Lance Armstrong to be stripped of all seven Tour de France titles

[Brogan]

Lance Armstrong has stated that he is no longer prepared to fight the USADA, but still maintains he is innocent of all charges.
This despite the fact that 10 of his former teammates are prepared to testify against him.
Although Armstrong claims they have been offered "corrupt inducements" to do so.

As a result, he is to be stripped of all seven of his Tour de France titles and be banned from cycling for life.

What an ignominious end to his career.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19364384

 

[Speshal]

ahhh the old "guilty until proved innocent" trick

 

[gethinceri]

I don't think USADA can strip his titles, it would need to be UCI or TdF, I think.
Much as I think his cycling was awesome I have to admit to suspecting him of some form of "manipulation" during a lot of his career and I would be astonished if any sporting body felt it was able to allow him to retain any titles. His current "I really can't be bothered to fight this any more, but I didn't do it" is pathetic. Innocent until proven guilty has been, and always will be, his chosen mantra. It reminds me of Linford Christie.
Shame.

 

[Speshal]

This is quite an interesting read.

http://www.bicycling.com/news/pro-cycling/you-jury

 

[siffert_fan]

Frankly, with the HUGE amount of money in sports today, I would be astonished to find even one athlete that didn't "cheat" on some level." Better living (performance) through chemistry" seems to be the guiding principle in sports today.

 

[Brogan]

So the USADA has stripped him of all seven titles and banned him: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/19369375

Exactly how can they do that unilaterally?
Are they the overriding global agency when it comes to cycling (or any other sport)?

Or is it because he's an American they can do it?

 

[teabagyokel]

Brogan - surely the UCI and ASO must be consulted first. Surely.

 

[gethinceri]

I don't think they can Brogan we'll need to see what UCI say.

 

[teabagyokel]

I think in acting unilaterally USADA make it look like there's something in what Armstrong was saying about them. And I'm pretty sure there isn't.

 

[Lewywo4]

Frankly, with the HUGE amount of money in sports today, I would be astonished to find even one athlete that didn't "cheat" on some level." Better living (performance) through chemistry" seems to be the guiding principle in sports today.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Having listened to an interview with the head of WADA on the radio yesterday. He confirmed (sorry I can't remember his name) that WADA fully endorse the USADAs actions and that in his opinion they had the full right to strip Armstrong of his titles and ban him. I would imagine that the USADA have already consulted the UCI but I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one.

There has been a great deal of speculation that there was a huge number of illegal payments made between the teams and the governing body (no evidence of this has yet been shown) and that drug use was seen as the norm during the period of Armstrongs dominence. There are, a great number of bodies to be dug up over this issue. For this reason alone, I would imagine that the investigation will continue and the facts will eventually come out.

 

[teabagyokel]

The investigation will continue because associates of Armstrong have elected to defend the charges.

 

[Speshal]

Donations to the Livestrong foundation were up 25 times after the USDA's announcement.

http://mashable.com/2012/08/24/lance-armstrong-livestrong-donations/

 

[Brogan]

An interesting graphic from The New York Times of the top 10 finishers of the Tour de France tainted by doping.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...france-tainted-by-doping.html?ref=global-home

 

[Speshal]

Yes Bro, it's in that link I posted

j/k

 

[sportsman]

Even IF Armstrong is guilty then so must be all the teams doctors, trainers, coaches and all of the other team members.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/19369375
Throughout the case, the UCI had challenged USADA's jurisdiction over the sport, and has the option of appealing against the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
However, it stated earlier on Friday it would not take action until it had received details from USADA explaining why Armstrong should lose his titles.

 

[Speshal]

If my sketchy memory serves the WADA holds samples going back years (8 or 10 I think) if he passed the tests then and he passes them again now then the USDA have fuck all to go on - everything else is just hearsay and rumour.

I don't disagree that doping was widespread during his championship years, if he did it or not hasn't been proved in my eyes.

Have all the east Germans/Soviet block atheletes been stripped of their medals from the 60's/70's/80's?

 

[Mephistopheles]

I'm sorry you don't strip someone of all their titles and ban them for life if you don't have the evidence to back it up and just the fact that Armstrong wont defend himself speaks volumes to me, it doesn't matter if he felt he wouldn't get a fair hearing (And there is no evidence to back up his claim that he wouldn't.) he should still stand there and face his accusers if he is not guilty as charged...

 

[Brogan]

Err, I hate to do this Mephistopheles, but what was that you were just saying in the Apple thread about fair hearings?

 

[gethinceri]

Armstrong has declined to be heard in court, hasn't he?