Eddy Merckx on EPO-enhanced Kool-Aid

[djg21]

Merckx "fell into the trap" of Armstrong

Former Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx has told the Belgian press that he is "sickened" by the events that have surrounded disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong after details of systematic doping at the US Postal team were revealed in USADA's Reasoned Decision report.

Arguably the greatest cyclist of all time, Merckx says those involved in providing the authorities with information should have done so sooner - coming clean and admitting their errors of the past comes too late says the once proud Armstrong supporter.

"I'm angry at the riders for speaking to investigators," Merckx said on Le Soir.

. . . .

"Lance has been very correct all through his career," Merckx had told La Dernière Heure. "What more can he do? All of the controls that he has done - over 500 since 2000 - have come back negative. Either the controls don't serve any purpose or Armstrong was legit. The whole case is based on witnesses, it's deeply unjust."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/merckx-fell-into-the-trap-of-armstrong

I can't say that I'm surprised.

[ultraman6970]

If you look at it, all the spaniards and EM are saying the same thing... besides the testimonies there is nothing. And if you look under their perspective they are right.

IMO, the only able to crucify LA is ferrari (or the famous doctors in the hospital when he got cancer). If he talks then many will go down with him, including LA and then nobody will be able to say anything else.

[fa63]

The last quote on your post is an old one; from cyclingnews.com:

--
"Merckx had previously expressed his support of the former Tour winner however, with news the UCI handed Armstrong a lifetime ban in addition to stripping his seven Tour de France wins, the Belgian is left deeply disappointed with the state of the sport.

"Lance has been very correct all through his career," Merckx had told La Dernière Heure. "What more can he do? All of the controls that he has done - over 500 since 2000 - have come back negative. Either the controls don't serve any purpose or Armstrong was legit. The whole case is based on witnesses, it's deeply unjust."

Commenting after the UCI's release earlier in the week, Merckx said: "I'm sick, only for my sport. I met Lance many times, he never told me about doping, physicians or other things. He did not need to report to me, it was his problem but I fell into the trap. I am amazed at him, especially after what he went through." he told Le Soir."

--
Apparently, EM now feels like he has been duped.

[djg21]

If you look at it, all the spaniards and EM are saying the same thing... besides the testimonies there is nothing. And if you look under their perspective they are right.

IMO, the only able to crucify LA is ferrari (or the famous doctors in the hospital when he got cancer). If he talks then many will go down with him, including LA and then nobody will be able to say anything else.

Testimony IS evidence! That's the way it works in any courtroom, arbitration or other type of legal proceeding. People are convicted of crimes on the basis of testimony, and without physical evidence, on a daily basis.

Had Pharmstrong participated in the arbitration, he would have been able to cross-examine and impeach the credibility of the witnesses.

The objection that there was is no physical evidence is silly.

[ultraman6970]

Well i did not know that part... always good to learn new things. Well somehow the spaniards are the next ones to fall and wouldnt surprise me that the biggest teams are involved too, if thats the case after the fall of italy, comes the spanish one for sure, well knowing italians probably the spaniards will close the situation before than the italians.