The new improved Lance Armstrong discussion thread.*

[mangaman]

He was racing in 1991-3. Was doping rampant in the peleton then?

Yes, and he didn't want to be part of it and became a mountain biker in the US - which is why you haven't heard of him.

Did you read the article?

 

[Red Light]

Yes, and he didn't want to be part of it and became a mountain biker in the US - which is why you haven't heard of him.

Did you read the article?

I follow mountain biking as well and still don't recall him. Did he have any major wins? Sixth in the World Cross Country Championships seems to be his pinnacle.

Did you read the article? You know the bit where it says "Willerton said he never personally witnessed any doping at the time, but he had started to hear the rumors." and that with being Armstrong's team mate for year. Which kind of knocks Smoking Joe's suggestion on the head.

 

[ColinJ]

He was racing in 1991-3. Was doping rampant in the peleton then?

Just read what Greg Lemond, Laurent Fignon, Andy Hampsten and other great riders had to say about it!

(Let me summarise - in the early 90s some of the world's best riders suddenly found themselves being destroyed by masses of hitherto unheard of domestiques, and thought "WTF - what is going on here!")

 

[User169]

Do you honestly and genuinely believe that Armstrong raced clean?

That's not the point - it's just not fair.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I fear you're right. I thought it would be enough to see him exposed but now I'm filling with a slow outrage that he's showing no contrition and worse he's still playing the moral hero and feel some despair that people think that it's OK to hold up as an idol someone as morally vacuous as Armstrong. Whilst at the same time his sponsors, far from moving to distance themselves, continue the symbiotic feeding off the profits of his false idolatory.

Crackle 52:1022

Glad I got that off my chest.

Vacuous? Morally vacuous? Hardly!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I follow mountain biking as well and still don't recall him. Did he have any major wins? Sixth in the World Cross Country Championships seems to be his pinnacle.

You don't seem to have a point here apart from to try to personnally belittle anyone who is trying to do anything positive for the sport. You've already lost the argument on Armstrong (well, you never knew enough to be taken seriously on that anyway) and you not only don't have the good grace to back down a bit and admit you were wrong, you start attacking other people who are doing trying to do something. Unbelievable.

 

[mangaman]

You don't seem to have a point here apart from to try to personnally belittle anyone who is trying to do anything positive for the sport. You've already lost the argument on Armstrong (well, you never knew enough to be taken seriously on that anyway) and you not only don't have the good grace to back down a bit and admit you were wrong, you start attacking other people who are doing trying to do something. Unbelievable.

Come, come FM
6th in the World Champs - pah, who does this fellow Willerton think he is?

Redlight could whip his ass on a unicyle up the Ventoux backwards, while still posting strangely irrelevant graphs about windspeeds on a different thread on his phone.

 

[DogTired]

I fear you're right. I thought it would be enough to see him exposed but now I'm filling with a slow outrage that he's showing no contrition and worse he's still playing the moral hero and feel some despair that people think that it's OK to hold up as an idol someone as morally vacuous as Armstrong. Whilst at the same time his sponsors, far from moving to distance themselves, continue the symbiotic feeding off the profits of his false idolatory.

Crackle 52:1022

The next bit is in the hands of the UCI. Do they ratify the sanctions (meaning that LA does lose his TdF titles) or not? If no then no-one will take cycling or his wins seriously. If yes then maybe SCA will sue him for the prize money, with costs maybe $7million. If yes, then a lot of people will think job done and look very carefully at his foundation (not the one covering up his injection marks, the other one) and start asking careful questions there.

Its easier to have friends in high places when things are going well, not so when you're tainted.

 

[rich p]

You're still missing the point - (is there a child stamping his foot smiley?) - has USADA got jurisdiction or not?

 

[MichaelM]

That's not the point - it's just not fair.

I was tempted to define "raced clean" given his fondness for process and fairness.

 

[DogTired]

You're still missing the point - (is there a child stamping his foot smiley?) - has USADA got jurisdiction or not?

Sorry Rich if I've misunderstood - USADA do the sanctions and the UCI will/may/should/hmm ratify them. He can't lose his titles until the UCI ratifies the decision so officially he still is the TdF 7 times winner. UCI said they'd get back in 21 days, once they realise they've run out of options.

A juicier point is if someone with jurisdiction will prosecute LA for perjury considering his comments (some under oath) and the USADA testimony. Oh yeah and USPS asking for their dosh back.

 

[User169]

For heavens sake, who cares if he doped or not.

 

[Crackle]

Vacuous? Morally vacuous? Hardly!

I was just trying to ascribe 'a lack of' to him and continuing the religious theme. I'm fully open to suggestions of how to describe him (I may also have misunderstood your post).

 

[philipbh]

You're still missing the point - (is there a child stamping his foot smiley?) - has USADA got jurisdiction or not?

Page 155 - 163 onwards "Results Management" has the answer you are looking for

USADA claim jurisdiction based on

• Arguments set forth
• UCI not challenging USADA's assertion of results management responsibility within 21 days (which expired on June 12th 2012) as set out in the CAS articles of arbitration

 

[mickle]

has USADA got jurisdiction or not?

Every time a professional cyclist signs in to a race he signs to say that he agrees to be bound by the rules and regulations of the WADA, of which USADA is a member. So yes.