Report: Hincapie tells feds Armstrong used PEDs

AP ^ | 5/20/11 | Stephen Wilson

[Vision]

NEW YORK (AP) — A report by "60 Minutes" says George Hincapie, a longtime member of Lance Armstrong's inner circle, has told federal authorities he saw the seven-time Tour de France winner use performance-enhancing drugs...

Hamilton said he also used PEDs with Armstrong.

Hincapie has often been depicted as one of Armstrong's most loyal teammates and was with him for all seven Tour victories. In an interview last year, Armstrong said Hincapie was "like a brother to me."

Armstrong has steadfastly denied doping...

[Revolting cat!]

No apologies necessary (I’m blushing.) It’s just my style - no sarcasm tags!

[green iguana]

No... Armstrong is the best Tour de France rider of all time.

Eddy Mercx is the best cyclist of all time - their records don’t even begin to compare.

[green iguana]

Sorry - Merckx. Need to proofread...

[green iguana]

I thought it was funny...

[Liberty Valance]

Agreed. 60 minutes spent an hour trying to bury Lance tonite. He must have spent too much time riding with Bush and wounded Warriors for them to attempt this kind of character assassination.

[Baynative]

CAUTION - contains candid materials and hard truth!

Well, here it is The full story on testimony from Hamilton, Hinacpie and more

[Moonman62]

At this point the guy is retired and never tested positive - if he used PEDs so be it, but why on earth are our tax dollars being used to investigate his conduct?

Because Congress wants to show that everybody is a fraud except for them.

[Red Badger]

Why, after all these years, is this happening? Does he need money? Book deal? Movie deal? I’m not fully convinced...................

[whattajoke]

Shall we shame Merckx now?

As Merckx was busted for doping at least 3 times I think and has publicly recanted, he's "safe." Of course Indurain used EPO too; no way a 6'3" guy gets over the Pyrenees like he did without some blood boosting.

What sets Lance apart is that he had the best team doctors and scientists at his beck and call to monitor EPO (and now I guess testosterone too) levels and keep his hematocrit under the magic 50% line. (Or whatever they allow.) You can boost red blood cells and oxygen uptake via altitude training and oxygen tenting. Not as quickly as EPO or CERA will do it, but it is still quite effective. It's not by accident that the USOC training facility is in Colorado Springs.

I've always sort of told myself (also as a former Cat 2 racer) that EPO was different. Heck, Amgen who is the main sponsor of the Tour of California makes EPO! - anyway, boosting red blood cells is something different to me from steroids, testosterone patches, amphetamines and the grisly practice of transfusions.

Is it really? No, not really. But when your livlihood is based upon success, and race organizers get off on absurd routes and ultimate pain (See this year's Giro for proof that's not changing), what do you expect?

Eliminate the insane 20+% dirt road grades, the 150 mile torture routes through mountain passes, shorten the Feb-Nov season and then maybe they'll convince the pros to stop the doping.

[green iguana]

Well Bay, Hincapie has said nothing in public and his grand jury testimony hasn’t been released, so what he may have said is not certain at this point.

As to Tyler, here’s the UCI’s official response to his commentary on 60 minutes:

Press release - UCI rejects allegations made by Tyler Hamilton

Date:
23.05.2011

Description: The International Cycling Union categorically rejects the allegations made by Mr Tyler Hamilton, who claims that Lance Armstrong tested positive for EPO during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland and had the results covered up after one of his representatives approached the Lausanne laboratory responsible for analysing test results from the event.

The UCI is deeply shocked by the seriousness of the allegations made on the “60 Minutes” programme aired by US television network CBS, and by the extent of the media interest in the case, and wishes to state once again that it has never altered or hidden the results of a positive test.

The allegations of Mr Tyler Hamilton are completely unfounded. The UCI can only express its indignation at this latest attempt to damage the image of cycling by a cyclist who has not hesitated to abuse the trust of all followers of cycling on several occasions in the past. At no time did he see fit to inform the UCI of the events he claims to have witnessed ten years ago, and which he is now using in his attempt to harm the UCI.

The UCI can only confirm that Lance Armstrong has never been notified of a positive test result by any anti-doping laboratory.

Aside from the fact that no legal action may now be taken in respect of events that occurred in 2001, the UCI also wishes to point out that in doping cases it must abide by the rules of evidence; any statutory or scientific evaluation must necessarily be made on the basis of the rules, knowledge and detection methods available at the time.

Once again, the UCI wishes to state that no manipulation or cover-up has occurred in respect of its anti-doping procedures. The UCI will continue to defend its honour and credibility by all means available, and reserves the right to take any measures it deems necessary against Mr Hamilton or any other person.

The UCI confidently awaits the results of the inquiry being conducted by the US justice system. It hopes that the investigations may be concluded swiftly and the truth ascertained, so that the sport of cycling may be spared further unnecessary damage.

UCI Press Office

So the UCI says: “Tyler, You Lie!”

But we knew that, didn’t we.

[rawhide]

How did he pass over 500 tests and never get caught once? This is bad for him. I hope it is not true. If Hinacpie has indeed testified against Lance, backing up Hamilton, then I afraid it might be over for Lance? I do not see how he can keep denying and keep denying, when more and more people are coming out against him?

Just curious why the Feds are so interested in this? Someone mentioned on another thread that the sponser at the time, the USPS, makes this a federal issue?

[whattajoke]

How did he pass over 500 tests and never get caught once?

Because the usage of EPO isn't like taking a conventional PED like steroids. For many years, EPO was unknown to the testers. When they became aware, the way to bust a user was to measure his red blood cells as a ratio. If that ratio went over a set limit (say, 50%), he was busted.

(By raising red blood cells, one increases his ability to oxygenate one's blood, providing a rather large advantage in endurance events.)

When users are very careful and have done all the science and employ their own doctors and scientists to keep on top of things, the user only uses enough to keep his levels just under the max allowed. Those close to pro cycling would say that every top pro rider has used EPO in the last 15 years many times. It's viewed as no worse or different from oxygen tents, which acheive the same desired effect - and which the UCI thought of banning at one time.

There is a newer sort of synthetic EPO called CERA which allowed users to control their counts better, but it's now easily seen in blood testing. Then there are the transfusers who store up their blood and infuse it back into themselves to increase blood volume and therefore, RBC counts again.

Every now and then, you have real idiots like Vinokourov who transfused his FATHER'S blood into himself.

And yes, the Feds are interested because of other types of issues, all tangential (and arguably more important) than the doping itself.

[whattajoke]

I should further note that some of the high profile busts (like Ullrich) have never actually been confirmed in tests, but rather in the paper trail and circumstantial evidence. Evidence that would NEVER fly in the US.

Also, the UCI has Armstrong’s blood dating back something like 8 years. They do keep trying new tests on it, but so far have come up with nothing.

Also,the pro peleton today has a thing called the “passport” which is a measure of all kinds of blood/urine related things that they have to get “updated” all the time, all year long. So say you’re a pro and your hematocrit is measured at 43% in January. You can’t then spike it to 48% in July and simply say, “hey, I’m under the UCI legal limit,” no, because you spiked 5% somehow and you cheated. They measure all that stuff, like testosterone levels and all sorts of natural hormones and chemicals – and you have to stay within a narrow band in all your tests, in and out of competition, 365 days/year.

Wanna bet they’re still “cheating” somehow though?

[golux]

Vinokourov did not infuse his father’s blood. That was just an ‘urban’ myth.

He heard about this myth and once joked “I assure you that if I had infused my Father’s blood I would have tested positive for vodka!”

I really appreciate these cycling threads. Do you suppose anyone might step up to manage a pinglist? Maybe I could do it.

[Baynative]

Ekimov rejects Hamilton's allegations!

[Baynative]

"A former teammate of Hamilton's with the U.S. Postal squad, Ekimov was extremely irritated by Hamilton's detailed allegations on ''60 Minutes'' that Lance Armstrong and other team leaders encouraged, promoted and took part in a doping program on the way to winning the Tour de France a record seven times.

''The main point is just the total disappointment of people that you used to work with and then all of a sudden you see their real faces,'' Ekimov told The Associated Press on Monday...
''They're liars.''

[Blue Jays]

"...By the way - will there be a Tour de France pinglist this year?
Are there any Freepers who might be willing to manage a cycling / roadie pinglist?..."

---

Check this with FReeper Nutmeg who previously managed a pinglist for those interested in cycling topics...

[SouthTexas]

A shot across the bow eh?

[Vision]

Bring Ekimov to the grand jury and find out his story. We're way beyond the he said he said stage.

[CharlesWayneCT]

You’d have to be an idiot to go to that grand jury. It is clearly looking for the “right” answers, and if you disagree with the story, even if you aren’t lying, you’ll end up being charged with perjury based on the testimony of the others.

Because no way they’ll ever go after the confessed liars and cheaters for perjury when those guys gave them the answers they expected and wanted.