Lance Armstrong Banned From Cycling

Just saw this about 10-15 minutes ago on the news.

It was only a matter over time.

 

He got what was coming to him. He tried too hard to cover things up, but not hard enough.

 

100% guilty of doping.. but not necessarily cheating.. because all did it.. but he was still the best rider.... period.

 

I will add.. he made millions in endorsements from all the fame and the hope he sold...

 

Even though he can kiss his endorsements goodbye, I doubt he'll be at the soup kitchen anytime soon.

I've always said and maintained that if all these guys came out and said "yes, I doped, it was wrong, I apologize, kids: don't do it" they'd be reprimanded but win the court of public opinion. He can join A-Fraud, Big Mac, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, etc., in the fallen stars club.

 

Nike announced they are sticking by his side. I suspect other companies will follow their lead.

I will still proudly wear my LIVESTRONG wristband everywhere I go. I've have worn one since long before it was just a 'cool' thing to have and don't really care that the fad is over.

>8^)
ER

 

Doesn't change the way I feel about his accomplishments at all.

Read between the lines of his statement: "Everyone was using something. I was, too. I still beat them all and everyone knows that, all things equal, I still would have won them." I completely understand that logic. You can't retroactively "clean up" an entire sport.

 

Too bad for the sport.


Strip him of titles you better drug test the balance of the 150 plus riders as well and document them.


What a sham.


Ass or not as people have said.
Many at the top of their sport come off this way. It's the nature of having cameras shoved in your face for life.

 

Why is he guilty? Because he chose not to fight the USADA? Screw the USADA. The guy had plenty of drug tests and he passed.

Armstrong, who retired last year, effectively dropped his fight by declining to enter USADA's arbitration process - his last option - because he said he was weary of fighting accusations that have dogged him for years. He has consistently pointed to the hundreds of drug tests he passed as proof of his innocence while piling up Tour titles from 1999 to 2005.

"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, `Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now," Armstrong said. He called the USADA investigation an "unconstitutional witch hunt."

"I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999," he said. "The toll this has taken on my family and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today - finished with this nonsense."

USADA reacted quickly and treated Armstrong's decision as an admission of guilt,

 

Lemond was a stud but Armstrong was no slouch What does it say about the USADA if it can't test properly for over a decade.

 

FWIW, I'm pretty sure the USADA can't strip him of any titles. Only the French organizers and/or the ICU can do that.

I dunno - sure, it was a dirty sport for many years, but afaik, he never once failed a test. Was the testing crap? I guess, but it is what it is.

I think he's simply had enough and no longer cares.

Cheers,
Ian

 

If he really is innocent then this is a very sad result.

Pete

 

His full statement:

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

 

Why is that? There are more important things in life than fighting a bunch of people who want to see you go down. Suppose he prevailed here...there would be more accusations around the corner im sure. I say good for him. I don't see the guy any differently and wish him well.

 

I hope this backfires on the USADA, he's done a lot for cancer patients hopes & raising money for research. He was just getting tired of fighting the BS.

 

Is it certain that Lemond never doped?

 

Eh...who cares what the USADA says. They don't have hard evidence and they are relying on what witnesses have said, but won't tell anyone who those people are. Lance no longer wanted to waste his time/energy fighting those people and made a better move to spend time with his family and his organization to help others.

I think it's ridiculous the USADA can ban someone from international events and strip away titles from a non-US event...without any hard evidence! I can't help but laugh at the way they are handling it with their claims. Lance will always be remembered as winning those and they can't take those memories away even if he thought to be arrogant and an ****** by some.

 

I hope he sticks with his promise to NEVER speak about it again.

Attempting to argue his case only lends credence to the governing body.

 

This was a no-win situation for Armstrong and he has proven his point to those who will still believe him. Will this hurt his credibility in other areas? Who knows but I would guess not. The guy beat cancer (the French aren't taking that away from him too, are they?) and went on to a successful career of sorts. Depends on your perspective.

 

He fought long and hard (for a guy with one ball LMAO) and "gave up" just like that?

You know this was a damage control maneuver, probably engineered by Phil Knight.

 

This is *nothing* to do with the French. Or even the ICU. Both have in fact found him clean thru hundreds of tests, and have said so many times.

Rather, it appears to be one guy at the USADA with a bug up his arse out to get him. In order to try and do so, he seems to have steamrollered his entire organization and ignored all their own rules.

I'm not saying he never doped, but he was certainly never caught. Anyone with an interest should read the (long) letter his attorney sent in response to the allegations and the concerns of the judge who heard his case against the USADA.

It's only one side, but the PDF here is more than a little concerning to me;
http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstrongs-official-response-to-usada-doping-charges

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty and a sense of fair play?

Cheers,
Ian

 

'just like that!'..... I beg to differ. He's been fighting this BS for *years* now.

Supposedly, there's an 8 years statute of limitations at the USADA, but they're getting round that with Anonymous witnesses that they won't even identify.

I can fully understand him saying '**** it, I just don't care anymore.'

Cheers,
Ian