Lance Armstrong Ordered to Stand Trial

[quaoar]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051215/ap_on_sp_ot/cyc_armstrong_trial;_ylt=AqX6kx0F1_erSNY1X2Ekr4ms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-

ROME - Lance Armstrong has been ordered to stand trial in Italy on charges of defaming cyclist Filippo Simeoni.

Armstrong's lawyer in Italy, Enrico Nan, said Thursday that the seven-time Tour de France champion was indicted Wednesday and scheduled to go to trial on March 7.

Nan said Armstrong does not face jail time, but he could be fined if found guilty.

Armstrong is being investigated for pursuing Simeoni during an early stage breakaway in last year's Tour de France and reportedly threatening him for testifying about doping abuse in the trial of an Italian doctor associated with Armstrong.

[Loonman]

1. Euros sure are petulant

Lance is out, he retired, so lighten up, assholes.

[Thorandmjolnir]

4. Hmm, this has nothing to do with him as an athlete

but as a person. Simoni had a libel suit against Armstrong, and now the charge is that Armstrong intimidate Simoni, and others, during a race.

This is purely a legal matter and has nothing to do with cycling.

Just because he does not ride any more, does not mean he is above the law. (P.S. I am a Lance Fan)

[Squatch]

17. "nothing to do with cycling"

and yet you say:

"Armstrong intimidate Simoni, and others, during a race"

Um...it was a potato sack race. Nothing to do with cycling.

[Bike Punk]

5. True, but...

This is over defamation, which happened a few years back.
Also, just because he's retired doesn't mean we should all forget about what he achieved. True, Im sure he is as arrogant as are all super-sports figures, but give a bit of credit where its due. If we were to do just that, no one would care about Ali or DiMaggio or anyone else who did great things in the realm of sports.

And Simeoni is a punk biyatch.

[TX-RAT]

9. I agree, leave him alone, or he'll make it 8.

And thats what they're really afraid of.

[Botany]

2. Hey Lance give him 10 million lira

or $1.72

:rofl:

[newscott]

3. Two dopes don't make a right.

[DainBramaged]

6. This is as newsworthy as O'Liely picking his nose

Lance will never get to Italy again.

LIVESTRONG

http://www.livestrong.org/

[izzie]

7. Gee maybe they could put Lay up on some charges.

Shame how these things work

[stop the bleeding]

8. this whole case is complete BS and Lance and Simeoni, know it

Anyone who has raced on the road for any given time knows that about every cyclist in the peloton could be taken to court by another cyclist for defamation or character assassination. It is just a fact of cycling and that is the easy part of the sport.

Cyclists are VERY harsh and down right egotistical assholes.

I know this because I have been one for a very long time.

Why this is even continuing is beyond me after all the "crime" took place in France not Italy but hey it is not my problem.

[windlight]

13. that is what i thought

when i saw the story... Isn't every Pro sport like this?... I know Football is, and i believe Basketball and Hockey should would be... Baseball likely...

Get a bunch of top athletes that think they are the best of the best, ego-centric A%@$% and make them compete, I wouldn't be surprised at all about ripping into each other verbally.

[stop the bleeding]

14. ripping each other apart would be putting it mildly, cycling is 85%

mental/gut check, the other 15% is physical.

[malaise]

10. You mean Times man of the year

Show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are Lancie!!

[SidDithers]

11. Do Italian basketball players trash talk?...

Getting under the skin of a competitor during an athletic event is a tradition that goes back to the beginning of sport. Mind games are as much a part of competition as athletic prowess, especially at the elite level. It's not always nice, but it happens in every sport.

Now it's a matter for the courts? Pshaw, i say.

Sid

[stop the bleeding]

12. I agree, see post number 8

[Bike Punk]

15. True...and

without the 'roids these guys couldn't hold a candle to BigJonny and those guys who go out and drink every night and race every chance they get. Seriously... Over-specialization and Über training leaves no room for enjoying life and beer and so-forth. These guys couldnt hold a mass and race 80k in the morning. Not Like Jan Ullrich. He da MAN.

[stop the bleeding]

16. Welcome to DU Bike Punk! Tell Der Kaiser to stay away from the

Ecstasy and weiner schnitzel if he wants to anything serious again on a grand tour scale.

[Bike Punk]

18. what with

Jan being a party-boy first, and a cyclist second, I doubt he will win another big race before he retires... Not to mention Telekom pushing Zabel as the 'main man\ rather than Ullrich. (Don't get me wrong, Zabel is a fantastic sprinter... I just don't like him ... or sprinters in general for that matter...)

Id rather have someone who can go to Oktoberfest and pound beers, then place in the top 25 than someone who is so committed to training that they can't enjoy life.

the lie about "I didn't know it was illegal" was a bit lame on Jan's part...

[stop the bleeding]

19. Zabel is no loger with Telekom he is teammates with Pettachi now

what a sprint combo that is, unless that new team has been dissolved.


Also I have always believed the year that Jan won the tour was not a true showing of what he is.

Don't get me wrong I think Jan is an awesome rider, but the year he won was because the other riders let him get away on that mountain and that was all he needed. That is part of racing sometimes.

To win Grand Tours you need a strong team, good time trialing, and great mountain climbing ability.