BREAKING Report: Lance Abandoning Fight vs Doping Charges, TDF Titles Gone

I think you're a freaking idiot and pitiful. This is a man that used cancer as a part of his marketing and capitalized on this by using his wins that were supplemented by drugs. He made millions off of this and still those. You know nothing about cancer until you are a survivor. So you should keep your d*mn mouth shut. Just cause others are doing it does not make someone not guilty of it. Moron.

Great job Tor, linking a page that doesn't work. I think you underestimate the gullibility of the American people regarding his popularity.

Tor wrote:

It's not hatred. It's simply the desire for clean sport.

Lance probably got cancer from PED use.

Tor is correct -- that's the bottomline for cycling purists, and competitive athletic purists across all sports. Sports is beautiful, wonderful character builder for youth, and fun and exciting and inspiring endeavor for adults; it has the potential to encourage long, healthy lifestyles for the entire country. The beauty of watching clean athletes compete in the TdF or the NYC Marathon or the Olympic 10000 or the Hawaii Ironman is unbelievable. Purists loved Greg LeMond, Grete Waitz, Ingrid Kristiansen, Vladimir Salnikov, Kieren Perkins, Grant Hackett, Billy Mills, Dave Scott, Mark Allen, the list goes on and on.

We LOVE clean athletes, and we LOVE clean competition. We don't have a hatred of Lance, we have a hatred of unfair and corrupt competition.

Throughout the case, the UCI had challenged USADA's jurisdiction over the sport, and has the option of appealing against the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Here are some others for you to try (might need to copy and paste):

http://msn.foxsports.com/cycling/story/lance-armstrong-quits-doping-fight-against-usada-goes-from-hero-to-zero-082412

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/story/2012-08-23/lance-armstrong-usada/57258738/1

I think you also underestimate the ability of the American people to change their mind about a hero (or ex-hero). Give it time, Mr. Deeds, and Mr. Armstrong is going to be nothing more than a punch line. Today is simply the beginning of the end for the Armstrong myth.

Tor wrote:

Here are some others for you to try (might need to copy and paste):

http://msn.foxsports.com/cycling/story/lance-armstrong-quits-doping-fight-against-usada-goes-from-hero-to-zero-082412http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/story/2012-08-23/lance-armstrong-usada/57258738/1

I think you also underestimate the ability of the American people to change their mind about a hero (or ex-hero). Give it time, Mr. Deeds, and Mr. Armstrong is going to be nothing more than a punch line. Today is simply the beginning of the end for the Armstrong myth.

The comments below the foxsports piece reflect that there are a lot of delusional LA fanboys and girls around.

wascallywobert wrote:

What ever happened until innnocent proven guilty? Is that not the American way? USADA is celebrating a victory at the expense of the taxpayers I might add, without releasing a shred of evidence, merely threatening it.

Armstrong stopped resisting. What exactly do you expect the USADA to do at this time? Just because it hasn't yet released the evidence you so loudly feel that you're entitled to doesn't mean they don't possess it.

It's been less than 24 hours since this story broke. I'm sure more will emerge. Have some damned sense. And it's amazing what Obama haters will say -- tying him to this scandal is something only a true nutbag would do.

"These are the moments were I am ashamed to be called American."

You should be ashamed to be illiterate.

10 bucks that wascallywobert is a member of a Tea Party group.

cycling's credibility is now on about a par with ultramarathoning

blort wrote:

"He's guilty as hell."

I believe you are right, and have for several years now. Of course, those "respected" colleagues, teammate, coaches, etc are also quilty as hell. I doubt there is a single rider in the TDF who is dope free.

That does not mean Lance should get away with it. He should get his due, but now they'll give his TDF win to just another doper who has not been caught yet (or was not caught at that time).

I believe he's guilty as well. However, I differ from you in that because I think everyone was using, he should get away with it.

My problems are 2 fold: Why should Usada have any part in this? The cycling federation should have jurisdiction.

Secondly, the passage of time makes this problematic. This is not like solving an old murder case. Usada should have let this die a long time ago. They got Hamilton, Landis and others on drug tests. If they couldn't get Armstrong within a reasonable period of time (I'm not sure what this should be - maybe within a year of the event seems reasonable.) then let the results stand.

If there is no statute of limitations, the potential for abuse is undeniable.

I'm gonna re-ask this question, as I didn't see a response to it when I asked earlier:

Can someone explain the procedural aspect, does UCI have authority to overturn the USADA decision? I know it could ultimately end up at CAS, but usually the appeals come from the athletes themselves who have gone through arbitration with their national anti-doping associations. Doesn't seem Armstrong could personally appeal if he refused initial arbritration with USADA. UCI overriding USADA or appealing USADA to CAS seems weird (I understand their perspective to appeal if they were complicit in the cover-up).

If it gets to CAS, any gut feeling on how CAS will rule? They stripped Contador, so you'd think they would be more objective than UCI. Curious to get perspective of cycling insiders and knowledgable fans on this one.

Questions if anyone knows:

1. Is the ICU limited to the punishment imposed/recommended by the USADA? In other words can the ICU deviate from the punishment set forth by USADA?

2. Can Lance be subpoenaed to testify under oath at Bruyneel's arbitration hearing?

3. Is it accurate that the USADA decision precludes Lance from participating as an Ironman triathlete? I am trying to understand how the ban works, in other words, would Melky Cabrera's MLB suspension preclude him from competing in basketball? Just seems to me triathlon is a different sport, maybe I am overthinking or just do not understand.

I think no Lance hearing means we avoid the spectacle of Lance looking at Hincapie like Clemens looked at Pettite at trial. And vice versa.

Who cares what the article says......read down and see what the average person reading the article has to say. Again, do not estimate the guilliblity of the American public. The writers of these articles are the same people who were falling all over themselves to be granted and interview with Armstrong. I could care less what some hack writer like Christine Brennan has to say about this whole episode.

gonchar wrote:

Come on Brooklyn. Lets cut the nonsense.

No competitor with an ego like Lance just gives up and caves in- unless he is about to be nailed by dozens of respected colleagues, teammates, coaches, physios, etc. Nope, if you've been wronged, you fight. You fight to the death.

He's guilty as hell.

Innocent until PROVEN guilty. Not until it really, really looks like you're guilty, or until everybody thinks you're guilty. At least these people MUST show their evidence before stripping him of the titles. Otherwise, he's right - it is a witch-hunt.

The governing body should have jurisdiction?!? That's worked well for the IAAF, UCI, NFL, etc. The whole purpose for forming WADA was to provide an independent organization for investigating doping claims. The Armstrong apologists are looking for any little excuse to rationalize his cheating.

Do you realize some of the evidence goes back only 2 years? We should be pleased that a doping agency did was it was charged with.... investigate doping allegations.

Your second question makes me wonder about Johan Bruyneel, who requested arbitration from USADA. He was Armstrong's team manager for all of his 7 titles, and for a couple years after w/Contador too. You'd think that the majority of witnesses that were going to testify against Lance would also testify against Bruyneel. Wonder if we're gonna hear alot of the testimony about Lance indirectly through the Bruyneel arbitration.

In answer to your question, USADA doesn't have the jurisdiction to strip Armstrong of his titles. They must now present their evidence to the UCI which could then also look to CAS for a ruling. Much of the supposed physcial evidence USADA has would have occurred on foreign soil which USADA has no jurisdiction outside of the United States.

I think people are naive to believe Armstrong would just give up. He knows the ultimate decision to strip him of the titles will fall to the UCI.

If he was really concerned about the evidence being released, you wouldn't see Bruynell choosing to go to arbitration as all the evidence will come out then.

Mr.Spock wrote:

Innocent until PROVEN guilty.

No-one but Nancy Grace can decide that.

Fu*k, I'm not that smart and I have been able to figure this out - it's not rocket science.

By declining arbitration, Lance accepted guilt. Period. End of discussion.

So you're charged with a crime, but refuse to show up for court. Do you expect to be able to claim, "innocent until PROVEN guilty?"

Seriously, some of the people here should be assumed by your lack of thinking skills. The yellow Livestrong band isn't supposed to be around your neck, restricting oxygen to your brain.