Lance Armstrong banned for life!!

The US-Anti Doping Agency has stripped Lance of 7 Tour de France titles for using Performance_enhancing_drugs. He certainly popularized the sport here in the US and his foundation for cancer which brought in millions of dollars.
 
This has been on-going since 1998 and he's retired now? They certainly did take their time in doing this..... 
 
 

Armstrong has said in court documents that he has never had "a single positive test" in the 500 to 600 drug tests he's taken in his more than two decades in cycling.

wankers

Yeah, they've had a hard-on to get him for years.  All they have is hear-say, not a single positive test and Lance's lawyers have already put forward a libel suit against the organization.

Remember that, in America, people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty and, so far, there is no proof (just talk).

Yep, over 500 of them.

Bottom line, USADA does not have one test that Armstrong took that meets their criteria for a "positive test," only the word of "a dozen witnesses." And this is now all it takes to convict someone of a crime? 

SteveStrummerUK


I always thought he was a pedaller.

If you're really interested in Lances case there's plenty of info to be found...some of which might go a ways to changing your mind about this ol feller.  Or not.  My thinking is you NEVER quit when you're ahead.  After all that's how he won those seven TDFs, isn't it?

Hey McCue...what's your take?  You seem to follow this about as avidly as I used to.

Remember that, in America, people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty and, so far, there is no proof (just talk).

He's not been found guilty.

However he has chosen not to go the route of arbitration which means pretty much accepting the implication that he is.

It's still a case of innocent until proven guilty, he just didn't fancy the idea of answering the case against him, it was a case of either accepting sanctions put forward by the anti-doping body or contesting them.  He CHOSE not to contest.   It surprises me that he didn't contest being as has obviously enjoyed the publicity along the way of being seen as being a very persuasive character up until this point.  I'm not drawing any conclusions.

I do however think that retrospective sanctions are pretty much pointless, if the events themselves can't find fault at the time then it is the event itself that is failing the sport.

It certainly doesn't diminish in any way any good work he has done with his cancer charity either.

jhughs


  but I think Lance was driven by forces more powerful than drugs or doping.

exactly and that's what they cannot understand...

offnote


BTW now  Armstrong  should sue them for defamation.

It that circumstance he'd have to prove 'them' wrong.

I don't think he'll be doing that anytime soon.

It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. - Mark Twain

Jonbouy

offnote


BTW now  Armstrong  should sue them for defamation.

It that circumstance he'd have to prove 'them' wrong.

I don't think he'll be doing that anytime soon.

Wow, I could have sworn that I just read that's exactly what he's doing?  (Libel suit.)

craigb

Jonbouy

offnote


BTW now  Armstrong  should sue them for defamation.

It that circumstance he'd have to prove 'them' wrong.

I don't think he'll be doing that anytime soon.

Wow, I could have sworn that I just read that's exactly what he's doing?  (Libel suit.)

Yes, and they will be innocent until he can prove them guilty?

It's not the feeling I'm getting from this thread.  Like I said I wasn't going to draw any conclusions but it does appear that many have.

You guys should read the from Lance to Landis book. LA and his ginormous legal team are not going to be suing anyone for defamation. 

There are about 20 discredited riders ready to take the stand and make LA a discredited rider himself.

Makes one wonder about Wiggo's miraculous improvement the last 3-4 years, but that's another story.

Still, LA was a legendary cyclist and probably %80 of the field were doping in his heyday. Here is one of his top TdF moments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr89ku-K2WU