Lance Armstrong Banned for Life and Stripped of Titles

[analog_kidd]

I saw where Lance Armstrong has given up the fight to prove he did not use performance enhancing drugs, so the Doping Agency has said that they consider that an admission of guilt and are stripping him of all of his titles and banning him from bicycle racing for life! Armstrong said he is done with the fighting, and just wants to focus on the future and his cancer programs.

http://espn.go.com/o...-cycling-career

Edited August 25, 2012 by Daniel

[analog_kidd]

Arrgh, sorry for the typos in the title. I hate when that happens.

[RobertNashville]

I have a lot of respect for Lance Armstrong - if he says he didn't dope I tend to believe him until someone can come up with real evidence rather than accusations.

Not that it makes any real difference to anything; his conscious is the one he as to live with if he won his races with dope rather then on his own efforts.

[E4 No More]

Good, couldn't have happened to a better person!

[TMF]

Didn't they test him repeatedly over the years? I think it's just a bunch of sour grapes from sissy Europeans.

[JGunner]

Didn't they test him repeatedly over the years? I think it's just a bunch of sour grapes from sissy Europeans.

The article I scanned over stated that he had been tested several times over the years, and showed up clean every time.

[R_Bert]

The article I scanned over stated that he had been tested several times over the years, and showed up clean every time.

Commentators were saying over 500 times.

[RobertNashville]

Apparently the seriousness of the accusation is sufficient to prove guilt.

Seems like I've hear something similar before???

[E4 No More]

Or the guy is a complete A-hole that deserves what he got, and couldn't prove differently.

[Lumber_Jack]

Commentators were saying over 500 times.

This is correct. He was tested more than any other cyclist.

Now I believe whole heartedly that he and others on the US Postal Team used blood transfusions (ie blood doping) during their Tour de France runs.

He cheated in one of the dirtiest sports on the planet. THEY ALL DOPE! it's a game of who can cheat better to win. Until cycling becomes a clean sport this will be the reality.

[TMF]

Or the guy is a complete A-hole that deserves what he got, and couldn't prove differently.

Wow, that's a strong opinion. Did he not sign an autograph or something after you asked him?

[E4 No More]

Wow, that's a strong opinion. Did he not sign an autograph or something after you asked him?

Coming from a man that's been married for over 34 years, when a "man" divorces his wife after she's nursed him through cancer, (testicular, I believe), and as he's become a success, I have no respect for such a "man" in my book. Sorry if that offends someone...other than him.

[Trekbike]

The original article contains some quotes from Lance's letter. Here's the original in case anyone is interested.

http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstongs-statement-of-august-23-2012

[RobertNashville]

Coming from a man that's been married for over 34 years, when a "man" divorces his wife after she's nursed him through cancer, (testicular, I believe), and as he's become a success, I have no respect for such a "man" in my book. Sorry if that offends someone...other than him.

Kristen (his ex) doesn't seem to have much a problem with their breakup; at least not according to what she has written and said.

In any case, I don't see how that makes him guilty of anything, except maybe bad judgment...it certainly doesn't mean he doped or that he should lose all his titles. I think the bicycling powers that be are just flexing their muscles and going after a big fish...I also suspect they couldn't be happier that their dirty laundry isn't going to be aired out by the 24/7 news agencies and the sport magazines.

Edited August 24, 2012 by RobertNashville

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I don't care about the doping accusations. And don't care about sports in general or bike racing in specific. There is no dope made which would make me competitive in those circles. I guess the dope rules make sense in preventing all athletes from feeling compelled to take noxious chemicals if they want to be competitive. Maybe they should have "anything goes" open competitions in addition to the no-dope competitions, since some athletes want performance at the risk of their health. Or maybe give out "dope winner" gold medals and "clean winner" gold medals for the same events. Thataway if the fastest clean winner takes third place, it would still be first place among the un-chemically-assisted competitors?

People risk their lives in many kinds of competitions. If a ski jumper is allowed to risk his life doing the sport at all, I don't see the big deal about preventing him from risking his health as well, if thats what he wants to do.

[E4 No More]

Kristen (his ex) doesn't seem to have much a problem with their breakup; at least not according to what she has written and said.

In any case, I don't see how that makes him guilty of anything, except maybe bad judgment...it certainly doesn't mean he doped or that he should lose all his titles. I think the bicycling powers that be are just flexing their muscles and going after a big fish...I also suspect they couldn't be happier that their dirty laundry isn't going to be aired out by the 24/7 news agencies and the sport magazines.

How one reacts to such a thing would be dependent upon their personality I suppose. I read the article from his perspective, and didn't like what I read.

EDIT: Granted, that was years ago, but the impression has stuck with me.

Edited August 24, 2012 by SWJewellTN

[RobertNashville]

I don't care about the doping accusations. And don't care about sports in general or bike racing in specific. There is no dope made which would make me competitive in those circles. I guess the dope rules make sense in preventing all athletes from feeling compelled to take noxious chemicals if they want to be competitive. Maybe they should have "anything goes" open competitions in addition to the no-dope competitions, since some athletes want performance at the risk of their health. Or maybe give out "dope winner" gold medals and "clean winner" gold medals for the same events. Thataway if the fastest clean winner takes third place, it would still be first place among the un-chemically-assisted competitors?

People risk their lives in many kinds of competitions. If a ski jumper is allowed to risk his life doing the sport at all, I don't see the big deal about preventing him from risking his health as well, if thats what he wants to do.

I guess sport ruling bodies like to promote the impression of clean, open and honorable competition...you know, sort of like how the NCAA still tries to make people believe that college sports is about sportsmanship and building storong minds and bodies; and not the revenue.

[Guest BungieCord]

The commentators were saying 500 tests because that's one of the Lance Lies. Lance began his campaign of disinformation when there was first the whispered suspicion that he was doped. Cycling commentators made a ton of money off the boost in advertising revenue Pharmstrong brought to the sport, so I wouldn't expect them to be too eager to bite the hand that once fed them. The doping agencies keep those records online and no one can find anywhere near that number of tests attributable to Lance.

More Lance Lies: he's the most tested athlete in history (Jeanne Longo truly is) and he's never failed a doping control.

Jeff Novitzky gave the USADA sufficient evidence (which he developed during his investigations into allegations of doping, drug smuggling, distributing pharmaceuticals without a license, fraud, money laundering, perjury, suborning perjury, conspiracy to commit all the above, plus about 20 other criminal acts) that they find credible and overwhelming, else they would not have taken this extreme step. They're aware this is not like giving him a week in study hall, this is serious crap.

It bears noting that the USADA is a sports authority, not a legal body. They can't put you in jail, all they can do is adjust the results of the events you competed in when you were in violation of THEIR rules. That means their rules of evidence are different and the burden of proof is different. It's not the "beyond a reasonable doubt" threshold, it's the "reasonable man" threshold. And Lance already has paid his lawyers a few million dollars for them to adjust your view of what constitutes "reasonable."

The most likely reason he's not appealing the decision is he's unwilling to let the information contained in the sealed grand jury depositions collected by Novitzky into the public record. Those depositions are now in the possession of the USADA. As is, there still are plenty of delusional believers with deep pockets who will be more than happy to continue to contribute to Lance's lavish lifestyle. But if he were to appeal, and if the depositions from members of Lance's inner circle, particularly George Hincappie, confirm that Lance doped (which they undoubtedly do), he'll end up flipping burgers at White Castle for a living.

Edited August 24, 2012 by BungieCord

[Howler]

Don't try and stop the doping get rid of the rules. The same thing should be done in Nascar. If you have ba!!s enough to run 230mph.... have at it. It's the only way to stop the cheating.

[Jonnin]

what I got out of all the noise was this: they cannot even give his titles to the runner's up because EVERY SINGLE RUNNER UP has also been caught doping at least once. Wow.

[Guest CCI]

Coming from a man that's been married for over 34 years, when a "man" divorces his wife after she's nursed him through cancer, (testicular, I believe), and as he's become a success, I have no respect for such a "man" in my book. Sorry if that offends someone...other than him.

In "October 1996" he was diagnosed as having testicular cancer with a tumor that had metastasized to his brain and lungs.

He married Kristin Richard in "April 1998"!

[E4 No More]

In "October 1996" he was diagnosed as having testicular cancer with a tumor that had metastasized to his brain and lungs.

He married Kristin Richard in "April 1998"!

So his own article was wrong? Got'cha!

[10-Ring]

I don't care what you say, the man accomplished more in his lifetime with one testicle than most men will ever accomplish with two. BTW doping should be mandatory in all professional sports. If I pay to watch a baseball game I want to see homeruns. If I wanted to see a ground out at first I would watch little league.

[SonnyCrockett]

Haters.....

our tax payer money at work

[hipower]

Bunch o' jealous sissy frenchies and eurotrash pissed off having an American win "their" sport.