Velonews published an article last night that said that someone from the NY Times said that Lance is considering coming clean, supposedly so he can be suspended for a shorter period, than life, and resume competing in endurance sports.
I don’t know what to think about the whole thing. The article quotes Jonathan Vaughters as saying that it would do a great deal of healing for the sport. I don’t really understand that. All it would do would be make all the people that say Lance didn’t do it start saying, “Who cares if he did it or not?” I think the whole thing seems really bizarre. I can understand the attraction of a lesser penalty, I understand the “tug” of competition, but admitting that you’ve been a lying sack of shit, and I’m not using that term lightly, for close to two decades, is a pretty big pill to swallow just to be able to do some athletic competitions a couple years down the road.
Honestly, I’d say that a lifetime ban suits his rule breaking episode. The guy supposedly took drugs to win 7 Tour de Frances, a World Championship, and a even a few domestic events. He amassed a net wealth of reportedly 125 million dollars. Plus, he sued people, calling ex-team mates liars (this is what really irks me), and making them pay him money, when in fact it was the other way around. Why should he get to compete in athletics with all of us? Sorry, it’s a privilege, not a right, and he abused that privilege to such an extent, in my opinion, he should lose it. I don’t think admitting to the crime should allow him any special exemption. Plus, he abandoning his wing man, Johan. Why not go down with the ship?
But, I’m sure Travis Tygart, USADA, and David Howman, WADA, will love to work a deal with Lance so they are proven “right”, that the system is just, and this wasn’t just a witch hunt. Whatever, maybe I’ll still be around when Lance comes back and we can “compete” against each other again. Leadville 100, 2015?
I spent way too much time yesterday standing around getting ready to go today, like all day. It’s less than 10 hours up to Chicago, so it’s not that bad. I’m going to be a little stale for the UCI race on Sunday, but I’m stale anyway, so a little extra staleness will probably not hurt.
I think it’s going to be energy zapping spending nearly a week in Madison. It’s going to be so messy I can’t see it being anything but that. I’m trying to go fast in nearly a month, not this week, so I’m not so stressed. Last year, there was less than a week between Nationals and Worlds, so it was a different situation.
Okay, I’d better pack up the van and get on the road. I like the drive.
I am bringing 3 bikes, just in case, plus Catherine’s two bikes, plus spare wheels, which equals a lot of stuff.
It’s important having new rubber on your pads, especially in the snow. This is left over non carbon rim stuff.
This is after taking just a bit of rubber off. I cut new slots in the pads if they are worn past them.
I was thinking how much I enjoy riding in the winter today. I sort of hate these races being so late in the season, but when I’m actually out riding, it seems great.
I was looking for some thick fishing line to sew up my backpack and found this entry form from 1983 in the drawer. Weird. We used to race for more prize money back then, with much, much less entry.
What a start to the New Year , thought it was ” April Fools Day ” until i saw the extaent of the reportage !
Here is my comment elsewhere :
” ARMSTRONG ! There is a name to conjure with . One walks on the moon , Another is a woman that retired , then came BACK and won the Women’s Olympic Cycling TT Gold Medal and of course there is the man , that tired of defending his ” Drug Free Reputation “!
Juliet Moncur thinks that ” April Fools Day ” has been moved to January , least by claiming anonymous sources , she reveals to the Cycling World , the unbelievable concoction of speculation .
Grahan Watson rated a tweet from lance for this item : http://www.grahamwatson.com/view/viewmain.html
Had this article , been the subject of Moncur’s article , then the Cycling World may not have shown as much ionterest, andrepeated the article ? Perhaps , she is taking lessons from Sally , you know the one who co authored those Lance books .
CNN has since received an email from Armstrong’s Lawyer : http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/05/sport/new-york-lance-armstrong/index.html
Last year , when the Grand Jury was closed down , i stated that it would reappear in April/May when the ” Presidential Honeymoon Period had elapsed . Seems like the Fat Lady is being sent back into retirement .
Until those , that created the environment that set up the Business Structure that allowed Lance to think that ” Doping/PED Products ” were the way forward , are brought to Justice , there will be NO CLOSURE !
Other Sports are being Tainted by Business Interests , using the tactics of ” Don King / Boxing ” and this Cycling Model practiced by those ” Clean Cut Ole Boys from the Good ole USA “!
WADA chief John Fahey , last year , admitted that his Agency was struggling to cope with the depth of the Doping Problem . I should like to see a more Current ” Donatti Report ” than the info from 2006 .
Was that ” Report ” the reason , ALL those ” Cyclists , admitting to USADA , their complicity , stopped using ” PED products “?
We live in exciting times ?
He should serve jail time for perjury (Marion Jones) and 10’s of millions to those he sued for libel. Anything less would be a mockery of our judicial system.
Drive safe and ride hard this weekend see you next weekend in the snow/slop/cold….
He should serve jail time? What about Levi,George ect. They all got a slap on the wrist and still get to race.
It wasn’t a guy, Steve. It was Juliet Macur of the New York Times who came out with the report. She’s notorious for cozying up to pro cyclists, trying to befriend them, and then stabbing them in the back.
Watch out because she might be coming your way next given all the great stuff you’re putting out on this blog.
Steve, the system isn’t just. And even if Lance says he cheated, they won’t be right. In order to get Lance, they used tactics, that a federal judge even questioned. In mid stream, they changed the statute of limitations, just so they could pile more circumstantial evidence on. Cycling is the victim here. Lance wasn’t the first to cheat, and he won’t be the last. This vendetta by Travis Tygart, has done nothing to help cycling. All it has done, is cause sponsors to go away. And it has brought into question, whether a system that acts as judge, jury and executioner, is even constitutional. How would you like to be accused, tried, convicted and sentenced, by the same person. And if that persons pay, is based on whether he nails you or not, is even worse. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
WTF is this? Your boy Lance has been doping since he was a Junior. Meaning, every single cycling accomplishment he can possibly claim is tainted by cheating. That’s not even mentioning the rotten system Lance’s pimp Thom Wiesel set up to promote dopers.
Lance treats you and any other casual yellow bracelet wearing minions with total contempt for believing his career of lying and intimidation and you still defend him. His fans are cuckolded and enjoy it. Why?
Ms. Thompson is 100% right. Felony jail time for Lance. He can be a Strava bikepathelete after the felony conviction and jail time. Otherwise, you are only enabling the predator.
Fuck him. Full Stop.
“OK,OK, I cheated almost all of my professional career, gave Greg LeMond and anyone else who told the truth about me pure hell to the extent of driving them out of cycling if possible, yup, that’s right, you got me, fair and square. I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again, OK? OK?” … No.
“I have wondered for years how it was the white Australian party to this deal that emerged unscathed, and was eventually inducted into the IOC and appointed to the top of CAS, while his black African partner was expelled from the Olympic club. Similarly, Coates’ (honorary) IOC colleague Verbruggen has had his own troubles with the issue of corruption. In 2008, a BBC investigation turned up documentary evidence of $3,000,000 of payoffs to the UCI from Japanese race organizers that included subsidizing Verbruggen’s international air travel. Verbruggen denied any wrongdoing. What is more, as we shall see, Verbruggen has fought effective doping control every step of the way. One might ask how it is that these two compromised sports officials have been allowed to organize an investigation of the widely distrusted UCI in whose recent history Verbruggen has played such a central role.” http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/01/analysis/hoberman-qa-outlining-corruption-doping-collusion-at-the-ioc-uci_270482
Steve, You are flying the American flag backwards on your bike. or you are riding in reverse. The blue edge leads the way of travel. Just like on airplanes and military uniforms. I don’t understand how a company that makes flag stickers just don’t get it. You have now been told.
He’s probably getting really bored by now. He should do sports car racing. There’s a Grand touring caregory in American lemans.
that race flier is classic, how did we ever live without bikerg. those enty fees are hilarious.
Perjury …….read the story about Marion Jones.
The others fessed up because of a supeana and the common sense to not commit perjury…..
Flag code doesn’t specify an orientation of a flag displayed on a vehicle. The military does. This ain’t the military.
Steve,
in regards to your flier from 1983, There was one line that told the whole story. “Sponsored by the South Chicago Business Alliance”. Businesses front that cash, because they see value in getting people to see a spectacle and expose their products and services.
As a small time promoter, one of the hardest things is to get sponsors to see value in cycling event sponsorship. Usually the only sponsors that are interested are businesses owned by cyclists, and the truth hurts, bike racing domestically does not bring out many spectators.
Big prize money does not get racers to show up at a event. Cat 3,4, and 5 racers are what pays the bills in event promotion.
Maybe promoters should offer a referral rebate to elite racers. For every beginner they get to participate (and pay to race) the promoter givers that rider a “kick back”. Think of as the American version of “start money”. Perhaps you should promote a race? GP Steve Tilford?
YOu should put that flag upside down.
I don’t defend Lance. But I will criticize the system. It is not just or fair at all. Just because Lance probably cheated, doesn’t make the system that got him right. And to claim that he cheated since he was a junior. You can’t prove that at all, or even find someone to testify to that. And all that makes you, is a Lance hater.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/sports/othersports/12jones.html?_r=0
I find this pretty offensive channel_zero. I wear a Livestrong bracelet but it truthfully does not represent Lance Armstrong to me. I wear it to help honor my father and my aunt. Both have had cancer and my father is still in remission while my Aunt is battling it yet again. I wear it to remind me to never give up since they never have.
Trash Lance all you want. Smart money shows that Livestrong as an Organization has done a lot of people a lot of good. LA and Livestrong sensibily separated. Whether he resigned on his own, or Livestrong quietly forced him out I don’t know and I don’t care.
So please don’t treat those wearing Livestrong bracelets as “casual yellow bracelet wearing minions” because we aren’t.