Posted on 08/23/2012 10:18:32 PM PDT by Domandred
AUSTIN, Texas - August 23rd, 2012 - There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense.
I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADA’s charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADA’s motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene.
If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA’s process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and – once and for all – put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colors. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In-competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?
From the beginning, however, this investigation has not been about learning the truth or cleaning up cycling, but about punishing me at all costs. I am a retired cyclist, yet USADA has lodged charges over 17 years old despite its own 8-year limitation. As respected organizations such as UCI and USA Cycling have made clear, USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges. The international bodies governing cycling have ordered USADA to stop, have given notice that no one should participate in USADA’s improper proceedings, and have made it clear the pronouncements by USADA that it has banned people for life or stripped them of their accomplishments are made without authority. And as many others, including USADA’s own arbitrators, have found, there is nothing even remotely fair about its process.
USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honor its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers’ expense. For the last two months, USADA has endlessly repeated the mantra that there should be a single set of rules, applicable to all, but they have arrogantly refused to practice what they preach. On top of all that, USADA has allegedly made deals with other riders that circumvent their own rules as long as they said I cheated. Many of those riders continue to race today.
The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s just not right.
USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles. I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours. We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront. There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart.
Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet.
Yes.. 10 people lied under oath. You are so smart, you could never be fooled by anybody.
I realize that cheaters can still get by without begin detected but I’m not buying that over 17 years of racing and 100s and 100s of random tests, he would not have tested positive even once.
If it was so easy to escape detection then why are so many cyclists getting caught? There were a few that were kicked out of the TdF just this year and you read about them all the time.
Plus, my understanding is that the drugs have gotten more sophisticated in the past few years. Seventeen years ago, that wasn’t the case yet he still had no positive samples...
I think we are arguing small points here. What I said was that he was caught. He had a positive sample from the Olympics. There is a big difference in his situation versus Lance. Tyler tested positive, Lance has not.
I like Tyler Hamilton and was very disappointed when he was busted for PEDs. He lives and trains in Boulder with people I know (Boulder is close to me) and is a heck of an athlete. It is a shame that he felt he had to enhance his own abilities which are substantial.
Who are the 10 cyclists testifying against Lance Armstrong? Do they have pictures of him doping?
Thank you.
I was waiting for the inevitable “He rode by me once while I was waving a flag”.
No seriously, there are peletons in races. some people assume it means “in the tour de france”, but it could be consistant with racing in Leadville.
There’s no reason to doubt that the poster did ride in a race with Lance, other than the general rule that brand-new sign-ups, anonymous, non-descript names, and wild accusations with no evidence all can point to someone who isn’t being totally truthful.
But more importantly, jb729 has not given a shred of evidence or reason why any of us should even CARE what his opinion is of Lance Armstrong. For all we know, he tried to hit on Lance and Lance turned him down, and that’s why he is upset with him. Sure, that is highly unlikely, since nobody would think Lance was gay, but the point is that we have no idea what would make jb729 an objective observer or reporter.
That gets to be different when a freeper has been here for years — you get to know them in a lot of different circumstances, and can judge how they did relative to facts in cases where the facts could be known or were found out.
What would be cool? A picture of jb729 riding alongside Lance. At least it would show that the basic story is true.
They lied under oath about Lance beating cancer?
Tell us again about how you “KNOW Lance Armstrong” after having “rode with him in the peloton”... in two MTB races in Leadville?
How long did you ride “with” him - was that like, up to the start line maybe — before he decorated your Crash IV wannabe ego with the rooster spray from his rear tire?
[There’s no reason to doubt that the poster did ride in a race with Lance]
The assertion bj729 is trying to prop up is that he/she/it “KNOWS” Lance Armstrong because he/she/it rode in the same Mountain Bike race as Lance.
Two races and He/She/It “KNOWS” Lance Armstrong? Being in the crowd at the start line does not equate to “KNOW”ing somebody.
It’s the “KNOWS” part I call bullshyte on.
That's the charge of the USADA. As for the rest of their bogus charges, they have failed to disclose the identities of the "anonymous" athletes and the alleged testimonies that were given and have refused all requests for same. One would think that with an investigation of this magnitude and the charges being made, that the USADA would be completely transparent in its actions and make all their findings public......
The actions of the USADA are sounding more and more like the "who outed Valerie Plame" investigation conducted against the Bush administration...
As for Armstrong, even the Prosecutors with the DOJ dropped their investigation last winter.....
Sure he can...happens all the time. How do you think Dems hold elected offices today
Says who, the USADA? The information has been requested but to date, neither the names of the "witnesses" nor their testimony has been revealed by the USADA..........
As for swearing under oath, you're watching too many court movies, this isn't a grand jury investigation........
And by the way, last winter even the Department of Justice prosecutors gave up their investigation....
Are you aware of his tell all book? You don't start writing books and organizations don't threaten to take away the life's work of Mr. Good Guy Armstrong without overwhelming evidence.
I raced in two races with him. Both at Leadville. I met/know alot of people in the upper ranks of cycling. Their stories to me were detailed and very convincing. Enough for me. Lance Armstrong is also not a very nice person at all. If people knew the stuff he’s done, he would have virtually no fans.
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Got a photo? Where’s your proof? I can say I flew with Neil Armstrong too but I have no proof.
I'm even doubting those two MTB races since with the exception of the professional invitees, all other entries were granted by lottery only.......
They do have a Fun Ride and Run race that is open to the public tho...........LOL!
Regardless of Hamilton’s book, there is NO EVIDENCE. There is not a single positive test. Anyone can throw around accusations and even sound convincing but without proof, at least in this country, the charges are not supposed to go anywhere. I guess we all now know that government agencies have complete power over our lives now and even the courts can’t protect us from these unelected bureaucrats. The EPA can take your land, the IRS can take everything you own and these guys can take away Lance’s reputation and maybe his Tour victories- all without proof. It’s a sad day in the US for a lot of reasons.
For a couple of months each summer I worked around an athlete who had an abnormally long body trunk and shorter legs. This is a tremendous advantage in swimming. He just won more Olympic medals than any other human; should his strange physique be outlawed?
Riding with someone in a mountain bike race is nothing at all like being in the same peloton. Admittedly there is chatter and mingling in the parking area and those who know someone may have anecdotal comments, but it is not really the type of situation where you get to ‘know’ someone as you would in a crit or road race where there is team involvement and audible conversation.
GREAT POINT. If he was using his career would have been over long before he won even three tours. Also, why didn't they catch him when he medaled at the Olympics? (and does the USADA want that medal back)
Also in question when stripping titles is whether people down the GC who weren't tested were using and how that influenced team standings and money earned. This sleazeball running the USADA is a nothing more than non-profit corporation free loader with a chip on his shoulder.
I HATE NGOs and their freeloader boards. They do absolutely nothing for society.
How do you know 10 people testified under oath? We have no evidence of that. Just a statement in a news story about the USADA claiming they have witnesses.
Do you have access to the sworn testimony?
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