Hamilton (Suspended ‘04 for blood doping)

5. Haimar Zubeldia

2004

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Andreas Kloden (Named in doping case in ‘08)

3. Ivan Basso (Suspended in ‘07 for Operacion Puerto ties)

4. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

5. Jose Azevedo (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2005

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Ivan Basso (Suspended in ‘07 for Operacion Puerto ties)

3. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

4. Fransico Mancebo (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

5. Alexander Vinokourov (Suspended in ‘07 for CERA)

[Redhyde]

I think the exact opposite. This is a bloke who got a second chance at life why on earth would he want to spend months years fighting this, there are better things to do with his time. You can take his reputation, his titles, stuff that he's got his family and his life and charity work.

This can only be seen as an admission of guilt but tbh, I think there was an understanding that pretty much all of them were on something as we can see from Tom's list. Being the best 7 times on a level drug fueled playing field is still pretty awesome.

I'm kinda gutted as I want to believe he's innocent, but again if it shows you can't cheat and get away with it, then it helps the wonderful sport of cycling.

+ the Vuelta a Espana's on t.v. Thoroughly enjoying Chris Froome's attempt to win that.

[CiderHider]

Wow.. I just wonder really what 'doping' is though, where is the line between performance enhancing and non performance ones? Very tricky ground, and on whos authority are these rules determined, a bunch of scientists in the pockets of the drug makers?

[Eco]

The UCI have yet to make a statement. I'd like to believe Lance is innocent, but personally i'd fight my case till I reached the grave. Given this is a man who fought back from near terminal cancer, well, you'd think he'd have the fight for this if he was innocent.

List of finishers behind his TdF wins, good luck with that one UCI:

1999

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Alex Zülle (‘98 busted for EPO)

3. Fernando Escartín (Systematic team doping exposed in ‘04)

4. Laurent Dufaux (‘98 busted for EPO)

5. Ángel Casero (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2000

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Joseba Beloki (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

4. Christophe Moraue (‘98 busted for EPO)

5. Roberto Heras (‘05 busted for EPO)

2001

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Joseba Beloki (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

4. Andrei Kivilev

5. Igor González de Galdeano (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2002

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Joseba Beloki (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Raimondas Rumšas (Suspended in ‘03 for doping)

4. Santiago Botero (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

5. Igor González de Galdeano (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2003

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

3. Alexander Vinokourov (Suspended in ‘07 for CERA)

4. Tyler Hamilton (Suspended ‘04 for blood doping)

5. Haimar Zubeldia

2004

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Andreas Kloden (Named in doping case in ‘08)

3. Ivan Basso (Suspended in ‘07 for Operacion Puerto ties)

4. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

5. Jose Azevedo (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

2005

1. Lance Armstrong

2. Ivan Basso (Suspended in ‘07 for Operacion Puerto ties)

3. Jan Ullrich (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

4. Fransico Mancebo (‘06 implicated in Operacion Puerto)

5. Alexander Vinokourov (Suspended in ‘07 for CERA)

Great research ! Pre-LA I think you've got to go back to '95 (indurain) for a clean winner, Pantani '98, Ullrich '97, & Riis '96 all tainted and should have asterisks.

[TRL]

[Maltshoveller]

Jesus, and people fornicate over this sport. How can people love it so much when it appears most of the winners and placed riders are cheats! And at the highest level. Then try and take the moral high ground over highly paid footballers diving.

One rule for one sport one rule for another I guess.

This list is truely awful, how cycling can be taken seriously, god only knows.

Cycling has done everything it can to clean itself up

They get tested more than any other sport.

The easy thing would have been to turn a blind eye and let the likes of Armstrong get away with it.

[elhombrecito]

So USADA want to strip him of his Tour de France victories despite zero evidence, no admission of guilt and having absolutely no authority to do so. Riiiight.

[elhombrecito]

Jesus, and people fornicate over this sport. How can people love it so much when it appears most of the winners and placed riders are cheats! And at the highest level. Then try and take the moral high ground over highly paid footballers diving.

One rule for one sport one rule for another I guess.

This list is truely awful, how cycling can be taken seriously, god only knows.

Because cycling actually make an effort to catch drug cheats rather than just ignoring the problem like the majority of other sports - football included.

[TRL]

It does everything it can to stop it, but it doesn't stop it.

And those stats by tomarse, no matter if they are 5 years old and over are outrageous. Made worse by the fact superstars of the sport are guilty.

It can try and clean itself up. But fact of the matter is, loads are still getting done for doping.

Cycling, and cycling enthusiasts are always bleating about it being a great sport, and the governing body doing all it can to eradicate doping. Well that they might, but loads get caught every year. It tells you all you need to know about a lot of these hero worshiped cyclists, who seem to be held in so high esteem.

They are no different to other sportsmen that are despised, no matter how much their supporters see them on some sort of higher plain.

[foghornred]

If you had cancer as bad as this guy you would pump every drug in your body that you could.

[BigTone]

The man is a plank.

If you cheat you will get caught. To not fight it only strengthens the belief that he cheated in the first place.

[TRL]

If you had cancer as bad as this guy you would pump every drug in your body that you could.

Umm, yes maybe you pump certain drugs into your body if you had Cancer

Not when you are in remission riding in the Tour De France

Quite frankly, that is a pretty vile description having had many people in my life be in remission or died of Cancer... Do you honestly think they would pump performing enhancing substances into their body to fight cancer. They may have blood transfusions to try and keep their blood levels up during treatment. but not through choice when in remission, unless for a "top up" if blood counts are low.

[Nibor]

I'd be hesitant to believe his guilt based on the verbal sayso of his competitors at the time, many of whom tested positive.

I'd be interested to know when during that period he was tested. If he was testing clean, and it was frequent enough, that should suffice.

I don't understand the witch hunt to be honest.

[Eco]

I'd be hesitant to believe his guilt based on the verbal sayso of his competitors at the time, many of whom tested positive.

I'd be interested to know when during that period he was tested. If he was testing clean, and it was frequent enough, that should suffice.

I don't understand the witch hunt to be honest.

It was his team mates not competitors. He also had a positive test in Tour of Switzerland which was hushed up by the powers that be.

[Duesseldorf Citizen]

What I just don't get with cycling - when everybody is doping, why don't they just all stop with it ?

Wouldn't it be the same ?

[kit]

Part of the problem is that during the time that armstrong was winning his tours the uci wasn't doing everything it could to catch drugs cheats. some of the tolerances in the drugs tests were such that you could effectively test positive for banned substances but still come out with a clear result because you could test just below the higher allowable tolerances.

Also armstrongs stance towards people who at the time he was winning his tours were speaking out about all the drug taking going on was one of victimising and vilifying those people, the same stance taken by all of these other caught drugs cheats. Thats is not really the image that one of the most influential people in the sport should have been conveying.

[Antman]

it's a muddy puddle for sure - how come all 10 of his teammates testify now? why not before? I think Lance is gambling on the UCI not seeing eye to eye with the USAD lot, and has stepped back and said go ahead, because its clear that they are out to get him come what may.

for my money, the USAD have devalued their arguments by doing deals with team mates in this way - if the proof were strong enough why wait until now and 'gather up' this gaggle of guilty dopers - who's argumemnts must be suspect given they will do anything to clear their own names.

Armstrong must have been extensively tested over a very long period - i seriously doubt that all his 'positive' tests could have been covered up.

He's a single minded individual for sure, a bully even - you don't do what he has by being a really nice bloke, but there are too many individuals with scores to settle on a personal level and it's becoming increasingly difficult to know whats truth and whats witchhunt - its interesting to note that contributions to his charity, Livestrong have gone up 20 fold since he announced he wasn't fighting it anymore - there's a lot of people willing to back what he's trying to do going forward.

Cycling has taken more steps than any other sport to clear up doping, i find it laughable that people fall back on the cliched condemnation of cycling as a sport when most every other sport still sticks it's head in the sand

[Spud55]

it's a muddy puddle for sure - how come all 10 of his teammates testify now? why not before? I think Lance is gambling on the UCI not seeing eye to eye with the USAD lot, and has stepped back and said go ahead, because its clear that they are out to get him come what may.

for my money, the USAD have devalued their arguments by doing deals with team mates in this way - if the proof were strong enough why wait until now and 'gather up' this gaggle of guilty dopers - who's argumemnts must be suspect given they will do anything to clear their own names.

Armstrong must have been extensively tested over a very long period - i seriously doubt that all his 'positive' tests could have been covered up.

He's a single minded individual for sure, a bully even - you don't do what he has by being a really nice bloke, but there are too many individuals with scores to settle on a personal level and it's becoming increasingly difficult to know whats truth and whats witchhunt - its interesting to note that contributions to his charity, Livestrong have gone up 20 fold since he announced he wasn't fighting it anymore - there's a lot of people willing to back what he's trying to do going forward.

Cycling has taken more steps than any other sport to clear up doping, i find it laughable that people fall back on the cliched condemnation of cycling as a sport when most every other sport still sticks it's head in the sand

What i don't understand most is why the failed to testify or even give evidence to the US federal investigation into accusations of lance armstrongs doping, that lasted over 2 years and only finished (due to lack of evidence) a few months ago, why not bring this evidence then ? why now?

I don't know if he cheated or not, but there is definately something extreemly fishy about this whole episode.

[Red-Robbo]

As I understand it, other people who worked for the team have supplied their testimony about EPO use. I'm thinking that Lance must've had a rather major falling out with a fair few folk, which is silly when they knew where the bodies were buried, so to speak.

Look now to the Sunday Times recovering the £600,000 they had to give Armstrong for just reporting that someone had written a book accusing him of cheating. Interestingly, Armstrong tried to sue in the French courts over similar articles in their papers, but had to drop the case.

Shows how our libel laws protect the rich and powerful but guilty.

[Eco]

USADA 1000 page report now released, UCI have three weeks to appeal against USADA's decision to strip him of his seven TDF wins and ban him for life. Pressure now on UCI who've previously backed LA.

The evidence seems incontravertable, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, George Hincapie and more now owning up to systematic doping culture in US Postal Service team.

Really upset about this as I tended to believe Lance's protestations of innocence but sadly too good to be true.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

USADA 1000 page report now released, UCI have three weeks to appeal against USADA's decision to strip him of his seven TDF wins and ban him for life. Pressure now on UCI who've previously backed LA.

The evidence seems incontravertable, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, George Hincapie and more now owning up to systematic doping culture in US Postal Service team.

Really upset about this as I tended to believe Lance's protestations of innocence but sadly too good to be true.

11 ex team members have given eye witness accounts, i'm not surprised in the slightest, I have 2 friends who are itk who told me this years ago and further added that LA was nasty piece of work, who ruled the team with an iron fist, real bully boy tactics.

[Atticus]

Certainly sounds like he is a real nasty piece of work. Dirty cheat. Earned his money through nothing but cheating.

Why wouldnt he face criminal charges for this?

[Eco]

Perhaps he held everyone to ransom by his charity work, similar to Jimmy Saville ?

[The Red Planet]

Perhaps he held everyone to ransom by his charity work, similar to Jimmy Saville ?

Good point. This sort of thing turns you into a cynic. The general opinion about anyone doing charity work should be - a good thing.

Then you realise that some evil people deliberately use this activity as a cover for bad stuff.

And the sad thing is that these bastards (like Saville) have tainted all the genuine majority doing voluntary and charity work (as I do) because people will be suspicious about you.

Hearing the news tonight with further revelations about Saville and that drugs cheat Armstrong, I feel quite depressed about the human race.

Get over it, I tell myself - because I am basically an optimist.

I will feel better in the morning.

[eskay]

USADA 1000 page report now released, UCI have three weeks to appeal against USADA's decision to strip him of his seven TDF wins and ban him for life. Pressure now on UCI who've previously backed LA.

The evidence seems incontravertable, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, George Hincapie and more now owning up to systematic doping culture in US Postal Service team.

Really upset about this as I tended to believe Lance's protestations of innocence but sadly too good to be true.

Very disappointed with this. I was firmly in the camp of believing that someone who came so close to death would never pump drugs into their body. I read his book and even watched him one of his tours in Paris and I really admired him as a rider.

I think this is indicative of a whole era in bike riding that is slowly being eradicated. I think there may be repercussions in other sports due to the fact that he managed to have so many negative tests.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Very disappointed with this. I was firmly in the camp of believing that someone who came so close to death would never pump drugs into their body. I read his book and even watched him one of his tours in Paris and I really admired him as a rider.

I think this is indicative of a whole era in bike riding that is slowly being eradicated. I think there may be repercussions in other sports due to the fact that he managed to have so many negative tests.

He just had the best drugs, best doctors, best screening process and without doubt missed more out of season tests than would ever be reported, plus i'm absolutely sure that there would have been the odd failed test here and there, but because of who he was it was ignored.

[eskay]

He just had the best drugs, best doctors, best screening process and without doubt missed more out of season tests than would ever be reported, plus i'm absolutely sure that there would have been the odd failed test here and there, but because of who he was it was ignored.

That is one hell of a conspiracy theory!!

[The Humble Realist]

Not city related but sport related

Sad situation, a sporting legend who has achieved everything on and off the track by cheating

Ironic thing is this cheating has led to so much money being raised for charity (which I highly commend him for) , however seems he was/is a cheat which will damage this good cause going forward

Sad sad story