The news is coming out fast and furious. First we have the article at Cyclingnews.com that George Hincapie is admitting to doping, but not since 2006. In this article it states – “USADA confirmed in their statement that Hincapie and the other riders have been suspended and disqualified appropriately in line with the rules.”
Then we have this Velonews.com article that Sean Petty of USAC says – “In every previous doping case, USA Cycling has been informed by USADA and asked to suspend those riders. We are the body that would suspend riders, as they are licensees. They would tell us the terms of the suspension, as well as in the cases of riders with international licenses, they would also tell the UCI,” Petty told VeloNews. All I can tell you is that we also read USADA’s statement that the riders have been suspended, and at this point we have not been informed about any riders involved in this other than Lance Armstrong.”
But in the same article it has a quote by USADA’s Travis Tygart that says – “The riders who participated in the USPS Team doping conspiracy and truthfully assisted have been courageous in making the choice to stop perpetuating the sporting fraud, and they have suffered greatly. In addition to the public revelations, the active riders have been suspended and disqualified appropriately in line with the rules.”
Whatever the deal, I guess all these guys are getting a slap on the wrist. A 6 month suspension during the winter is total, complete, utter bullshit.
Big George’s official statement…
http://www.georgehincapie.com/news/Statement-from-George-Hincapie/
Aren’t USADA & USAC separate entities? USADA does the finding and USAC does the suspending it seems. Sounds to me like Tygart was running off at the mouth a little bit.
I don’t understand why these guys are getting a slap on the wrist because they came clean at the END of their careers. They are not being penalized for anything, they gained a lot and have not lost a thing, well maybe public favor. I doubt that, it’s like much of today’s ideology, “it’s not my fault, I had to, ect..”
I’m thinkin’ it’s “suspended.”
The team directors and physicians need to be held accountable in the strictest terms possible. The cyclists who doped were the final result of a complete lack of integrity at the highest levels. It’s so sad to hear all of these guys say they became miserable the moment they started doping. At its very core, cycling is supposed to be fun.
Going after the cyclists is important, but it will not cure the disease as long as there is a financial reward to winning at any cost.
Any time I see a great performance in a grand tour stage, I wonder if the cyclist is jacked up on something. I’m usually right. Vino’s great stage right before he got busted was a perfect example. The way Froome rode the tour….I wonder.
I’m going for a ride…it’s a beautiful day.
Just for the sake of clarity:
1. Tyler gets two years for the first offense (claimed innocense) and then life for second offense.
2. Lance gets life (claimed innocense) because he did not cooperate.
3. George, Michael, Levi, Christian, Dave get either nothing or six months during the off-season for cooperating (all previously claimed innocense).
Does any of this seem equitable other than helping the USADA either make their case?
Levi already tested positive at the 1996 Elite Crit does he get life time?? I would hope this gets clarified by USADA/USA Cycling. The guy ruined the best amateur team of 95′,96′ and got rewarded with a contract.
The question remains… Who’s mountain is higher? Bill O’Reilly’s Bullshit Mountain or Lance Armstrong’s.
I wonder what would happen if Pat tells Tygart to go “F” himself??
This is a travisty. They all cheated, and the active riders suspensions (the ones that would send the biggest message) get 6 months off season. It costs them nothing at all. This is a joke, and they wonder why cycling gets no respect.
Those are poor souls in my view. Like with everything it is in the eye of the Beholder. My youngest Brother met Jan Ullrich at Eurobike 2012, Ulle is now very relaxed, a likeable guy….so
that’s why people will always “love ‘ Lance..in germany they don’t love people , they like them..if for any reason..
Lance also sold his soul to Michelob Ultra..
Lance is like Arnie Schwarzenschnitzel, aka “The Terminator”….Arnie said: those who are emotional in athletics are loosers….we all took drugs in the 60/70/80-ties..that’s Arnie for you, american hero like Lancyboy!
Prost, long live the good beer, gebraut nach dem deutschen Reinheitsgebot von 1554 or some time around then.
Levi admits to doping since 1999 but had already tested positive in 96′ thus 16 years as a doper. (clean now- yeah right) So don’t 2 positives mandate a lifetime ban. OPQS needs to do what’s right and sack Levi, while Team Dopers(Garmin) needs to just fold and go away
I know it’s early, but do you think anyone who has written in to this (or any other) blog saying ” I know that ______ has never taken anything” will now write to say they were wrong?
I’ll start: I was wrong about Michael Barry. I rode in Toronto with Michael (and his father) when he was a Cadet/Junior. I’ve followed his career; cheered for him in Atlanta and Hamilton, bought his book, and I’ve written that I didn’t believe that he was guilty, mainly due to him not being part of Armstrong’s inner circle. Despite the Saturn and Telekom connections, I thought he was likely a clean rider competing (unsuccessfully) against a mostly drug-fuelled peloton.
I was wrong. I believed Michael, and his wife Dede, and the many others who came to his defence when Landis accused him of being a part of the Postal agenda.
Steve, what are your thoughts on the riders who took drugs to win vs. those (like Barry and Andreu) who cheated just to carry bottles for those who won? Any differences?
It seems to me that the only way forward is to clean house (improbable though that may be), starting with team owners, doctors, and directors who have aided/encouraged drug use. As unlikely as that seems, once so did the thought of riders like Hincapie, Vandevelde, and Barry admitting to years of cheating.
The Truth and Reconciliation idea is good, but how many riders will admit to something they were never caught for (and under no threat of federal prosecution or perjury)? Mr. Indurain? Mr. Jalabert? Anyone?
FIRSTLY i should like to congratulate Emma & Betty on their FORTITUDE in standing firm against ALL the slanderous/libellous action taken against them over the years ! That they are now vindicated is no benefit to them but needs expressing ! How we , the public , can honour their courage remains to be seen ?
TODAY i would like to see Jacques Rogge clear his desk ! Should he decide not to write to ALL Heads of Government associated with the IOC demanding that they comply with an ” AMNESTY for ALL SPORTS ATHLETES ” over the next several months then their nation will be disqualified from the IOC membership …he should RESIGN !
No action TODAY means that he supports DOPING in Sport !
When he has written to Heads of Nations , he should immediately ask ALL members of the Management of the IOC to stand back from their posts whilst AN AUDIT of their ” Credentials ” is conducted by the likes of ” Interpol “!
IOC People associated with UCI should be required to take a ” leave of absence ” whilst their involvement is investigated !
Within the week he should be able to announce an “AMNESTY for ALL sports Athletes both Present and Past with a deadline to comply !
Further this should be a two tier ” Amnesty ” so that in the first instance ” Athletes can declare ” any wrongdoing and their sources ! When this info is published on National websites as well as a Universal Website , those associated with ANY Athlete ( past or Present ) will need to declare their involvement with aNY who fail to comply so as to avoid being subjected to ” Life Time Bans ” from ANY Sporting related Activity for effectively concealing info that should have been disclosed ! Failing to disclose info is in my view endorsing that wrongful behaviour !
Surely IOC has the clout to clear out the ” Closets ” once and for all ?
Jacques Rogge are you up for this task , or are you an osterich ?
No doubt there are some that think that the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics will be ” DRUG FREE ” ?
WHAT PLANET ARE YOU LIVING ON ?
jef: actually it would be Bill Maher’s mtn of baloney
TO: jef & JR
I don’t remember which Bill is the liberal, but I’m for that one. The one that is not on Faux News.
I couldn’t care less about Pro “road” cycling anymore. I also couldn’t care less about WC MTB racing as well. I find it a little odd that, just like road cycling, MTB racing in Europe is at such a higher level than here in the US.(?) Which also makes me question whether our top US pros who can make the top 20 or so in WC competition are clean. I’d like to think so but am starting to seriously doubt it.