Let It Go, Already!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 17:06
The witch hunt continues.
France just won’t accept that Lance Armstrong has not used performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong has never tested positive. Ever. Not during his run of Tour de France victories, not now.
Lance Armstrong (© Eugene Wei, Flickr)
With advances in drug technology, there of course can be no guarantee he hasn’t taken performance-enhancers, but the single-minded doggedness with which French anti-doping agency AFLD has been pursuing Armstrong reeks of a malicious personal vendetta.
Since Armstrong announced he would ride again, AFLD has tested him 24 times. 24 times! Enough already! I don’t have numbers on how many times AFLD has tested the other contenders, but I’d place good money it’s a fraction of 24 times. If every cyclist is so targeted, so be it, but I doubt that’s the case.
The latest? A test of a hair sample, a test allowed by French law but not recognized by the World Anti-Doping agency or UCI (the governing body of cycling) because of how easily hair can be contaminated.
To be fair, the hair test is for a testosterone-booster called DHEA, which usually disappears from urine and blood too quickly to be noticed by tests of those substances. DHEA’s trace lasts longer in hair.
But 24 tests in half a year? Hey, France, endless testing does not a positive make if the man is not doping. AFLD, your intent is transparent, your goals shameless.
NicholasBrandt
says:
March 19th, 2009 at 1:06 am
There was only a brief time in history when the French liked America that was because we were fighting against Britain for independence.
Face it, they can't stand an American coming in and besting their riders time after time and will do anything to stop it from happening and sully the reputation of a man most idealize.
Thankfully, I think everyone sees their true intentions.
Nate Barlow
says:
March 19th, 2009 at 1:15 am
That's sure how it seems to me!
Lonnie Renda
says:
March 20th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Actually, Lance did test positive in 1999 for a corticosteroid, which is a banned substance. It was blamed on a saddle-sore cream. Whether he had a legitimate TUE exemption seems to be in dispute. Also, the AFLD has not tested him 24 times, but he has been tested 24 times. It is nothing compared to what he said he would have been tested if he hadn't backed out of project believe.
A mere six month ago, I believed as you did. Then I read from Lance to Landis by David Walsh. There is nothing that would convict Lance in a court of law, but it opens up your eyes to doping in cycling. I had a quote from Lance hanging on my office door. I will no longer be so naive.
He boldly declared he would be tested by Don Caitlin and develop a bio passport in front of tons of cameras. Then in a little known press release in February he stated he was not going to do it and that the team testing was enough…. Astana had been banned from the Tour do to team drug use.
Let's review your definition of clean.
Had four junior teammate who are on record for systematic daily injections in 1990 & 1991.
Three lawsuits still unsettled. Three got sick.
Began working with blood doper Michele Ferrari in October 1995.
Had a very good 1996 season before his sustainable power fell off. High levels of hCG did not ring an alarm bell for Ferarri. (Perhaps they were injecting this female steroid balancer?)
October 1996 diagnosed with cancer.
Post chemo–Lance returns to Ferrari for a rebuild.
In 1998 Lance becomes grand tour competitor. (Vuelta de Espana 1998) and performs well in the 1998 World Road race—won by doper Oscar Camenzind.
In 1999 Lance goes positive for corticosteroids. A backed dated TUE is accepted for a non-negative ruling.
Admitted EPO and steroid abuser, Alex Zulle finsihes 2nd to Lance in that TDF.
In the 2000 TDF a French TV-3 crew films USPO staff dumping plastic bags of medical waste. Later it was reported (and confirmed ny Lance & Mark Gorski) that insulin and Actovegin (synthetic hemaglobin) were discovered.
USPO ADMITS to possession—but denies use.
The IOC puts Actovegin on the banned list.
December 2000, Lance threatens to boycott the 2001 Tour unless the doping investigation is halted.
2001 Lance moves from Nice to Girona, Spain and away from the French police.
Soon Tyler and many others join him in Spain.
Why David Millar did not follow? -We may never know.
Greg Lemond annouces that Lance has a big secret.
Kathy Lemond says Lance admitted EPO abuses on a cellular phone call to Greg–claiming everybody uses it. Lance accused Greg Lemond of EPO use.
Lance doctor is eventually convicted of doping advise and abusing the license of a pharmacist. He is supended to 9 months.
Emma O'Reily believes LA is a doper.
Stephen Swartz, teammate believes LA is a doper.
Mike Anderson believes he is a doper.
Greg Lemond believes he is a doper.
David Walsh book strongly suggests LA is a doper.
The empirical evidence is that all (100%) of European pro cyclists are using drugs. Top to bottom.
Lance has shared his TDF podium with confirmed dopers—Zulle, Virenque, Pantani, Rumsas, Hamilton
The appearance of clean has never looked so dirty.
Nate Barlow
says:
March 20th, 2009 at 4:44 am
That's very discouraging to read.
Cycling does seem like the most steroid-ridden of all sports.
It still seems to me that Armstrong is being targeted, if all evidence points to everybody doing the drugs. Doesn't make it right, but take down everyone!
john
says:
March 20th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Nate, whoops! It's not the AFLD that has tested Armstrong 24 times. This was the AFLD's first test on Armstrong since he returned to cycling. Hardly a French witch-hunt …
john
says:
March 20th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Nate, whoops! It's not the AFLD that has tested Armstrong 24 times. This was the AFLD's first test on Armstrong since he returned to cycling. Hardly a French witch-hunt …
Lonnie Renda
says:
March 20th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Nate, I forgot to mention, both Besty and Frankie Andeau testified under oath that they heard Lance tell his doctors he had taken PES (I think epo some types of steroids). I am not saying there is conclusive proof that Lance took PES's. I do encourage people though to read from Lance to Landis by David Walsh. It is not the tabloid book the Lance PR machine woudl lead you to believe. It is actually a well researched book. I refused to read it because I thought it was a guy just trying to sell books. So, I did not want to buy it and line the guys pocket. So, a friend lent it to me, it sat on my shelf for six month and then I was bored and read it. It really opens your eyes, not just about cycling either. Once you read it, you will realize cycling is just a microcosim of other sports. Cycling takes a bad rap, but I think it is actually cleaner than the bigger sports in the United States. Cycling is just more aggressive about catching cheaters, so we hear about it. I also researched David Walsh and he is a respected journalist in Britian.
Lonnie Renda
says:
March 20th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
The funny thing is that Walsh does not condem Lance at all if he did take PES's. The culture is so strong in cycling, and other sports, you are almost forced into it. After all, if your dream is to ride a bike for a living and you see people you have beaten your entire life start taking drugs and now you might not even be able to put food on the table because you cannot keep up with the pack, the ethics become a bit gray. Personally, I believe if cycling has about 50 percent of people doping (according to a study done after the 2006 or 2007 tour), then MLB and NFL are much higher. There is much more money involved in those sports.__By the way, Lance should be a hero either way. He overcame the deadliest of diseases and climbed to the pinnacle of his sport. He is an inspiration for all cancer patients and survivors.