Since a written post on the Lance Armstrong fallout would be far too long to actually read, I've pulled together a podcast to discuss some of my personal thoughts on the fallout from the USADA and UCI reports.
As always, comments and questions are welcome.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
As of 7:05 this morning, Lance Armstrong is officially done with cycling.
According to Pat McQuaid: “We will not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will recognise the sanction that USADA gave. The UCI will ban Lance Armstrong from cycling and strip him of his 7 Tour de France titles. Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling.”
[Updated 1t 7:05 a.m. ET] The International Cycling Union has stripped Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles. “This is not the first time cycling has reached a crossroads and has had to begin anew. … It will do so again with vigor,” International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid says.
His reputation already in tatters after a lifetime ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Lance Armstrong finds out Monday whether he will be scrubbed from the record books for the seven feats that made him a cycling legend.
So an era of cycling has been wiped clean from the stain that has persisted upon it for so long.
While I’d like to write a book on this today, I just can’t. I need to digest everything and I’ll return with my opinion on the whole charade in the coming week (since quite a few of you have been asking my opinion on the matter.)
I’ve pondered on writing a post like this for the past few months, and now that it seems the dust has settled, I think it’s time for it to see the light of day.
So many of my friends, patients and clients have asked me: “so what is your opinion about Lance and the whole doping thing?” Each time, I’ve given them the same answer: I personally believe he’s guilty as hell. A few people got into the whys and the hows of it all, but rarely did anyone care except to parrot the oft heard “he never tested positive” and “he’s passed more than 500 tests.”
Hrumph.
How do I really feel, now that it’s all said and done?
Continue reading “Lance Armstrong: Survivor, Champion, Cheater” »
According to the LA Times (and several other sources) Lance Armstrong has escaped federal prosecution in relation to his doping offenses.
To quote:
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles announced Friday they were closing an investigation into “allegations of federal criminal conduct” by members and associates of a racing team owned by cyclist Lance Armstrong.
No charges will be filed, officials said.
U.S. Atty Andre Birotte Jr. said the announcement was warranted due to reports in media outlets about the investigation. Attorneys representing Armstrong have previously filed papers in federal court alleging illegal leaks by federal agents about a secret grand jury investigation.
In all honesty, I can’t say I’m surprised. With the way the courts have gone in the Bonds and Clemens cases, it was only a matter of time before the Lance case got tossed.
Do I feel bad about it? Not really. Doping was a part of the sport during his winning years, and that’s a fact. We can’t escape that fact and prosecuting people now does nothing to change things. What bothers me more is the amount of federal funds wasted in pursuing a case like this. How much was spent I doubt we’ll find out any time soon, but nothing the government does is cheap, so I can’t imagine this is an exception.
Oh well, that’s the way the chips fell. Time to move on…
