Lance Armstrong's official comment

[Lithos]

http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstongs-statement-of-august-23-2012

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.

more...

[brettdale]

1. Has he ever

I know Lance Armstrong has said in the past "I have never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs"

Has he ever said..

"I have never TAKEN performance enhancing drugs"

[bhikkhu]

5. That's what he has in common with Landis...

at least in the book "Positively False", which Landis wrote to defend himself from doping charges during his fight. I was inclined to believe him, maybe because I just want to believe in "heroes", or heroic efforts, or whatever. But the book talked about everything under the sun that was wrong with the case, and every way he deserved to win that race and continue his career, but he didn't just say "I didn't take any performance enhancing drugs". So there was that doubt, and then he came out and admitted it all last year...

I guess I'm at that stage with Armstrong where I'd like to believe him, but he has so often talked about the drug tests that he passed and so seldom (if at all) flatly stated that he has never doped...I suppose when it comes down to it a straight-out lie is very hard for any of us to put to words, and evasion is always so much easier.

Not that my opinion is of any importance, but if he did come out and say that he doped because he knew he could come back and win races and use that to build the best cancer research foundation in the world, then I think most people would be ok with it, or just move on - especially looking at the sport overall back then where virtually all of his competition is equally guilty, only with more selfish motives.

In any case, I wish him luck in his work, and perhaps he can become good still by doing good.

[pokerfan]

9. Reminds me of a scene from stripes

Recruiter: Have you ever been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor? That's robbery, rape, car theft, that sort of thing.
Winger: Convicted? No.
Russell: Never convicted.

[Dawson Leery]

2. Though not a sports fan(nor do I give athletes regard)

Jim Sensenbrenner is doubtful of the integrity of the USADA:

http://sensenbrenner.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=303025

"If Armstrong submits to USADA’s arbitration, he will be in the unenviable position of carrying the burden to rebut testimony from witnesses he cannot even cross examine. As attorneys for Armstrong asserted, “USADA has created a kangaroo court that it asserts has the power to bar Mr. Armstrong for life from his chosen profession and to strip him retroactively of the victories he has earned, including victories earned prior to USADA’s creation.” "

Athletes are given too much importance in this world. It is a waste of taxpayer monies to be funding this idiotic association.

[Nye Bevan]

3. "Mike Anderson says he felt a dull sadness as he stared at the little white cardboard box

in Armstrong's bathroom cabinet. His eyes focused on the word ANDRO written on the label. Anderson tried to rationalize it. Maybe it was leftover cancer medication, but this was 2004, long after Armstrong's disease had been defeated, and there was no prescription attached.

Anderson knew there were drugs in cycling, but as Armstrong's bike mechanic and personal assistant from 2002 to '04, he had seen no hard evidence against his boss. There was, of course, the conversation that year on a training ride near Austin in which they discussed Belgian cyclist Johan Museeuw, who had been accused of doping. "Everyone does it," Armstrong said matter-of-factly, according to Anderson. And later in '04 there would be the day Armstrong seemed to evaporate from his ranch—the first time in two years he'd left without alerting Anderson—when USADA drug testers showed up at the gate. Still, that seemed circumstantial to Anderson. So that day in Armstrong's apartment in Girona, Spain, where Anderson had been sent to remove all traces of Armstrong's ex-wife, Kristin, before Armstrong arrived with his girlfriend, Sheryl Crow, Anderson didn't look inside the box. Still, the box was, well, tangible.

.....

Federal investigators have access to the documents filed in the Anderson-Armstrong lawsuit. According to those papers, shortly after Armstrong won his sixth Tour de France, in 2004, Anderson, who was back home in Austin, says he got a call from Armstrong's friend Derek Russey, alerting him that USADA drug testers had shown up at the Armstrong ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas, and Lance wasn't there. Athletes subject to USADA testing are required to notify the agency of their whereabouts, and missing three random tests over 18 months can count as a violation. Anderson says he became involved in a plan to fool the testers. His job was to keep an eye on the USADA officials—a man and a woman in a white SUV—while Armstrong's friend John Korioth retrieved the cyclist's black Suburban from the private terminal at the Austin airport and drove it to the ranch. The idea was for Korioth, posing as Armstrong behind the tinted windows of the car, to drive past the testers on the road and give the impression that Armstrong had been around all along and they simply could not get hold of him."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1180944/1/index.htm

[sellitman]

4. My brother rides, and knows him personally

He firmly believes Lance is clean. I believe him.

Cycling has shot itself in the foot IMHO

[Greybnk48]

6. I agree. I won't bother with the Tour again.

As far as I'm concerned, the (jealous) European's can stuff it (the race) where the sun don't shine. Do we strip any extraordinary athlete of their awards because we're SURE they couldn't have done it without cheating, despite the FACT that we can't find any evidence?

What bullshit.

[Lithos]

8. To be honest, there is no proof out there

Though I suspect Lance has been involved in things he would rather not admit, there is also a witch hunt involved here by an organization which has far too much power, including the ability to rewrite rules when it suits them.

L-

[sellitman]

10. Guilty until proven innocent isn"t what we are suppose to be about

The USADA has ZERO physical evidence.

A kangaroo court if you ask me.

[brettdale]

7. I hope he is clean

But i cant get over the fact that he has never ever said "I have never taken performance enhancing drugs"

hes only ever said he has never tested positive.