NYT: "Withdrawal of Armstrong Lieutenants Puts Focus on What They Know"

[Tony T]

NYT: "Withdrawal of Armstrong Lieutenants Puts Focus on What They Know"

"Johnson would not comment on the timing of the decision, which has led some to believe that the four cyclists could be witnesses in the doping case against Armstrong,"

More likely, they will have to admit to doping as part of an immunity deal, which would be a real embarrassment if they were to win the Gold and have to give it back.

However, the most reasonable quote is from Horner:

“When I read about it, I said, ‘That’s interesting news.’ I wonder what’s going to follow it.”

[laupsi]

so my response to Chris Horner: I believe this is the proverbial "smoking gun"

[BillG]

That looks serious.

[christian]

I think that's the best thing that will come out of this - in the USADA hearing, the statements of George, Levi, etc will be public record. I think the cat will poke his head out of the bag.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . who are talking and these are four of them, then this could be to American cycling what the Festina Affair was to the Tour.

BBD

[Fixed]

Festina look at French cycling since
Cheers

[Viper]

This is the new Rickroll:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oon45kkLzsQ

[christian]

In my mind, Festina was the best thing to happen to French cycling. Allez Rolland!

[William]

The problem is that if there really is "teeth" to any of this, LA has kind of painted himself into a corner.


“Finally, the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the skeptics: I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a race. This is a great sporting event and you should stand around and believe it. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets — this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it. So Vive le Tour forever!”

“If you consider my situation: a guy who comes back from arguably, you know, a death sentence, why would I then enter into a sport and dope myself up and risk my life again? That's crazy. I would never do that. No. No way.”

“It’s our word against his word. I like our word. We like our credibility. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago.”
In May 2010, responding to Landis’s accusations of systematic doping at the US Postal team

“Do the American people feel like this is a good use of their tax dollars? That’s for them to decide. Like I said, as long as we have a legitimate and credible and fair investigation, we’d be happy to co-operate. But I’m not going to participate in any kind of witch hunt. I’ve done too many good things for too many people.”
Speaking to the New York Times on July 14 about the Jeff Novitzky lead investigation sparked by Landis’s accusations.

“His accusations aren’t good for cycling, for his team, for me, for anybody. If he thinks cycling works like that, he’s wrong and he would be better off going home.”
Responding to Christophe Bassons’ criticism of the doping culture in cycling during the 2000 Tour

"I have never doped ... These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity"

“I asked myself what I believed. I had never prayed a lot. I hoped hard, wished hard, but I didn't pray. I had developed a certain distrust of organised religion growing up, but I felt I had the capacity to be a spiritual person, and to hold some fervent beliefs. Quite simply, I believed I had a responsibility to be a good person, and that meant fair, honest, hardworking and honorable. If I did that, if I was good to my family, true to my friends, if I gave back to my community or to some cause, if I wasn't a liar, a cheat, or a thief, then I believed that should be enough. At the end of the day, if there was indeed some Body or presence standing there to judge me, I hoped I would be judged on whether I had lived a true life, not on whether I believed in a certain book, or whether I'd been baptised.”

“Hard work, sacrifice and focus will never show up in tests.”



Just sayin'




William

[laupsi]

Originally Posted by William

The problem is that if there really is "teeth" to any of this, LA has kind of painted himself into a corner.


[/I]



Just sayin'




William

hello???

[Fixed]

I just see it now fives years in the future national championships held at an industrial park fifty people come to watch ..
washed up old ex pro from Italy comes and wins by a mile
Like the old days ?
Cheers

[e-RICHIE]

Originally Posted by Fixed

I just see it now fives years in the future national championships held at an industrial park fifty people come to watch ..
washed up old ex pro from Italy comes and wins by a mile
Like the old days ?
Cheers

Butch - It won't come to that ^. But anything is better than the Wall Street on
wheels we have here in the States going back at least two decades atmo. These
cats are not too big to fail, and maybe they finally will.

[JohnHemlock]

Originally Posted by Fixed

I just see it now fives years in the future national championships held at an industrial park fifty people come to watch ..
washed up old ex pro from Italy comes and wins by a mile
Like the old days ?
Cheers

And lots of people would like that, since racing would go back to the fringes where it will be watched only by those who can truly appreciate it. Not sure who those people are but most of them appear to be self-appointed.

I was re-reading an article in Rouleur about how Trek has gone from a company with less than a million dollars in revenue to almost a BILLION dollars in revenue. EPO and cortisone and testosterone are good for more than just bike racers.

[Steve in SLO]

Originally Posted by Fixed

I just see it now fives years in the future national championships held at an industrial park fifty people come to watch ..
washed up old ex pro from Italy comes and wins by a mile
Like the old days ?
Cheers

Certainly, the public perception of the Armstrong machine will be forever tainted if the case goes against him/them, but these guys now represent our 'old guard' and would naturally be rollling out of competition in the next 5 years anyway. Luckily, the U.S. has a 'new guard' of great competitors who INHO have the ability to keep it exciting and propel the sport forward from here.

[the bottle ride]

Originally Posted by christian

In my mind, Festina was the best thing to happen to French cycling. Allez Rolland!

In my mind the Festina affair is the best thing to happen to cycling- not just French cycling.

It really started the discussion of the doping in cycling. It had an effect on sponsorship- people in the peleton lost their jobs.

Many people within the sport have said that the peleton slowed downed with doping after the Festina affair....that is until 1998 when the virus was re-injected.


(BTW: Breaking the chain is great book on the festina affair)