http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5508863 Ex-Friends Say Armstrong Admitted Drug Use Teammate Andreu, Wife Cite 1996 Hospital-Room Conversation by Tom Goldman Weekend Edition - Saturday, June 24, 2006 · There are athletes and, then, there are those that transcend sport. Lance Armstrong is one of the latter. His record seven straight Tour de France victories after coming back from cancer has become legend. Throughout his storied career, he fought off suspicions that he cheated by using banned drugs. Those suspicions have followed him into retirement. According to sworn testimony reviewed by NPR, two witnesses heard Armstrong openly acknowldege in 1996 that had used several performance enhancing drugs. What you are about to hear are the details from that testimony and from one witnesses who says she was there when Lance Armstrong said he used "growth hormone, cortisone, EPO, steroids and testosterone." Armstrong is angrily denying that the incident happened. In October 1996, Lance Armstrong was not yet a Tour de France champion, but he had won a couple of stages in cycling's biggest race and a 1993 road racing world championship solidified his status as an up-and-comer on the elite cycling scene. On Oct. 2, 1996, however, Armstrong was stopped cold by a diagnosis of testicular cancer. Three weeks later, he had surgery to remove tumors that had spread to his brain. On Oct. 27, a few days after surgery, Armstrong was recovering at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis. He was surrounded by a handful of friends in a conference room. The TV was on. Texas-born Armstrong and a few of the others were watching a pro football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. Among those in the room were Frankie and Betsy Andreu. At the time they weren't yet married; they were engaged. Frankie was Armstrong's cycling teammate. What allegedly happened in that hospital room now raises questions about whether Armstrong used banned drugs on his way to the pinnacle of bicycle racing. The Andreus testified under oath last fall about their experience in the hospital room. It was part of a legal case involving a lawsuit Lance Armstrong filed against a company that owed him money. In her sworn testimony in that case, Betsy Andreu recounts what happened after, she says, two doctors, wearing white coats and name tags, walked into the hospital room. Andreu never identified the doctors, but says in her testimony they were not Armstrong's two primary oncologists, or his brain surgeon. In her deposition, Betsy Andreu testified: I said, I think we should leave to give you your privacy. I said that to Lance. And Lance said, that's OK. You can stay. And I turned to Frankie and I said, I think we should leave. And Frankie said, no, Lance said it's OK. We can stay. And so the doctor asked him a few questions, not many, and then one of the questions he asked was... have you ever used any performance-enhancing drugs? And Lance said yes. And the doctor asked, what were they? And Lance said, growth hormone, cortisone, EPO, steroids and testosterone. When asked last week about her testimony, Betsy Andreu said, "I answered every question truthfully and honestly. It is 100 percent truthful." Throughout his career, Lance Armstrong always has denied in the strongest terms that he ever used performance-enhancing drugs. Frankie Andreu and Armstrong were close friends over the years. They lived and trained together in Italy in the early 1990s; they were teammates when Armstrong won his first two Tours-de-France... in 1999 and 2000. In his deposition, Frankie Andreu expressed his reluctance at having to testify; he was subpoenaed. But he still told the same story as his wife about the hospital room in 1996. This exchange is from his deposition -- testimony under oath, in response to a lawyer's questions. QUESTION: And what is it Mr. Armstrong said in response to the doctor asking him about use of performance-enhancing drugs? ANDREU: I don't know how the doctor phrased the question, but Lance's response was that he had taken EPO and testosterone and growth hormone and cortisone. QUESTION: Did he say when he had taken these drugs? ANDREU: ....when the doctor proposed the question, he said, 'Have you taken anything in the past or previous?' So obviously, it was sometime before that point. QUESTION: Were you surprised when Mr. Armstrong said he had taken those various performance-enhancing drugs? ANDREU: Yeah. I was surprised. On the key issue of what was asked and what was said in the hospital room, Betsy Andreu insists she heard a doctor ask about performance-enhancing drugs, and heard Armstrong answer with a list of banned substances. Frankie Andreu insists he heard Armstrong respond with a list, too. Still Armstrong's lawyer, Tim Herman, says the Andreu's could have heard wrong. "Mr. Armstrong was taking steroids at the time, as part of his post-operative treatment," Herman said. "It's very possible that there could've been mention of steroids and epo in this conversation with these two doctors indicating either the current regimen, or the regimen that Armstrong was gonna be subject to after this surgery, or when he got out of the hospital." Armstrong's primary cancer doctor, Craig Nichols, submitted a sworn affidavit in the case saying, "I have never seen any evidence, either from myself or any other doctor, that indicates Lance Armstrong admitted, suggested or indicated that he has ever taken performance-enhancing drugs." Still, what happened in that hospital room in 1996 seemed to be on Armstrong's mind, according to Frankie Andreu's sworn deposition. In his testimony, Andreu recalls a bike ride he and Armstrong took within a year of the alleged hospital room incident. Andreu says Armstrong asked how Betsy reacted to what happened in the hospital room. From the deposition: ANDREU: I said Betsy freaked out a little bit, and, you know, she and I got into a couple of arguments, but then it kind of went away. QUESTION: Did Armstrong respond or say anything further about it? ANDREU: No. It was very short. But according to Andreu's testimony, Armstrong came back to the issue last year when he called Frankie Andreu just a few days before Andreu was deposed. In his deposition, Frankie Andreu is asked "is it your testimony that Mr. Armstrong called you and said it was his recollection, that the hospital incident never took place or didn't happen the way you've recollected?" Andreu answers, "Yes. Correct." The deposition continues: QUESTION: What did you say to him when he said that? ANDREU: I remained quiet. QUESTION: Did you consider it odd that he was telling you about the hospital incident? Andreu interrupts and says, "I considered it odd that he even called me, because I hadn't spoken with Lance in probably two and a half years." Armstrong swore under oath that the hospital incident did not happen. So did Stephanie McIlvain. In 1996, McIlvain worked for Oakley, a company that makes sunglasses and that has sponsored Armstrong for many years. McIlvain also was in the hospital room on Oct. 27, 1996, but in her sworn deposition, here is what she says: QUESTION: Were you ever at a hospital room or other part of the hospital with Mr. Armstrong where he said anything about performance-enhancing drugs? MCILVAIN: No. QUESTION: Do you have any recollection of any doctor in your presence asking Mr. Armstrong if he used in the past any performance-enhancing drugs or substances? MCILVAIN: No. McIlvain denied the hospital incident under oath in late 2005. According to Greg LeMond, she said something completely different, the year before. In July of 2004, former Tour de France champion Greg LeMond had a conversation with McIlvain, in which they discussed the Indiana hospital room incident. NPR viewed a transcript of that conversation. Referring to Lance Armstrong's alleged admission of drug use, McIlvain told Lemond, "I was in that room. I heard it." LeMond says McIlvain felt Armstrong's alleged admission tarnished his legendary story about coming back from cancer, a story that's included repeated denials of performance-enhancing drug use. "I know that she was incredibly disappointed," said LeMond. "She had a kid that had some disabilities, and she was angry... that he was fooling the cancer community with his kind of, I guess what she said lies." LeMond's account is backed up by a veteran cycling photographer and journalist named James Startt. He was also deposed in the case last year. Under oath, Startt said he ran into McIlvain at the 2004 Tour de France, and they had a brief conversation. Startt had heard about Armstrong's alleged admission of performance-enhancing drug use. In his testimony, Startt said "I asked her did it definitely happen. And she said, yes it did." NPR called McIlvain to ask about the discrepancy between her sworn testimony and the statements by Startt and LeMond. She said she'd rather not comment. McIlvain's lawyer said "we refuse to talk under any circumstances." The story of the alleged hospital room incident emerged Friday in the French newspaper Le Monde. Within hours, Lance Armstrong released a statement, in which he said "the latest story, which alleges an admission of using performance enhancing drugs in a hospital in 1996, is today as absurd and untrue as when it was first circulated years ago. It never happened." Several days prior to the statement, NPR sent e-mails and made phone calls to Armstrong asking for an interview, either face-to-face or on the telephone. Armstrong never responded, but his longtime friend and agent Bill Stapleton did. In an e-mail, Stapleton referred NPR to Armstrong's lawyer, and said that neither he, Stapleton, nor Armstrong, would make themselves available for interviews about the alleged hospital room incident. NPR did discuss the matter with Armstrong's lawyer, Tim Herman, and examined medical records he provided. In Armstrong's deposition from the legal case, his sworn statements are consistent with his past denials of performance-enhancing drug use. Under oath, Armstrong is asked, "Do you deny the statements that Ms. Andreu attributed to you in the Indiana University hospital?" Armstrong replies, "100 percent. Absolutely." He is then asked, "Do you also deny what Mr. Andreu said regarding those statements?" Again Armstrong replies, "100 percent." The deposition continues: QUESTION: Do you have any recollection while these individuals were there that a doctor or doctors came into the room and discussed with you your medical treatment or your condition? ARMSTRONG: Absolutely not. That didn't happen. QUESTION: Did any medical person ask you, while you were at the Indiana University Hospital, whether you had ever used any sort of performance-enhancing drugs or substances? ARMSTRONG: No. Absolutely not. Armstrong is asked if he can help explain why Betsy Andreu would make up a story about the hospital room. Armstrong says he has no idea, other than "she hates me." "Lance and I used to be good friends," Betsy Andreu told NPR. "I would go to his house and I would cook for him; I would talk to him on the phone about baby questions; I used to go out to dinner with Frankie and Lance and Kristin, often." Kristin was Armstrong's first wife. Betsy Andreu acknowledges that over the years, her friendship with Lance Armstrong soured. But she says that doesn't mean she would do something, in her words, so reprehensible as make up a story about the hospital room. "I'm sorry that it upsets him so much that I refuse to lie under oath. I was always going to tell the truth," she said. When asked about Frankie Andreu's testimony, Lance Armstrong rejects it, saying in his deposition he thinks Andreu was trying to back up his wife. The case involving all this sworn testimony grew out of a lawsuit Armstrong filed in 2004. He sued a company, called SCA, that had promised in a contract to pay Armstrong a $5 million bonus if he won his sixth straight Tour de France in 2004. He did win, but SCA withheld the bonus after new doping allegations against Armstrong surfaced that same year. A panel of arbitrators ultimately ruled in Armstrong's favor. SCA was forced to pay the $5 million bonus, plus $2.5 million more. SCA contends it lost because the bonus contract was poorly written, and not because SCA failed to prove Armstrong had cheated by using banned substances. But Armstrong's attorney Tim Herman says the outcome had everything to do with doping. "Had they concluded that Lance Armstrong had cheated, we would not be in possession of a $7.5 million award," said Herman. "The issue, and the proof related to Armstrong's use or non-use of performance-enhancing drugs was the controlling issue in the case." The dispute was resolved early this year, but the issue of whether or not Armstrong ever took performance-enhancing drugs still is unresolved for some, particularly Betsy Andreu. The stay-at-home mother of three kids remains adamant about what she says she heard on Oct. 27, 1996. Armstrong remains busy in his retirement, spending time at celebrity events and raising money and awareness about cancer research. He no longer battles opponents on the steep mountain climbs of the Tour de France, but Armstrong still finds himself fighting, in court and in the media, to preserve his legacy.
Current Lance News: He admits his favorite pie is coconut cream Lance skips France to bike in Iowa Lance Armstrong, 7-time conqueror of the Tour de France, will tackle the cornfields, cows, communities and coconut cream pie of RAGBRAI By JOHN CARLSON REGISTER STAFF WRITER June 28, 2006 Lance Armstrong, winner of the Tour de France the last seven years, is passing up Paris this summer to ride RAGBRAI. "My Julys are free now," Armstrong said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon. That's because this will be the first year since 1999 that Armstrong won't ride in — or win — the most prestigious bicycle race in the world. Armstrong said he'd heard about RAGBRAI for years and was looking forward to spending time in Iowa. "I talked about my summer plans, talked about going to the Tour, and I said one day, 'You know what? Why don't we spend the end of the month and go to Iowa and not even go to the Tour?' " Armstrong said he hoped to be on the ride "several days." A cancer survivor, he hopes to discuss the issue with Iowans and encourage them to make cancer funding an issue with presidential candidates in both parties prior to Iowa's first-in-the-nation 2008 caucuses. The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, the oldest and largest event of its kind in the world, will begin in Sergeant Bluff on July 23 and end July 29 in Muscatine. Along the way, there will be overnight stops in Ida Grove, Audubon, Waukee, Newton, Marengo and Coralville. "We want to use this as an opportunity to be there amongst the riders and their friends and the communities, and just ride with them and talk with them and have the opportunity to share the message," Armstrong said. " ... We'd love the opportunity to visit not just the riders, but the clinics or hospitals that are nearby, or the opportunity to speak to groups of people. A town hall setting in some way would be amazing." He's not sure which portion of the week he'll ride, but he said this would not be an "in and out" visit to Iowa. And he already said he's penciling the ride in for next year. "This wouldn't be a one-year commitment," he said. "We'd obviously want to be back next year if we behave ourselves." RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz said he's delighted Armstrong will join the ride, which is in its 34th year. "I can't tell you how happy we are to have Lance with us," said Juskiewicz. "The Tour de France is usually on while we're on RAGBRAI, and you hear riders ask one another, 'Did you hear how Lance did today?' This year, they'll be saying, 'Did you see Lance out there today?' It's great." Juskiewicz said representatives of the Lance Armstrong Foundation contacted him about six weeks ago to discuss the possibility of Armstrong's coming to Iowa. "We're thrilled it worked out," Juskiewicz said. Armstrong is arguably the world's greatest athlete. In 2002, he was Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. The Associated Press named Armstrong its Male Athlete of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. And he was named ESPN's Best Male Athlete in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He retired from competitive cycling after last year's seventh Tour de France win and now devotes much of his time to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It provides money for cancer awareness programs, public health and cancer research. There is no more important cause for the 34-year-old cyclist. In 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with a late-stage testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs. He underwent a series of aggressive chemotherapy treatments. Three years later, he won his first Tour de France. The foundation was established in 1997 and has raised more than $146 million and sold 65 million yellow "LIVESTRONG" wristbands at $1 each. It has distributed more than $14.6 million in research grants and $3.8 million to cancer-related nonprofit organizations across the country. Its primary mission is to provide information and assistance to people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Armstrong, whose prospects for survival were considered slim, is probably the world's greatest example that cancer can be overcome. "Outside of the fact it's a great event, and one of the biggest bike rides in the country, which is appealing, it's an opportunity to go somewhere, ride a bike and be among people who are going to have a unique opportunity in 2008 and get them engaged with regard to cancer," he said. "If you've got a candidate coming through, the people of Iowa can get them engaged in the issue." Armstrong said that he's met with U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin about cancer research funding over the years and that Harkin has encouraged him to be part of RAGBRAI. Actually, "encouraged" might not be a strong enough word. Armstrong said he "was practically put in a headlock" by the Iowa Democrat. He said he's heard the stories about 10,000 cyclists and their slow trek across Iowa and wants to see it for himself. "It's thousands and thousands and thousands of people, (and) it's tremendously organized," he said. "One thing that's really cool to hear — and it doesn't happen all that often in this country — is the level of community involvement. The ride comes through and towns just shut down, and people come out on the street and support the riders. For cycling, that's a serious commitment for the people to make." Has he ever ridden with 10,000 people? "I'd have to think about that," he said. "I probably haven't." Armstrong might be interested to know there are a few tiny differences between the Tour de France and RAGBRAI. The Tour de France has about 200 of the world's greatest cyclists sprinting 2,240 miles, a good part of it over mountains, for about three weeks. RAGBRAI has maybe 10,000 people, including some of the world's lousiest riders, who this year will be struggling to pedal 441 miles in one week. The Tour de France is the most prestigious race on the planet. RAGBRAI is a leisurely ride through Iowa's cornfields and small towns, with frequent stops for beer, pie and pork chops. Armstrong was interested in hearing about it all. Even the pie. That said, he has two words for all the pie bakers along this year's route: coconut cream.
Of course the doctor that he is supposed to have told the information too, denies that he said anything about using the drugs.
Anybody who actually thinks Lance never used drugs is living in a dream world. Here is a sport that has a bigger drug problem than any other sport on the world and you have a guy that totally dominates that sport for a longer period than any other athlete in history. You also have multiple people in different roles that has testified that he used drugs at different times. You also have a test lab that says that they detected EPO in is urine. Now, none of these individual facts proves conclusively that he cheated but taken together, I don't know how anybody can rule it out. Lets put this in perspective. Imagine a player in baseball that wins the HR title every year for 7 years in a row playing in a league almost everyone was using drugs like Bonds, Mcquire, and Sosa.
Per The Onion: Lance Armstrong Just Glad International Cycling Union Doesn't Test For Heroin AUSTIN, TX—Seven-time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong, who was yet again cleared of doping charges last week by the International Cycling Union (UCI), said Monday he was just glad that his former sport's governing body does not currently test for the use of heroin. "I'm not saying I was a regular user, but let's put it this way: Without smack, there's no way anyone could finish the Tour De France, let alone win it," Armstrong told the audience at a cancer-awareness banquet. "Trust me, the human body can't put up with that kind of punishment day in and day out over an entire month of hundred-plus-mile days without something a little stronger than bananas and massages." The UCI would not respond to Armstrong's comments, saying only that under current policies, any cyclist caught in possession of heroin within three days will have the drug confiscated by race officials.
The NPR story doesn't mention the term "urine test" even once, making it look like a she/he-said-vs-he-said b**** fest, although it does stress that the allegations come in the form of sworn testimonies, which have full legal implication. It was reported that six urine samples provided by Armstrong during the 1999 Tour de France tested positive for the red blood cell-booster EPO. On the flip side, the tests were done in 2005.
