bullsh!t. how can he be a "fraud" when everyone else competing against him was a "fraud" too? it's all relative. it's no longer cheating if everybody else is doing it so what difference does it make?? and again, what's the point of fighting against a governing body that is accountable to no one? the only person that looks like a goon in all this is the USADA. for christ sake's they should be praising armstrong! the sport was an afterthought to the american public before he came along and now they want to get all high and mighty as if anybody (except you, obviously) gives a **** whether or not he cheated? to hell with that.
It is still cheating. Just like with looting and other crimes, fraud is still a crime, regardless of whether others commit it as well. The "everyone does it, so it's okay" argument (which is the Armstrong apologists' last line of defense) is bullcrap.
Travis Tygart: An upstanding citizen, and a hero - in contrast to liar and fraudster Lance Armstrong Travis Tygart Interview: Armstrong’s results from August 1st 1998 will be stripped Head of the US Anti-Doping Agency Travis Tygart has said that USADA plans to strip all of Lance Armstrong’s results from 1998 onwards, as well as imposing a lifetime ban on the Texan. Armstrong indicated Thursday that he did not intend to contest USADA’s doping charges against him, saying that the process has been a witch hunt and that he wanted to get on with his life. Tygart had previously been tight-lipped on the US Postal Service investigation but with Armstrong’s process now officially over, he was able to answer a number of questions put to him by VeloNation. He said that the evidence in relation to the case would emerge once the other arbitration hearings concluded, and that he had expected Armstrong to choose his current course of action rather than fight the charges. “He knows all the evidence as well and he knows the truth, and so the smarter move on his part is to attempt to hide behind baseless accusations of process,” he said. VeloNation: The long-running investigation into Lance Armstrong appears to be at an end now, with the rider saying he doesn’t want to go before an arbitration panel and contest the case. How do you react to this development? Travis Tygart: It is obviously a sad day for all sports fans when there is a realisation that any athlete has decided to use performance enhancing drugs in order to win. On the other hand, it is a reassuring message to clean athletes of all generations that their decision not to use those drugs was the right one and will be supported by the entities in place to ensure a level playing field. VN: Were you satisfied with evidence that you had amassed, and were you confident in your case? TT: Absolutely. We never would have brought a case if we were not extremely confident in the level of evidence. And the truth – at the end of the day, our job is to search for truth and justice, to expose the full truth and ensure, to the best of our ability, perfect justice. VN: Are you surprised by what happened, that this didn’t go to arbitration? TT: No, I think it was our expectation from the beginning. He knows all the evidence as well and he knows the truth, and so the smarter move on his part is to attempt to hide behind baseless accusations of process. It is pretty telling because the federal court was crystal clear on Monday that our process meets constitutional due process, and that is the appropriate forum for the evidence to be presented and all the arguments to be made. VN: It was said before that the likely sanctions would be a lifetime ban and the loss of seven Tour titles – will that be the case? TT: Yes…the charges were not contested, so what automatically goes into place will be a lifetime ban from any participation from any sport which recognises the WADA Code and disqualification from all results, including ant Tour de France victories, any other victories and placings beginning August 1st 1998 to the present. VN: Armstrong’s lawyers have said in a letter to USADA that USADA can’t impose these sanctions, and have threatened legal action if they go through. Do you have any concerns about that? TT: No, they have already taken legal action and the federal judge told them we do have authority and our process is the process where those complaints can be made. It is kind of funny that they walking away from a process, but are threatening to attempt to go back to somewhere else to fight. It is a little ironic but, no…it means nothing. VN: There was reportedly a lot of evidence in the case, there was witness testimony and presumably more…do you expect any of those details to emerge? TT: Yes, absolutely…at the right time. Obviously there are other cases that are alleged to be involved in the conspiracy. Their cases are still proceeding, so it will be in due course. VN: So there is no impediment to USADA releasing the evidence? TT: No, no. VN: Finally, Armstrong’s lawyers claimed again today that this is a waste of taxpayers’ money – how would you respond to that? TT: I think cheating with dangerous drugs in sport is an important public health issue, it is the number one issue that clean athletes are concerned about. It is why we are in existence. If people don’t think it is important and we shouldn’t do our job, then shut us down. But that is not what the overwhelming majority of clean athletes want and it’s certainly not what any sport entity wants….to have a drug-infested sport that is won by those who have the most professionalised doping programmes. http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...-1st-1998-will-be-stripped.aspx#ixzz24UWNGMiU
The sad part of all this is Lance Armstrong was such a high performing athlete that, if he did indeed cheat as this TT guy knows for sure based on USADA evidence, he might have still been in position to win some of those Tours without doping. Why a guy like that would want to cheat with drugs when he was already a very good cyclist is dumbfounding...unless that was all just myth and the drugs were his advantage? Anyone remember the study where Lance went through some tests and his body responded to the test in a much better result than anyone ever? I think it had something to do with oxygen levels and oxygen delivery to the muscles...like he was so well conditioned it was above and beyond any other cyclist at least at that time. It does seem rather "convenient" for Lance to bow out at this time...unlike the government case when I guess he knew they didn't have their act together enough to put forward a comprehensive case that would result in his guilt...so he was ready to fight that case tooth and nail. Can they go after Roger Clemens now and invalidate all his results...cause everyone knows he cheated, too? Thanks.
Every single person cheated you had no chance otherwise. Hell he didn't even fail his drug tests which more than the rest of the cheaters.
If true, then all of them robbed those cyclists who didn't cheat and therefore could never make it to the Tour de France. Again, just because everyone or almost everyone cheated doesn't mean Armstrong as the head of the Mafia should get away with it.
Anyone who has ever defended this jerk, Lance Armstrong, is about to look really really stupid, Breaking News: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/1...e-evidence-against-lance-armstrong/?hpt=hp_t1
Statement From USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart Regarding The U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy October 10, 2012 Today, we are sending the ‘Reasoned Decision’ in the Lance Armstrong case and supporting information to the Union Cycliste International (UCI), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen. The evidence of the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team-run scheme is overwhelming and is in excess of 1000 pages, and includes sworn testimony from 26 people, including 15 riders with knowledge of the US Postal Service Team (USPS Team) and its participants’ doping activities. The evidence also includes direct documentary evidence including financial payments, emails, scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance enhancing drugs by Lance Armstrong and confirm the disappointing truth about the deceptive activities of the USPS Team, a team that received tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars in funding. Together these different categories of eyewitness, documentary, first-hand, scientific, direct and circumstantial evidence reveal conclusive and undeniable proof that brings to the light of day for the first time this systemic, sustained and highly professionalized team-run doping conspiracy. All of the material will be made available later this afternoon on the USADA website at www.usada.org. The USPS Team doping conspiracy was professionally designed to groom and pressure athletes to use dangerous drugs, to evade detection, to ensure its secrecy and ultimately gain an unfair competitive advantage through superior doping practices. A program organized by individuals who thought they were above the rules and who still play a major and active role in sport today. The evidence demonstrates that the ‘Code of Silence’ of performance enhancing drug use in the sport of cycling has been shattered, but there is more to do. From day one, we always hoped this investigation would bring to a close this troubling chapter in cycling’s history and we hope the sport will use this tragedy to prevent it from ever happening again. Of course, no one wants to be chained to the past forever, and I would call on the UCI to act on its own recent suggestion for a meaningful Truth and Reconciliation program. While we appreciate the arguments that weigh in favor of and against such a program, we believe that allowing individuals like the riders mentioned today to come forward and acknowledge the truth about their past doping may be the only way to truly dismantle the remaining system that allowed this “EPO and Blood Doping Era” to flourish. Hopefully, the sport can unshackle itself from the past, and once and for all continue to move forward to a better future. Our mission is to protect clean athletes by preserving the integrity of competition not only for today’s athletes but also the athletes of tomorrow. We have heard from many athletes who have faced an unfair dilemma — dope, or don’t compete at the highest levels of the sport. Many of them abandoned their dreams and left sport because they refused to endanger their health and participate in doping. That is a tragic choice no athlete should have to make. It took tremendous courage for the riders on the USPS Team and others to come forward and speak truthfully. It is not easy to admit your mistakes and accept your punishment. But that is what these riders have done for the good of the sport, and for the young riders who hope to one day reach their dreams without using dangerous drugs or methods. These eleven (11) teammates of Lance Armstrong, in alphabetical order, are Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie. The riders who participated in the USPS Team doping conspiracy and truthfully assisted have been courageous in making the choice to stop perpetuating the sporting fraud, and they have suffered greatly. In addition to the public revelations, the active riders have been suspended and disqualified appropriately in line with the rules. In some part, it would have been easier for them if it all would just go away; however, they love the sport, and they want to help young athletes have hope that they are not put in the position they were -- to face the reality that in order to climb to the heights of their sport they had to sink to the depths of dangerous cheating. I have personally talked with and heard these athletes’ stories and firmly believe that, collectively, these athletes, if forgiven and embraced, have a chance to leave a legacy far greater for the good of the sport than anything they ever did on a bike. Lance Armstrong was given the same opportunity to come forward and be part of the solution. He rejected it. Instead he exercised his legal right not to contest the evidence and knowingly accepted the imposition of a ban from recognized competition for life and disqualification of his competitive results from 1998 forward. The entire factual and legal basis on the outcome in his case and the other six active riders’ cases will be provided in the materials made available online later today. Two other members of the USPS Team, Dr. Michele Ferrari and Dr. Garcia del Moral, also received lifetime bans for perpetrating this doping conspiracy. Three other members of the USPS Team have chosen to contest the charges and take their cases to arbitration: Johan Bruyneel, the team director; Dr. Pedro Celaya, a team doctor; and Jose “Pepe” Marti, the team trainer. These three individuals will receive a full hearing before independent judges, where they will have the opportunity to present and confront the evidence, cross-examine witnesses and testify under oath in a public proceeding. From day one in this case, as in every potential case, the USADA Board of Directors and professional staff did the job we are mandated to do for clean athletes and the integrity of sport. We focused solely on finding the truth without being influenced by celebrity or non-celebrity, threats, personal attacks or political pressure because that is what clean athletes deserve and demand.” http://www.usada.org/cyclinginvestigationstatement.html ------------------------------ So basically, everyone but the head of the mafia (Lance Armstrong) admitted that they cheated and defrauded in an organized system over many years - something I have always said and for which I was met with quite a bit of hostility here. I'm going to go back and pull up some old posts now.
Just some random samples from this thread only. Tygart is an American hero. Armstrong is nothing but a fraud.
I'm reading the actual report. Still would like some actual material evidence (are they posting the paper trail stuff on the website?). But Hincapie's statements (although they've done a terrible job of relaying them) seem pretty damning.
Yes, American heroes work hard to bring down an American hero. Armstrong is a cheater. Doesn't change that he was an inspiration. If he could have caught Armstrong a decade ago, it would have meant something. Now, who cares? I guess you do.
Anyone who cares about the integrity of a sport cares. The only way for cycling to EVER become respectable again is if people realize that the head of the mafia is brought down.
I'd let them take drugs, because that is actually the only way you will ever ensure the integrity of the sport. People will always work around it.
Meh, when the head of the mafia has already rode off into the sunset, it doesn't really make much of a difference for the sport today. Busting Barry Bonds now wouldn't help clean up baseball's image today anymore than busting Armstrong will now for cycling. They have to crack down on their current participants if they want it to mean anything.
Do you think it is a coincidence that Hincapie and some others allegedly stopped taking the drugs after Armstrong was gone?
Probably not, but in terms of the credibility of the sport as it stands today, finally pinning Lance to the wall is not going to enhance cycling's image. The time for that passed a while ago. Much like with other by-gone superstars of their respective sports. Melky Cabrera getting busted and punished did more to enhance the cleaned up image of baseball than anything that went on in the Bonds trial, etc, and that was federal freakin' court. Hincapie's testimony and this paper trail are the two most powerful pieces of evidence to date, and I'm glad USADA finally came out with it, but it's one of those day late/dollar short things in terms of PR for the sport.
Well, I agree it would have been better had they caught him "in the act", but better late than never.
