Posted on 06/25/2006 8:33:37 AM PDT by SkyPilot
Former Tour de France champion Greg LeMond has claimed that he was threatened by fellow American Lance Armstrong for having criticised the seven-time race winner's association with a doctor implicated in doping affairs.
LeMond, who won the Tour de France in 1986, 1989, 1990, said that he had come under pressure from Armstrong and his circle of friends after saying in 2001 that he was disappointed at the Texan cyclist's association with Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari.
LeMond said Sunday that the threats continued after 2001.
"Lance threatened me. He threatened my wife, my business, my life," LeMond told French sports daily L'Equipe.
"His biggest threat consisted of saying that he (Armstrong) would find ten people to testify that I took EPO," said LeMond, who was the first American to win the Tour de France.
LeMond hit out at the international cycling union (UCI) for their failure to deal with the problem of doping.
"This problem goes beyond Armstrong. The Spanish scandal (operation "Puerto" which revealed a system of blood doping last month) is another example, the entire system is corrupt," said LeMond, who also referred to the Vrijman report, named after the expert commissioned by the UCI to probe the accusations of doping against Armstrong.
"The report should have come from the world anti-doping agency (WADA, who have criticised the report) or the French Ministry of Health. But it doesn't change anything if you catch a rider because Lance is now retired and it continues," added LeMond.
The 34-year-old Armstrong won seven straight Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005 before retiring last year.
Armstrong dismissed as untrue reports Saturday that he told a doctor treating him for cancer in 1996 that he had previously taken the banned blood booster EPO, testosterone, growth hormones and cortisone.
What a bunch of crybabies.
Hmmmm...
You think with a name like "LeMond",and his little tirade, he isn't quite the "American" he claims to be?
Proof? Why is it that these people NEVER HAVE ANY PROOF?
I have to go read the Sunday funnies. Then maybe my blood pressure will go down.
"Lance threatened me. He threatened my wife, my business, my life..."
So shut up and defend yourself and family. Pussy.
Ping to yet another accusation against Armstrong.
Although I have read Lance's books and admired him and his (and America's) triumps for years, I think this little (tattle) has provided great loads of new admiration for him.
Some cultures allow the utterers of lies to be killed. Bearing false witness is one of the top 10 sins. Top ten! Why should Lemond and about 95% of MSM be free to repeat lies without any evidence? In fact contradicted by the only evidence. They should all burn. Lance just wants to hasten them on their journey.
Yeah, like with Barry Bonds.
Jelousy is a terrible thing.
This is exactly the tactic the French used against Armstrong. LeMond is taking the remarks out-of-context for his own ends. Despicable.
Figures hearing this from Lemond, who happens to be a MINNESOTAN.
I have seen Lance Armstrong compete when he was a junior. 1991 at the Texas District Road Race in San Antonio (Stone Oak area for those familiar with the area. Some wicked climbs). Killed the field. Also lots of fitness before that as a triathlete. An obvious sign of doping would be a drastic improvement in a short space of time. Not the case. Armstrong has always been a consistently strong athlete. Some people do not want to here this.
As for the EPO use. Yes, Armstrong probably used EPO. When he was undergoing chemo and radiation therapy. That is part of the standard treatment protocol.
Lemond is doing this on behalf of the French.
The French are the biggest crybabies on earth (After Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavaricks).
More French Whine?......I think so
Interesting how people will mock Bonds yet run to defend Armstrong. There is no doubt that Armstrong is an unbelievable athlete and cycling is a gruelling sport whether or not you are a doping, but I am amazed at how quickly some of you ridicule Lemond and how blindly you follow a guy with a rubber band (almost sounds like the zealousness of democrats). Lemond and Armstrong were never real competitor so it's not about a disgruntaled opponent. And the fact is that doping is a huge problem in cycling. I don't know if Armstrong doped when he won his 7 TDF in a row, but in a world were everyone tries to find an edge, I find it hard to believe that Armstrong never tried epo or anything else. Remember, here's a guy that was meticulous in finding every type of advantage even shaving off a 1/10th of a gram on his bike to save weight. And before you knee jerkers on here take what I am typing the wrong way, I could care less if he took epo or not. I just don't buy it that he says he has never doped to enhance his performance in a world where many where doing it.
"Jelousy is a terrible thing."
Yup.
And I am liking Greg LeMond less and less every day.
What's his problem anyways?
"Interesting how people will mock Bonds yet run to defend Armstrong. "
Did Bonds suffer from cancer and nearly die too?
And then fight back from near death to totally dominate his sport and become the greatest ever at his sports?
Thank You #5
Well, LeMond is a name of French derivation, is it not? It means "the World" ... those Frenchies can't be trusted n'est pas?
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