I ran next to the man the other day, I can tell you that there was lots of energy and that whatever you think of the guy, he has inspired a lot of people about fitness, cycling or cancer.
If you can't trust a Swiss banker, what's the world come to?
Very sad news. It looks like not only was lance cheating, but all his team mates too. Hincape, Vande Velda, Leipheimer, Danielson, Zabriski.......a sad day for American cycling.
"A blunt instrument wielded by a Government department. Hard, ruthless, sardonic, fatalistic. He likes gambling, golf, fast motor cars. All his movements are relaxed and economical". Ian Fleming
I see a number of the so-called do-gooders who testified against him have wangled only 6 month bans. Bearing in mind that Rio Ferdinand copped an 8 month ban for just missing a drugs test, these guys seem to have got off more than a tad lightly really.
Hell of a lot of hearsay and conjecture in the bits I have seen of the report. No smoke without fire I'm sure, but there seems to be more than a little of this that is beyond strange IMO. Armstrong is a big hero of mine so I'm obviously seeing this through rose-tinted specs, but there does seem to be something wrong in so much weight being given to the testimony of confirmed cheats, liars and perjurers.
Interesting to hear a former colleague of Lance's being interviewed on BBC 5 Live last night. The interviewer started off all guns blazing about Armstrong cheating and how appalling a person he must be, to then be met by the interviewee saying that he never ever saw him take drugs, was never offered them from him and that Armstrong was nothing but supportive of the bloke's career when he was in his team. Funny to hear the interviewer actually sound upset that it didn't go as he wanted and the interview seemed to tail off quite quickly!
This coming Monday evening at 7pm (BST) BBC Radio 5 live is broadcasting a programme entitled "Peddlers: Cycling's Dirty Truth". The programme includes interviews with Tyler Hamilton, former WADA head Dick Pound, and David Millar who was banned for two years after admitting taking performance enhancing drugs.
Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
What really disappoints me is to hear that Armstrong was flying with his private jet and the riders did not have enough bikes because he sold them to finance the dope.
In 2000, I came across with an Armstrong-signed top-of the-present-line Trek race bike which was sold at an antiques store in Aspen/Co and I have been asking myself, why they sold it and did not use it.
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
A couple of important developments have emerged today. Nike have terminated their contract with Lance Armstrong. Also, Armstrong himself has stepped down as Chairman of his charity Livestrong, though I understand he will remain on the board.
He wasn't really in a relation with Nike anymore, his foundation will still be associated with Nike and that's where Nike makes its money (it no longer gives all the profits of the clothes and gear to Livestrong, rather Nike bought the name for a couple of years for a fixed amount and all the profits go to Nike. Armstrong doesn't do anything for Nike. Livestrong does!)
If you can't trust a Swiss banker, what's the world come to?
Lance Armstrong has been stripped of all seven of his Tour de France wins by cycling's governing body, The International Cycling Union (UCI). The UCI accepted the findings of the United States Anti-Doping agency's investigation into Armstrong. UCI President Pat McQuaid said: "Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling. He deserves to be forgotten." Armstrong has been stripped of all results since 1st August 1998 and has been banned for life.
Lance Armstrong kind of took over the UCI in the late 90s and virtually did whatever he wanted.
I recall that right after TdF stages, he immediately went into his tour bus and disappeared there for some minutes.
Even the doping testers where not allowed to enter that bus and who knows what they did inside.
There are strong rumors that there was a positive doping test in 2001 and UCI put that under the carpet after a $ 100.000 donation from Armstrong.
UCI voided a positive Contador doping test some years later as they always where keen not to "slaughter their best horse".
That MCQuaid did nothing about this and comes over now having known nothing about Armstrong's activities is a bad joke.
I guess that the UCI guys only read US newspapers in the last years ! 8-)
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
It's hard to believe the UCI are innocent in all of this with the scale of the doping being so widespread over many years. That will need to be investigated.
Things could get considerably worse for Lance Armstrong. Now that he has been officially stripped of all seven of his Tour de France victories and his record from 1998 onwards erased he is now going to be entangled in legal claims and libel cases regarding things such as the prize money and sponsorship he earned over that period. It is not inconceivable that he could end up in jail.
Nike and US Postal gave 500 000 USD to the UCI president in his own Swiss bank account to cover the fact that he had taken a pain killer (when he provided a backdated prescription). The UCI is a joke and everybody knows it.
But they had to go down on Lance this time, because not doing it would have completely underminded their credibility.
If you can't trust a Swiss banker, what's the world come to?
Lance Armstrong will be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, amid reports that he might publicly admit to doping. The New York Times reported last Friday that Armstrong was considering a public admission that he used performance enhancing drugs. An admission that could lead to a bid to return to competing in marathons and triathlons. Winfrey's OWN network said the 90 minute interview would address "years of accusations of cheating". The interview will be broadcast on 17 January on Winfrey's OWN network and live-streamed online.
While hoping that Armstrong comes clear in public and admits, I have my doubts.
If he admits doping, everyone will sue him to get their money back. I have strong doubts, that participating at some official marathons will be financially worth it.
Unless he hopes to come over as the "poor sinner" who admits and regrets and helps "his part for a cleaner, better world".
If that's his strategy, I would find him highly non-credible in that role.
For me, he was mafia, he used mafia methods to depress others and am not conviced that he will turn into a white sheep after all these years and after all what he's done.
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
While hoping that Armstrong comes clear in public and admits, I have my doubts.
If he admits doping, everyone will sue him to get their money back. I have strong doubts, that participating at some official marathons will be financially worth it.
That is also my thinking. The Sunday Times is already suing Lance Armstrong for approx £1 million pounds. They paid him £300,000 to settle a libel case in 2004 after they alleged he cheated. They want their money back plus interest and legal costs. This would be only the tip of the iceberg if Armstrong were to publicly admit he cheated. He would likely go bankrupt.
Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
An interesting article from the BBC on the potential pitfalls, repercussions, and possible benefits from Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey, which will be broadcast next Thursday.
If Armstrong was going to come clean and tell the complete truth he wouldn't have chosen Oprah to do it*. Oprah's interviews are like a chat over tea with your little old lady next door neighbour. There will be no difficult questions that Armstrong hasn't anticipated, and there will be no difficult follow-up questions at all. When Oprah interviewed Marian Jones, it was a disgrace and a complete waste of time as Oprah clearly knew nothing about athletics or drugging in sports and made no attempt to get to the bottom of the issues. If Armstrong was serious about coming clean, he would have offered his interview to 60 Minutes. Instead, he will make some insincere and disingenuous platitudes, wipe a tear from the corner of his eye and 'confess'...that he was a victim as well. I have no faith in Oprah's journalism skills and fully expect this spectacle to be yet another waste of time and quite likely nauseating.
(*Unless Oprah offered him the most money, of course!)
I think Lance will because he is really addicted to power and attention and if he doesn't he won't be able to compete anywhere and get any attention. He can't just take his 125 million dollars and go to a quiet island.
If you can't trust a Swiss banker, what's the world come to?
Sources have told the US media that Lance Armstrong has admitted to using performance enhancing drugs in a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey that will be broadcast on Thursday. But according to the New York Times source, Armstrong denied the claim that he was the "kingpin" of the doping programme.
Testing does work, it's getting more sophisticated all the time. Many riders have been caught, including Tour de France winners Floyd Landis and Alberto Contador. The best indicator that cycling is much cleaner now than anytime in the last decade or so comes from the time taken to climb the mountains. Certain mountains are used regularly on the Tour de France and it is taking approx five minutes longer on average to climb them now than a few years ago.
I doubt that testing really works. They only catch the stupidest riders immediately.
Good thing is that they keep the blood and urine samples and years later when the analysis methods are utd we see the truth (however riders like Armstrong object that the samples "have not been maintained competently" :v )
So the biggest name in the sport, (as well as being one of the most famous soortsmen - ever) supposedly gives a positive test, yet the lab / testers don't think that it warrants proper procedure or practice?? Hmmmm. Seems more than a little odd to me.
They've been trying to nail Armstrong's hat on for years, yet to my knowledge there's no formal, undisputed positive test on record. A number of discredited riders are now willing to testify against him in order to avoid lifetime bans. As mentioned above, these guys lied about their own actions, so why believe them now??
Hand on heart my judgment is more than a tad clouded, as Lance is a huge hero to me, so I hope to god he's not guilty. Reading between the lines that my rose-tinted glasses allow there does appear to be smoke, however the witch hunt, quality of witnesses & methods adopted seem to be beyond comprehension to me.
But why wouldn't they store it properly?? It could be one, if not the biggest story in sport, yet they don't bother following even the most basic of protocols. Doesn't make sense to me whatsoever. I'm sure any sportsman or woman would challenge the results on this basis. There was even talk that the samples weren't even labelled or handled in anything like a fit & proper manner, in addition to the lack of most basic storage / refrigeration.
In addition, if Armstrong is such a prolific drug taker, why in all these years has no bona-fide positive result emerged?? Yes there's masking agents & techniques, but surely there would have been some indisputable indication prior to this recent story?? I can't buy the fact that its been a cover up all along,as surely he's too big a name in the media world that someone would see the opportunity to try to cash in on??
IMO the wristband signifies so much more than Armstrong. To me it's a symbol of trying to beat a disease that affects too many & it's association with Armstrong has assisted in bringing it to the fore of people's minds. Like you've said though, it's very sad you don't feel you can wear it any longer.
Article and video in which Oprah Winfrey talks about her interview with Lance Armstrong. "He did not come clean in the manner I expected. It was surprising to me. I would say for myself, my team, all of us in the room, we were mesmerised and riveted by some of his answers." Winfrey also said she was well prepared and took 112 questions into the interview, most of which she got to ask.
Comments
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/cycling/2012/10/10/lance-armstrong-usada-reasoned-decision-teammates-doping/1624551/
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Not for doping offences.
For dressing like Jimmy Savile.
All that gold bling he got to display during the Olympics was just him getting into character.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Very sad news. It looks like not only was lance cheating, but all his team mates too. Hincape, Vande Velda, Leipheimer, Danielson, Zabriski.......a sad day for American cycling.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Hell of a lot of hearsay and conjecture in the bits I have seen of the report. No smoke without fire I'm sure, but there seems to be more than a little of this that is beyond strange IMO. Armstrong is a big hero of mine so I'm obviously seeing this through rose-tinted specs, but there does seem to be something wrong in so much weight being given to the testimony of confirmed cheats, liars and perjurers.
Interesting to hear a former colleague of Lance's being interviewed on BBC 5 Live last night. The interviewer started off all guns blazing about Armstrong cheating and how appalling a person he must be, to then be met by the interviewee saying that he never ever saw him take drugs, was never offered them from him and that Armstrong was nothing but supportive of the bloke's career when he was in his team. Funny to hear the interviewer actually sound upset that it didn't go as he wanted and the interview seemed to tail off quite quickly!
Armstrongs System was organized on the basis of the "omerta".
I don't say that Armstrongs offenses are similar to Mafia crimes but the system how to bring people not to talk is pretty similar.
To break this circle of silence it was necessary to let the small fish back into the river.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
In 2000, I came across with an Armstrong-signed top-of the-present-line Trek race bike which was sold at an antiques store in Aspen/Co and I have been asking myself, why they sold it and did not use it.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Lance Armstrong dropped by Nike over doping evidence
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/19978608
This is only for show.
He wasn't really in a relation with Nike anymore, his foundation will still be associated with Nike and that's where Nike makes its money (it no longer gives all the profits of the clothes and gear to Livestrong, rather Nike bought the name for a couple of years for a fixed amount and all the profits go to Nike. Armstrong doesn't do anything for Nike. Livestrong does!)
The FULL article.
Lance Armstrong stripped of all seven Tour de France wins by UCI
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20008520
Lance Armstrong kind of took over the UCI in the late 90s and virtually did whatever he wanted.
I recall that right after TdF stages, he immediately went into his tour bus and disappeared there for some minutes.
Even the doping testers where not allowed to enter that bus and who knows what they did inside.
There are strong rumors that there was a positive doping test in 2001 and UCI put that under the carpet after a $ 100.000 donation from Armstrong.
UCI voided a positive Contador doping test some years later as they always where keen not to "slaughter their best horse".
That MCQuaid did nothing about this and comes over now having known nothing about Armstrong's activities is a bad joke.
I guess that the UCI guys only read US newspapers in the last years ! 8-)
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Things could get considerably worse for Lance Armstrong. Now that he has been officially stripped of all seven of his Tour de France victories and his record from 1998 onwards erased he is now going to be entangled in legal claims and libel cases regarding things such as the prize money and sponsorship he earned over that period. It is not inconceivable that he could end up in jail.
Lance Armstrong 'must return Tour de France prize money'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20038998
But they had to go down on Lance this time, because not doing it would have completely underminded their credibility.
The FULL article.
Lance Armstrong set for Oprah Winfrey interview
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20954810
If he admits doping, everyone will sue him to get their money back. I have strong doubts, that participating at some official marathons will be financially worth it.
Unless he hopes to come over as the "poor sinner" who admits and regrets and helps "his part for a cleaner, better world".
If that's his strategy, I would find him highly non-credible in that role.
For me, he was mafia, he used mafia methods to depress others and am not conviced that he will turn into a white sheep after all these years and after all what he's done.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
That is also my thinking. The Sunday Times is already suing Lance Armstrong for approx £1 million pounds. They paid him £300,000 to settle a libel case in 2004 after they alleged he cheated. They want their money back plus interest and legal costs. This would be only the tip of the iceberg if Armstrong were to publicly admit he cheated. He would likely go bankrupt.
Lance Armstrong: What could be the fallout from Oprah interview?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/20962663
(*Unless Oprah offered him the most money, of course!)
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
www.cancerresearchuk.org
The FULL article.
Lance Armstrong 'doping confession' in Oprah interview
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21024288
Well, I could say, that I have told you so.....
Thursday may be the day to correct some of the staments that have been previously done.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Oprah: Armstrong 'did not come clean in expected way'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21024288