This is the access page for an archive of forum entries. The forum iteslf is no longer available for new content. New social based chat is available on the club Facebook group.
Statement From USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart Regarding The U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy
'Of course, no one wants to be chained to the past forever, and I would call on the UCI to act on its own recent suggestion for a meaningful Truth and Reconciliation program. While we appreciate the arguments that weigh in favor of and against such a program, we believe that allowing individuals like the riders mentioned today to come forward and acknowledge the truth about their past doping may be the only way to truly dismantle the remaining system that allowed this “EPO and Blood Doping Era” to flourish. Hopefully, the sport can unshackle itself from the past, and once and for all continue to move forward to a better future.
Our mission is to protect clean athletes by preserving the integrity of competition not only for today’s athletes but also the athletes of tomorrow. We have heard from many athletes who have faced an unfair dilemma — dope, or don’t compete at the highest levels of the sport. Many of them abandoned their dreams and left sport because they refused to endanger their health and participate in doping. That is a tragic choice no athlete should have to make.
It took tremendous courage for the riders on the USPS Team and others to come forward and speak truthfully. It is not easy to admit your mistakes and accept your punishment. But that is what these riders have done for the good of the sport, and for the young riders who hope to one day reach their dreams without using dangerous drugs or methods.'
'My opinion will change the day Lance Armstrong is convicted by the UCI, and not by a journalists story in a newspaper'.
http://d3epuodzu3wuis.cloudfront.net/ReasonedDecision.pdf
This is a link to the summary of the 1000 page USADA dossier http://usada.org/ sent to the UCI and published to the press. Lance Armstrong's assertion is that only the UCI has jurisdiction over him. The USADA claim that the UCI is compromised by its involvement in this controversy. See page 157 of the summary of the USADA dossier: 'Armstrong’s assertion that UCI has exclusive jurisdiction is meritless and belied by UCI’s conduct.' That is why the USADA published the information to the press first, because there was the danger that the UCI would just ignore it. We are still waiting for their response....
My concern is that anyone who forms their 'opinion' by reading Lance Armstrong's website alone, and who doesn't read more widely than that, will in effect themselves act as a 'pawn' in the LA press relations and damage limitation exercise. There is a tendency to repeat the mantra of (1) everyone was doing drugs, (2) the USADA is corrupt, and (3) only the UCI has jurisdiction on any cycling matter/Lance Armstrong. I disagree with all three points. The dossier records the testimonies given under oath of many of the people closest to Lance Armstrong in his Tour de France years, including Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis and George Hincapie. There is detail here, and several testimonies agreeing on each point. I find it hard to understand how this evidence can be dismissed out of hand when it has the 'ring of truth' about it.
"This was simply a painstaking investigation by an anti-doping body. Not by a law enforcement body. And full credit for the detail they went into, and the manner in which they corroborated evidence from witness after witness, to piece together a damning account which has shocked the world." (WADA president John Fahey)
@Claire.O wrote:
I personally have more faith in the pragmatic attitude of Vaughters and Millar in the Garmin Team rather than 'zero-tolerance' in Team Sky. I think that it is unrealistic, will actually continue to incubate the Omerta, and it did nothing to stop Michael Barry lying and gaining credibility because he was with a clean team.
recent statement from Vaughters
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/lancearmstrong/9621381/Jonathan-Vaughters-warns-David-Brailsford-that-Sky-drugs-policy-ignores-valuable-history-lesson.html
'I know what truth is. I know my past. Not telling or selling my tales to the press is my choice - one that I made primarily for my children. And there are many things that I am not free to discuss because I am constrained by legal principles like martial privilege, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. And frankly, I am thankful for that, because my energy and focus need to be directed towards my children. To the world, Lance may be a source of admiration or suspicion, but to me he is simply my wasband and the father of my children. His choices were, and are, his.'
This is what Kristin (Kik) Armstrong wrote in her 'Runners World' blog 'Mile Markers' and which has been widely reported in the press today - without the typos! http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/ She writes homilies about family, running, and God. People read what she said because she is the wealthy, ex-wife of Lance Armstrong, and not to be confused with the 2012 Olympic gold medal winner and American cyclist of the same name.
There are some problems with this 'apple pie' story. She refused to testify to the USADA, or anyone else - in contrast to Betsy Andreu, who has been applauded for her courage. There were no legal or contractual reasons why she could not do so. Kik has been accused by Tyler Hamilton in his book 'The Secret Race' of acting as a drug runner, early warning look-out, and for handing out cortisone tablets in foil to all the riders on the team. According to Tyler, she and Lance used to have a codeword for EPO, 'butter', because that is where it was in the fridge, and this implies it really was that normal to them. It appears that she has profited from the corruption, and enjoyed the lifestyle, but I am sorry, it is not that easy to escape your past if you insist on writing a rose-tinted image of yourself for all to read in 'Runners World'.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/cycling/article3574162.ece
'According to the Sunday Times, a rider told investigators under oath that Kristin Armstrong handed out cortisone pills wrapped in tin foil to the US Postal riders who were on the USA national team for the road race.....Kristin Armstrong was previously summoned to testify under oath during the SCA Promotions legal case, which ran between 2004 and 2006. Represented there by her ex-husband’s lawyer, court documents show she refused to answer many of the questions put to her.....Walsh’s article includes other details, including testimony from one rider that Armstrong and his wife referred to EPO as butter – due to the location in the fridge where it was stored by them'.
'I personally have more faith in the pragmatic attitude of Vaughters and Millar in the Garmin Team rather than 'zero-tolerance' in Team Sky. I think that it is unrealistic, will actually continue to incubate the Omerta, and it did nothing to stop Michael Barry lying and gaining credibility because he was with a clean team.'
Hi Dave,
This is a good article that seems to favour the Brailsford route....I think!
Michael Ashenden in this brilliant article favours the Vaughters/Millar/Garmin way!
On Monday, at an airport in Geneva, Pat McQuaid, the head of the UCI, will reply to the dossier sent to him by USADA. The UCI has until 31st October to formally comment on it. I personally hope that he will use this occasion to resign.
I have included a link that explains how the head of the UCI is elected. It is a complicated voting system by the world cycling federations, and the compromise figure that all countries could agree upon was Irish (they are lovely people)- a bit like the 'Song for Europe' with wheels in fact....
http://inrng.com/2012/09/how-to-replace-pat-mcquaid/
I have also included a road.cc petition which you can sign if you agree with me:
http://road.cc/content/forum/67048-petition-pat-mcquaid-resign-uci-cleaned
Finally, a couple of articles which explain the situation, why the UCI is dragging its feet, why the UCI is heavily involved in the doping problems and too close to Lance, and why a change at the top of the UCI is necessary:
'Two weeks after Pat McQuaid suggested that an amnesty or truth and reconcilliation commission might be introduced to cycling, the UCI President said today that the sport would be better served by concentrating on the future rather than revisiting the past. '
'It emerged yesterday that the UCI’s current and former presidents McQuaid and Hein Verbruggen will face Paul Kimmage in a Swiss court on December 12th. He has received a subpoena and must appear at the Tribunal D'Arrondissement de L'Est Vaudois in Vevey in connection to a claim launched against him last January. '
'Current UCI President Pat McQuaid confirmed in 2010 that Bruyneel and Armstrong visited the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, in May 2002 where the cyclist signed over a personal cheque for $25,000 to go toward drugs testing in junior races, and he also promised to donate $100,000 to it to help develop the sport.
He finally paid that money in 2005, after the UCI sent him a reminder. The governing body used the money to buy a blood testing machine.
While McQuaid acknowledged in 2010 that “the UCI would be very careful before accepting a donation from a rider in the future,” he insisted that there was no conflict of interest.
And despite McQuaid’s protestations, by 2005, when the UCI reminded Armstrong that he hadn’t followed through on his promise and actually paid the money, accusations had started to mount against the Texan.
Dr Ashenden told the BBC programme last night: "The UCI should never have accepted money from Armstrong under any circumstances.
"But if they took money after they were aware there were grounds to suspect Armstrong had used EPO, it takes on a really sinister complexion.'
Good on David Millar for his open letter
1) 'J'ai les moyens de vous faire un coureur positif quand je veux...' ( Hein Verbruggen) "I can make a rider positive whenever I want".
'To Hein Verbruuggen, a question: Does this ring a bell?'
(Paul Kimmage twitter @paulkimmage )
2) The French Cycling Federation (FFC) has defended its decision to hand Christophe Bassons a one-year suspension after he missed a post-race doping control at the French marathon mountain bike championships on September 1.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/french-federation-defends-bassons-suspension
Forumites on Cycling News and other forums have linked the two, and decided it was punishment for 'spitting in the soup' - one conspiracy theory too many?
McQuaid: "Armstrong has no place in cycling."
UCI on Lance Armstrong press conference - live! http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/oct/22/uci-lance-armstrong-press-conference-live
UCI confirm they will strip Armstrong of his seven titles.
Pat McQuaid refuses to resign.
'The UCI itself also has some very awkward questions to answer. The UCI president, Pat McQuaid, has already successfully sued Floyd Landis after Armstrong's former team-mate accused the governing body of a cover-up. Usada repeated those allegations in their report, with both Landis and Tyler Hamilton alleging that the UCI were aware of a positive EPO test for Armstrong at the 2001 Tour of Switzerland, a suggestion that the governing body have vehemently denied in the past and, presumably, will deny again today.'
Therefore, both the UCI and Lance Armstrong have decided not to test their cases in a legal manner - except the UCI suing the little guy, Paul Kimmage, in their home law court in Switzerland.....
'12.40pm: Will legal action continue against journalist Paul Kimmage? "The case against Kimmage is nothing to do with Usada and Armstrong," says McQuaid. "It's about a journalist who accused me and my predecessor of being corrupt. It's a straight defamation case." So, yes then.'
If you want to read about the Paul Kimmage scandal, or contribute to his defense fund, the links are below. Paul Kimmage is a minnow, a victim, and has been harassed for years to keep quiet about doping and corruption in cycling. The UCI chose not to sue 'The Sunday Times' or any other business, but chose an unemployed freelance journalist instead. Hmmm.....
http://inrng.com/2012/09/paul-kimmage-defence-fund/
http://www.cyclismas.com/
http://nyvelocity.com/content/features/2012/paul-kimmage-defense-fund
http://www.cyclesportmag.com/news-and-comment/comment-i-support-paul-kimmage/
http://inrng.com/2012/10/uci-press-conference/#more-11432
Is a good blog (same source as Paul Kimmage blog above) giving a press conference run down.
The full Guardian report:
Preamble: Morning all. Whatever the UCI say in Geneva today this is a huge day for cycling. The governing body is to announce its response to the United States Anti-doping Agency's scathing report on Lance Armstrong and the US Postal team that "ran most sophisticated doping scheme in sport".
You wouldn't put it past the UCI to buck the trend and leap to Armstrong's defence but by far the most likely outcome, surely, will be the removal of the American's seven Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005, even if they opt not to endorse the conclusions of the Usada report wholesale.
Who will get them in his stead? This piece from Blazin Saddles illustrates the problem with that. Jan Ullrich, for example, came second three times behind Armstrong - in 2000, 2001 and 2003 - but has since seen all his results since 2005 wiped off due to doping. Might it not be a better option for the UCI, if they do indeed banish Armstrong's record from the books, to simply leave the winner's spot blank for those seven Tours as the strongest possible anti-doping statement.
The UCI itself also has some very awkward questions to answer. The UCI president, Pat McQuaid, has already successfully sued Floyd Landis after Armstrong's former team-mate accused the governing body of a cover-up. Usada repeated those allegations in their report, with both Landis and Tyler Hamilton alleging that the UCI were aware of a positive EPO test for Armstrong at the 2001 Tour of Switzerland, a suggestion that the governing body have vehemently denied in the past and, presumably, will deny again today.
For a more thorough and in-depth rundown of the issues today, I'd advise a look at the always brilliant INRNG blog.
11.38am: The best piece of writing on Armstrong over the weekend came, in my book at least, from Paul Kimmage. Big reveal of Cancer Jesus is well worth checking out.
11.46am: And it's mentioned in the standfirst above, but worth mentioning again – all our Lance Armstrong-related content can be found by one easy click here. It goes right the way back to Armstrong's early doping denials. Some of the pieces back then can remind you why there's a real sadness behind this story to go along with the catharsis.
11.53am: The French newspaper Le Parisien are claiming that the UCI will accept Usada's sanctions and strip Armstrong of his seven Tour titles, which could be, as they claim, an exclusive, or just a fairly safe stab.
11.59am: Right, here we go then. The press conference is due to begin at midday.
12.01pm: Introductions out of the way, president Pat McQuaid to start …
12.03pm: McQuaid: This is not the first time that cycling have reached a crossroads … it will find a new path foreward.
12.03pm: UCI confirm they will strip Armstrong of his seven titles.
12.04pm: McQuaid: "Armstrong has no place in cycling."
12.05pm: "Something like this must never happen again," says McQuaid.
12.06pm: Question on wider implications of report. McQuaid: "The UCI has concentrated on the Usada report in relation to Lance Armstrong and the other riders. We haven't got into the other elements in the report."
12.07pm: Is McQuaid's position tenable? "Why took over as president I made the fight against doping my priority. It remains my priority … there's still more work to be done. I have no intention of resigning."
12.09pm: So far it's as predicted. Armstrong scrubbed from history. UCI and McQuaid sticking to their guns (or ignoring the things they, for some reason, haven't got round to looking at yet).
12.11pm: McQuaid now saying that the UCI didn't have the right tools at the time. "When EPO came in the whole situation changed."
12.12pm: McQuaid: "I'm sorry that we couldn't catch every damn one of them and throw them out of the sport at the time."
12.13pm: McQuaid also making clear he wasn't UCI president at the time of Armstrong's Tour wins. He took the position in 2006. If that the Nomfup defence?
12.15pm: Will UCI support efforts to get prize money back from Tour de France wins? "This is one of the things that we'll be discussing at a special committee on Friday. We'll need a change of rules."
12.16pm: Which part of the report most surprised McQuaid? "I have to admit I was sickened by what I read in the Usada report. The story of how Zabriskie was coerced, and in some ways forced, into doping is mind-boggling."
12.18pm: How will Armstrong be remembered? "Armstrong deserves to be forgotten in cycling now." To an extent I agree, but surely you keep him in mind as an example and a cautionary lesson for the future.
12.20pm: How can cycling go forward when some of the men involved with the running of teams are former dopers? "It is possible that people who have made mistakes in the past can help the sport in the future."
12.22pm: McQuaid says placings for the seven Lance Tours will be discussed in the Friday meeting. Maybe they should've had that meeting before today? It's quite an important one.
12.25pm: Philippe Verbiest, the UCI lawyer, in answer to a question about Landis's statements in the report and the UCI's decision to sue him previously. "The only problem UCI had with Floyd Landis was him saying the positive test had been covered up. There was no positive test," says Verbiest.
12.27pm: UCI press pack says that Armstrong was tested 218 times, notes @NHoultCricket on Twitter. Armstrong always claimed he was the most tested athlete in the world with over 500 tests.
12.30pm: How can you find a new path forward? "Sport advances and the fight against doping advances," says McQuaid. "The tools we have now are much more advanced than they were in the early 2000s."
12.32pm: First mention of Rabobank withdrawal from the sport. "The sponsors that we have understand the work the UCI is doing and understand that attitudes in teams and their entourage have changed." McQuaid confident that Rabobank will be replaced.
12.34pm: Do you think the sport will ever be free of doping? "There's no doubt this is a crisis, it's the biggest crisis cycling has ever faced
I like to look at this crisis as an opportunity to recognise that our sport is in danger and that everyone needs to work together to go forward. Will it ever be free of doping? To be honest with you I'd say no."
12.38pm: How has technology improved since 2005? Mario Zorzoli, the UCI's chief medical adviser points to biological passports and tests for growth hormone. Labs are working on the detection of blood transfusions.
12.40pm: Suggestions that Armstrong bought off the UCI are "absolutely untrue" says McQuaid.
12.40pm: Will legal action continue against journalist Paul Kimmage? "The case against Kimmage is nothing to do with Usada and Armstrong," says McQuaid. "It's about a journalist who accused me and my predecessor of being corrupt. It's a straight defamation case." So, yes then.
12.44pm: McQuaid on other US Postal riders. "We look at an enormous, sophisticated cheating programme … I feel sorry for the guys they competed against."
12.46pm: McQuaid reels off long, long list of doping cases he's had to deal with since becoming president. "It's been a pretty horrific seven years I've had as president. But I'm confident the landscape in the peloton has changed."
12.48pm: "Rabobank has a minus 17 million Euros confidence in the UCI," reckons Bonnie Bolding. "The UCI can expect, after this press conference, other sponsors to follow suit and withdraw their brands and money. Then the UCI might stop wringing its hands and set up better mechanisms to stamp out this sort of cheating."
12.49pm: McQuaid again insists there was no cover up by UCI of a positive Armstrong test and that there was no positive test.
12.50pm: Says UCI will still accept financial contributions from riders in the future. "The UCI aren't like Fifa with billions in the bank."
12.51pm: That statement, by the way, was on the back of a question about whether the UCI were right to accept donation from Armstrong.
12.52pm: Think it's fair to say that the funding question was the first time McQuaid has looked really uncomfortable.
12.55pm: McQuaid says there's a meeting scheduled with all teams in early December to discuss the issue and the route forward. "The UCI is listening and prepared to listen."
12.56pm: And that's that. To emphasise the headline point once more: Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life.
1pm: And a full recap:
• UCI accepts Usada decision in full and won't go the court of arbitration for sport.
• Therefore Lance Armstrong is stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life.
• Who, if anyone, is to be awarded those titles is to be decided on Friday.
• UCI president Pat McQuaid says he won't be resigning over the issue.
• McQuaid denies UCI covered up a positive Armstrong test in 2001.
• Suggestions that Armstrong bought off the UCI are "absolutely untrue" says McQuaid.
• UCI will continue to take donations from cyclists, as they did from Armstrong, despite potential for conflict of interest issues.
• McQuaid will continue legal action against journalist Paul Kimmage.
1.04pm: Right, that's it from the press conference. I think it's fair to say that the reaction of the cycling community, on Twitter at least, has been almost entirely negative about McQuaid's performance. Stick around on site for all the news, reaction and comment on the fallout, but from me, cheerio!
good article by robert millar http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/the-bare-minimum
We are waiting for a meeting of the UCI on Friday. In the meantime, here is another good article about how 'Pat McQuaid defended the indefensible'! (couldn't have put it better myself!) 🙂
'Can anyone help me out? I know this sounds kind of lame but I am not well versed in social marketing. I would like to send a message to everyone that really loves cycling. I do not use twitter and do not have an organized way of getting some of my own "rage" out. I want to tell the world of cycling to please join me in telling Pat McQuaid to resign. I have never seen such an abuse of power in cycling's history- resign Pat if you love cycling. Resign even if you hate the sport.
Pat McQuaid, you know dam well what has been going on in cycling, and if you want to deny it, then even more reasons why those who love cycling need to demand that you resign.
I have a file with what I believe is well documented proof that will exonerate Paul.
Pat in my opinion you and Hein are the corrupt part of the sport. I do not want to include everyone at the UCI because I believe that there are many, maybe most that work at the UCI that are dedicated to cycling, they do it out of the love of the sport, but you and your buddy Hein have destroyed the sport.
Pat, I thought you loved cycling? At one time you did and if you did love cycling please dig deep inside and remember that part of your life- allow cycling to grow and flourish- please! It is time to walk away. Walk away if you love cycling.
As a reminder I just want to point out that you recently you accused me of being the cause of USADA's investigation against Lance Armstrong. Why would you be inclined to go straight to me as the "cause"? Why shoot the messenger every time?
Every time you do this I get more and more entrenched. I was in your country over the last two weeks and I asked someone that knows you if you were someone that could be rehabilitated. His answer was very quick and it was not good for you. No was the answer, no, no , no!
The problem for sport is not drugs but corruption. You are the epitome of the word corruption.
You can read all about Webster's definition of corruption. If you want I can re-post my attorney's response to your letter where you threaten to sue me for calling the UCI corrupt. FYI I want to officially reiterate to you and Hien that in my opinion the two of your represent the essence of corruption.
I would encourage anyone that loves cycling to donate and support Paul in his fight against the Pat and Hein and the UCI. Skip lunch and donate the amount that you would have spent towards that Sunday buffet towards changing the sport of cycling.
I donated money for Paul's defense, and I am willing to donate a lot more, but I would like to use it to lobby for dramatic change in cycling. The sport does not need Pat McQuaid or Hein Verbruggen- if this sport is going to change it is now. Not next year, not down the road, now! Now or never!
People that really care about cycling have the power to change cycling- change it now by voicing your thought and donating money towards Paul Kimmage's defense, ( Paul, I want to encourage you to not spend the money that has been donated to your defense fund on defending yourself in Switzerland. In my case, a USA citizen, I could care less if I lost the UCI's bogus lawsuit. Use the money to lobby for real change).
If people really want to clean the sport of cycling up all you have to do is put your money where your mouth is.
Don't buy a USA Cycling license. Give up racing for a year, just long enough to put the UCI and USA cycling out of business. We can then start from scratch and let the real lovers in cycling direct where and how the sport of cycling will go.
Please make a difference.
Greg'
An impassioned plea from Greg Lemond on Facebook today!
https://www.facebook.com/greglemond
http://inrng.com/2012/10/lemond-letter-uci/#comments
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13145/LeMond-issues-open-letter-calling-on-McQuaid-and-Verbruggen-to-resign-for-the-sake-of-cycling.aspx
Please make it STOP Ady. This is getting boring!!!!
The mans a cheat however many blogs or reports you read end of 🙄
