French Claim Armstrong Cheated

[Tex]

The new French claim that Lance Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs in 1999 begs a couple of questions:

1) Why are they just now bringing up an allegation concerning a 1999 race?

2) Where is the proof?

[Chicago Jake]

It's true. Here are the banned substances that French officials found in his hotel room:

[Merlot Joe]

The French will do anything to make and American and America look bad. On the news report I seen tonight, they did drug testing on him and found nothing at the time of the race.

Joe.

[Tex]

The French would have pissed on a spark plug, drank Thunderbird in public, and joined the US military in Iraq if it would have meant Armstrong would only have lost this year.

[Liz of Chris & Liz]

Actually the Tour Director brought it up in 1999 that Lance had doped, but there was not yet a test for the particular drug they suspected him of taking. There is now a test for it ... apparently they *saved his sample* for this purpose.

I don't care what Lance did...I think he's a fabulous cyclist (if a little shaky on the marriage thing).

[Tex]

I wonder if they tested everyone's sample.

It is my understanding that no more samples are available with which to refute or confirm the charges. The French also say that no awards will be revoked, etc., so we are left to assume that they just wanted to take a dig at Armstrong.

[Liz of Chris & Liz]

tex said:

I wonder if they tested everyone's sample.

It is my understanding that no more samples are available with which to refute or confirm the charges. The French also say that no awards will be revoked, etc., so we are left to assume that they just wanted to take a dig at Armstrong.

From what I understand they only tested a few samples & there is some discussion of whether or not it was even Lance's sample!

You are spot on Tex in saying it was just a dig to Lance.

[Liz of Chris & Liz]

sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-armstrong-doping&prov=ap&type=lgns

More on the story above...including Lance's side.

[Tex]

I'm actually embarassed for the French.

[Bluejay]

Here's some more scoop:

csmonitor.com/2005/0824/p04s01-woeu.html

"
...
L'Équipe reported that the French national drug testing laboratory had found "indisputable" traces of EPO in six urine samples taken from Armstrong in 1999. The paper published a laboratory document showing positive EPO results for six anonymous samples taken during that year's Tour de France, and matched their identifying numbers with statements Armstrong had signed.

No test existed in 1999 for detecting EPO, which enhances the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Laboratory officials refused to explain why they had retested 1999 urine samples last year, only confirming in a statement that they had done so.

L'Équipe said they had been refining their detection methods. One prominent antidoping expert, however, suggests the analysts were deliberately seeking to target Armstrong.

"Scientists have had their doubts about Armstrong for a long time," says Jean-Pierre de Mondenard, a sports doctor in Paris who once worked for the Tour, detecting riders' drug use. "They were fed up with being fooled. Armstrong's seven victories were a defeat for the battle against doping."

...

Armstrong does not deny his friendship with Michele Ferrari, an Italian doctor whom other riders have accused of prescribing EPO to them.

..."

It's guess it's comforting to insult an entire country and people, and to patronize them by feeling "embarassed" for them.

I remember way back when Ben Johnson tested positive for stanazo....lol... how ever you spell it. There were all sorts of conspiracy theories floating about, like how his water was spiked, etc. National news broadcasts even showed video of him drinking in the dressing room before the race, and speculated how the water bottle was unattended and could have been tampered with (by Carl Lewis' camp). Johnson fans became quite adept at fooling them(our)selves.

This story is not over. Even if this is a dastardly attempt by "the french" to discredit Armstrong, if it is shown definitively that Lance Armstrong took EPO, then...well...that is it.

bluejay

[Tex]

bluejay said:

Here's some more scoop:

csmonitor.com/2005/0824/p04s01-woeu.html

"


It's guess it's comforting to insult an entire country and people, and to patronize them by feeling "embarassed" for them.


bluejay

Or comforting to take cheap shots in the press at an athlete that you can't beat in the arena...

[bloojay]

It was a lot of fun to read this thread seven years later ;D

[Ardbeg... innit]

;D ;D ;D Word is that Armstrong is so mad that he went nut.

[Ardbeg... innit]

BTW- if you are Bluejay.. welcome back, stick around for a while

[Tex]

Armstrong was doping and his biggest mistake was to continue denying it after he was caught.

One of my closest friend's son is a pro bike racer. He told me that the sport had cleaned up but that before five years ago, everyone was doping. In his opinion, Armstrong was dirty but so were the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th place etc. Armstrong embarrassed his sponsors and his fans. Had he not been so stubborn in his denials, he would have been stripped of his medals but still have some support.

[Chicago Jake]

Zombie alert!!!

[bloojay]

Hi everyone! I forgot my login details and the email associated with "Bluejay" I no longer use, so I had to create a new account. I can't remember the exact details, but a few weeks ago I recall reading something to the effect of: if Armstrong were to have one particular Tour win stripped (I forget which year), and it were to be given to the top finisher that year who had *never* been caught for doping/cheating in their lives, it would go the 17th place finisher. What a crazy sport.

As you say Tex, in terms of public relations denial of the crime is often worse than the crime itself. And on a related topic, a friend pointed out to me the irony that Nike has dropped Armstrong while sticking by probable rapist Kobe Bryant, and serial adulterer Tiger Woods.

Cheers,
Bluejay

Oct 18, 2012 8:12:30 GMT -6 Tex said:

Armstrong was doping and his biggest mistake was to continue denying it after he was caught.

One of my closest friend's son is a pro bike racer. He told me that the sport had cleaned up but that before five years ago, everyone was doping. In his opinion, Armstrong was dirty but so were the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th place etc. Armstrong embarrassed his sponsors and his fans. Had he not been so stubborn in his denials, he would have been stripped of his medals but still have some support.

[Merlot Joe]

Oct 18, 2012 9:32:39 GMT -6 bloojay said:

v And on a related topic, a friend pointed out to me the irony that Nike has dropped Armstrong while sticking by probable rapist Kobe Bryant, and serial adulterer Tiger Woods.

Cheers,
Bluejay

The public has a real short memory.

Well back Bluejay

[Irish Stu]

Oct 18, 2012 9:32:39 GMT -6 bloojay said:

And on a related topic, a friend pointed out to me the irony that Nike has dropped Armstrong while sticking by probable rapist Kobe Bryant, and serial adulterer Tiger Woods.

Or are Nike just in tune with how fickle the public is? An adulterer has made a mistake, and once a reasonable period of time has passed for it to blow over we'll let them get on with their lives.

In a rape case like Bryant's there is always an element of doubt, and do we really want to think our heroes would do such a thing?

But a cheat has cheated us all. He/she has cheated their teammates. Their coaches. Their sport's professional association. Their country. Their sponsors whose brand is now linked to cheating. And most of all the public who cheered them along, spent our money going to watch them, lived their victories with them and shared their defeats, read the interviews and empathised with their struggle to the top... and we don't like it when it turns out they aren't who they say they are because it's all been a shame and they cheated. That's personal.