Lizzy misses antidoping tests and still gets to compete.

[Lewis Moon]

You miss three tests and you still pass? Who's grading this class?

http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/08/news/armitstead-cleared-olympics-murky-missed-anti-doping-test-case_416799

[CampyorBust]

You miss three tests and you still pass? Who's grading this class?

http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/08/news/armitstead-cleared-olympics-murky-missed-anti-doping-test-case_416799

Well yeah, I mean her name is not Svetlana right?;)

[harlond]

You miss three tests and you still pass? Who's grading this class?In this case, the CAS was grading. Isn't that how it's supposed to happen?

[echappist]

three whereabout irregularities result in a suspension. Just ask Yoanne Offredo and Alex Rasmussen.

This, along with IOC's refusal to release name of athletes who were determined to have doped in 2008 and 2012, stinks

[peanutgallery]

Nothing fishy here:)

[FL_MarkD]

So she proved that ONE of the three missed tests was due to the tester, so 'she is good'........

And British Cycling didn't announce her temporary suspension.

One has to wonder if it would have been handled differently if it wasn't an Olympic year.

[johnniecakes]

I guess it matters who you are more than what you did (or didn't do).

[wallymann]

as i understand it, the BCF or british anti-doping folks had full documentation for lizzie's whereabouts...but the administrative folks did not communicate that information properly to WADA or whomever.

this reads like and ADMINISTRATIVE problem with the national federation. if that's the case, why should the athlete suffer when it can be proven they were not evading testing *and* submitted to testing as soon as possible, as i understand lizzie did.

[Fivethumbs]

After reading Tyler Hamilton's The Secret Race, and reading about Lance and the team's methods for avoiding tests when they were "glowing" it is really hard for me to believe athletes' excuses for missing tests, legitimate as they may be.

[wallymann]

After reading Tyler Hamilton's The Secret Race, and reading about Lance and the team's methods for avoiding tests when they were "glowing" it is really hard for me to believe athletes' excuses for missing tests, legitimate as they may be.

agreed. i did some more reading and lizzie's case smells fishy...

new article: http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/08/commentary/lizzie-need-answers_416832

[54ny77]

come on, she was off having breakfast of special bangers & mash. give the gal a break. or three.

[pasadena]

Want to know what a sham it is to miss three in 10 months? Ask the riders that do it every day for over a decade...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riders-react-to-the-lizzie-armitstead-case/

Brilliant this. Dates of missed tests

August 20th

Won Womens road works cup

October 5th

Won women's tour

June 9th

Won Aviva tour



Apparently lizzie has been tested 16 times this year.

She missed 3

Or 18.75% of them.

More or less skipped one in every four.


Lizzie missed tests
20/08/15
Wins in plouay 29/08 & women's world cup overall
09/06/16
Wins Avivva womens tour
05/10/15
Won WC RR on 26/09

https://twitter.com/vayerism

[Neil]

It makes me very uncomfortable, I could absolutely accept one - that's an unfortunate accident. Three, however, in such a short space of time suggests either a cavalier disregard for the testing protocol, or something more sinister.

I really hope she's just very disorganised.

[Hilltopperny]

Not a real shocker here. Reality is that the majority of pro athletes are doping regardless of the sport they participate in. If they weren't then they would have a very hard time competing with the others who are. It is what it is. I say have a league for dopers and one for the non dopers and let the top dopers face the top clean athletes at the end of the season for some sort of championship...

[MaraudingWalrus]

Want to know what a sham it is to miss three in 10 months? Ask the riders that do it every day for over a decade...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riders-react-to-the-lizzie-armitstead-case/


Or 18.75% of them.

More or less skipped one in every four.




https://twitter.com/vayerism


18.75% is closer to 1/5 (& still less than) than 1/4.. while we're rounding up and making assumptions, we may as well be more precise with fractions?

[soulspinner]

It makes me very uncomfortable, I could absolutely accept one - that's an unfortunate accident. Three, however, in such a short space of time suggests either a cavalier disregard for the testing protocol, or something more sinister.

I really hope she's just very disorganised.

this exactly.....

[echappist]

It makes me very uncomfortable, I could absolutely accept one - that's an unfortunate accident. Three, however, in such a short space of time suggests either a cavalier disregard for the testing protocol, or something more sinister.

I really hope she's just very disorganised.

to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, missing one test is unfortunate, missing two tests looks like carelessness. Missing three seems willfully ignorant, stressing the willful part.

[pasadena]

Good retweet from @vayerism

Not all dopers miss three tests,
but all who miss three tests are dopers.

more from Nicole Cooke
http://nicolecooke.com/news/

[Red Tornado]

Not really commenting on the actual missed doping tests, but more about the procedure to investigate and the ensuing hearings.
What bothers me is how when this happens to other riders, it many times gets splashed all over the cycling Internet. You know,"So-and-so missed x number of tests and is now suspended by their team/federation/etc.".
Why the silence for Lizzie? How does the news get out so quickly for some but apparently not others? Is it being leaked by national federations, or teams? I really am curious who it is who determines whether or not to release these goings on when they occur.
How is it that she is out of racing for a while and everything remains quiet. Why don't other riders get this same courtesy?
Wait until the facts are all out and the case is decided, at least on the federation level, before hitting the front page with it. Should be this way for ALL.

[Joxster]

Playing with fire, in 20 years of racing I've never missed a test and in the early days dope control just turned up unannounced anytime/anywhere for out of season testing.

[Stephen2014]

Disgusting.
And after Brian Cookson said there will be no more turning a blind eye and sweeping sht under the carpet.

[wallymann]

I really hope she's just very disorganised.

read any recent in-depth interview, quite the opposite appears to be the case...nothing is left to chance as far as training/preparation are concerned. she claims to coach herself.

[Neil]

Yes, I'm aware of that.

[Stephen2014]

Is her nickname now Lance Armitstead?

[echappist]

Is her nickname now Lance Armitstead?

Armpitstead. As in dirty enough to fit right in with the dirty politicians of the armpit of the USA

[kramnnim]

Interesting how her peers are responding. PFP tweeted "Just shameful..."

[christian]

Smoke and fire. If the other members of the peloton extend their claws, it's because they smell something.

[oldpotatoe]

It makes me very uncomfortable, I could absolutely accept one - that's an unfortunate accident. Three, however, in such a short space of time suggests either a cavalier disregard for the testing protocol, or something more sinister.

I really hope she's just very disorganised.

Sorry, it makes you 'uncomfortable' that a Brit woks bike racer missed some piss tests? Are you really that empathetic? Just curious.

[spookyload]

In the military we call it different spanks for different ranks. She is the current world champion, so she gets some breaks. As mentioned, she was able to explain one as not her fault. She let her federation come up with the next excuse. Haven't heard anything but "just missed it" for the third. Apparently it came to light before they could make up a third excuse for her. So she missed tests, is she guilty? I don't have any idea, but I hope she isn't. In the same tone, if it barks like a dog, smells like a dog and humps your leg when you sit on the couch...it is probably a dog. As mentioned above, pros don't miss tests. Their job is to ride a bike, follow the rules and give piss when the random tests come. If I could make her income to ride a bike and part of it was to list my whereabouts...that is part of the job. Being a professional means doing it on and off the bike. She isn't doing that.

[Neil]

Being British there's almost nothing to be proud of anymore- especially when we've just demonstrated to the world that we are, en-masse, stupid racists who will destroy our own economy to spite foreigners.

But we are still quite good at cycling, and that program has been built on a very strong anti-ped platform. So yes, this result makes me uncomfortable - it makes me question whether I can support Armitstead.

I want to believe- but I am not a fool.

[spookyload]

British cycling is on top of the world right now. The tour de france is about to be renamed the queens cup! Between Cav taking stages, and Froome clearly displaying he hates wearing black jerseys after the first week of the tour, it has never been better. Enjoy the ride! If it does turn out badly in this case, just remember one rider doesn't equate to an entire nation of cyclists.

[kramnnim]

Lizzie just posted on FB- https://www.facebook.com/LizzieArmitstead/posts/832586116842756

I wish some of her statements didn't sound so Lance-like.

Maybe I'm gullible, but I don't doubt her. I don't like what her fiance did to PFP, that was out of line.

[peanutgallery]

After reading thru the facebook comments I get the feeling that all the delusional central PA nuts that want to put the Joe Paterno back up suddenly moved to England and became cycling fans

[JStonebarger]

...I don't like what her fiance did to PFP, that was out of line.

Sorry to be behind the times, but what did her fiancé do to PFP?

[lookout2015]

Sorry to be behind the times, but what did her fiancé do to PFP?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2016/08/02/lizzie-armitstead-did-not-challenge-first-of-three-missed-drugs/ has a quick summary of the Twitter-feud

Cycling is becoming Kanye West and Taylor Swift :fight::fight:

[Red Tornado]

Regarding the first missed test.....
1) Understand that hotel staff would be hesitant to give her room number to a stranger or escort a stranger to her room.
2) Calls her cell and it's on silent so as not to disturb the roomie, also understandable.
At this point what is the tester supposed to do? Stand around and hope she wakes up before the 1-hour time period expires? Good luck with that.
The only alternatives the tester has now is to ask the hotel staff to call her room - risking waking up the roommate. Could also try to locate a member of team staff or another rider possibly and have them try to get her. Both of these options are not guaranteed to work.
It seems to me that if you write down 6-7 a.m. on your whereabouts for that day, you should be prepared to have a tester show up. Am I totally off base here? What would you have done had you been the tester? I doesn't seem to me like she gave him/her any good options.

The last missed test, due to family illness, is understandable to me. Agree family always comes first. But could you work with/through your federation to resolve it ASAP after dealing with the situation at home? Seems like the first & last missed tests were handled in a sloppy manner by a rider who should know better. I'm a little confused regarding the second one, which was more about record-keeping than an actual test.

These kinds of events, even if it's proven later that the rider is innocent/clean/etc., always seem to cast a shadow over the sport. And even if the person is cleared, for me sometimes there's that little bit of lingering doubt. What they do/don't do affects not only them, but also the sport in general.

[victoryfactory]

I think the riders resent the testers whether they are clean or not. It's invasive and creepy. I would hate to be hounded like that.

VF

[wallymann]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/08/news/armitstead-issues-statement-on-missed-anti-doping-controls_416957

the first "uncontested" miss was actually contested apparently, but her filing was not accepted...so it's not "officially" contested. i'd like to know more about that original filing, what it said, and why it was rejected. also, "I was tested the next day, this test was negative."

i'm gonna cut her some slack. i want to believe.

[unterhausen]

the first "uncontested" miss was actually contested apparently, but her filing was not accepted...so it's not "officially" contested. i'd like to know more about that original filing, what it said, and why it was rejected. also, "I was tested the next day, this test was negative."

i'm gonna cut her some slack. i want to believe.

The first one sounds legit, but of course the Armstrong story tells us that having 15 minutes is often enough. Now some of those techniques are no longer available, so maybe it takes a whole day to clean things up. The most recent two seem to be totally bogus. Having said that, it's amazing what they have to put up with. I'm pretty sure only a few women pros are really making a decent living at riding. I assume all of them and the top amateurs are still subject to the same level of testing. I would hate to have to update my location like that.

As far as the comment above about the Paterno fans, not even the news that he covered up for Sandusky since '76 was enough to shut up the former players. I really don't think the statue is going back up, but obviously winning is everything with some people. The cover stories have been blown out of the water. The defense for cycling dopers is very similar in a lot of ways.

[peanutgallery]

I've heard that they're going to put the Paterno statue in the PSU library. ..to remind everyone to be quiet

The first one sounds legit, but of course the Armstrong story tells us that having 15 minutes is often enough. Now some of those techniques are no longer available, so maybe it takes a whole day to clean things up. The most recent two seem to be totally bogus. Having said that, it's amazing what they have to put up with. I'm pretty sure only a few women pros are really making a decent living at riding. I assume all of them and the top amateurs are still subject to the same level of testing. I would hate to have to update my location like that.

As far as the comment above about the Paterno fans, not even the news that he covered up for Sandusky since '76 was enough to shut up the former players. I really don't think the statue is going back up, but obviously winning is everything with some people. The cover stories have been blown out of the water. The defense for cycling dopers is very similar in a lot of ways.

[cadence90]

I think the riders resent the testers whether they are clean or not. It's invasive and creepy. I would hate to be hounded like that.

VF

I went to a job interview once, had bad vibes in the waiting room and worse ones when right out of the box one of the first questions was, "Would you object to regular drug testing?"

I hads never heard that question before, and I found the question, especially so early, to be particularly invasive and creepy (and I have smoked less than 5 joints in my life, 30 years ago, and never tried anything else).

Then again, architects aren't normally regularly tested for doping.

Resent it all they want, I think that with pro athletes now it is part of the job, and that they should accept it.

[rwsaunders]

My middle kid was drug tested before he started his high school job at Target as it's become standard protocol in some companies. There's no random testing program though.

[eippo1]

I went to a job interview once, had bad vibes in the waiting room and worse ones when right out of the box one of the first questions was, "Would you object to regular drug testing?"

I hads never heard that question before, and I found the question, especially so early, to be particularly invasive and creepy (and I have smoked less than 5 joints in my life, 30 years ago, and never tried anything else).

Then again, architects aren't normally regularly tested for doping.

Resent it all they want, I think that with pro athletes now it is part of the job, and that they should accept it.


A good number of my friends from arch school wouldn't be working if that was the case :eek:. And then there's a whole other group that likes to drink and design.

[deechee]

My ex worked as a mining engineer, living at the mine. Besides being a dry mine site (breathalyzer tests if they suspected you), they were subjected to random drug tests (using their hair?). Definitely sucky, but then she had no living expenses and made a good chunk of change.

Yeah, its invasive, but as a world champion, you gotta take it that you're in the limelight. Ok, I get that you don't want to talk about your personal issues, but its your own mistakes that led to people questioning it.

I'm curious, why isn't her team defending her? Why is it only British Cycling? And why was BC in charge of helping her manage her whereabouts? Doesn't she have a team manager/support staff available to her? Seems like it would hurt Boels-Dolmans to lose their WC rider to a technicality?

[unterhausen]

I don't think most womens teams have a big budget, so management of drug testing issues is almost surely on the rider. I could be wrong, just an observation.

A good number of my friends from arch school wouldn't be working if that was the case :eek:
I've heard of state laws that keep people that have dui convictions from doing construction on schools. And drug testing. I imagine that that a design-build firm that did work like that also has requirements on the other employees that might have gone to the worksite with rules like that.

The thing about work-related drug testing is that most drugs work through the system relatively quickly, so basically the tests are for pot. Although the hair tests might have other substances.

[verbeke06]

The more things change the more things stay the same :(

[trener1]

Wow, I have totally lost any respect for Philip Deignan

[moose8]

At a certain point it sure seems like a farce to suggest that doping isn't rampant in the sport. I don't get why if anyone paying the athletes really cared they just wouldn't put a clause in their contracts that if caught doping it's null and void, or payback what was paid out or something of that ilk. I just don't think anyone really cares enough to do something like that. At this point it is so clear that if you are a professional part of the deal is annoying drug tests. We all have annoying crap we have to deal with at work, and three times sure seems like a basis for getting fired in most jobs.

[dpk501]

Lizzie just posted on FB- https://www.facebook.com/LizzieArmitstead/posts/832586116842756

I wish some of her statements didn't sound so Lance-like.

Maybe I'm gullible, but I don't doubt her. I don't like what her fiance did to PFP, that was out of line.

I wonder if Team Sky made him delete those tweets

[Stephen2014]

Lizzie Ah-missed-it

[verticaldoug]

Lizzy was just a distraction so the IOC could sneak the Russians in while you were not looking.

“The action the IOC took has forever set a bar for how the most outrageous doping and cover up and corruption possible will be treated in the future,” Robertson told me. “Those involved in running sport are former athletes, so somehow I figured that they would have honor and integrity. But the people in charge are basically raping their sports and the system for self-interest. Sport is seriously broken.”

https://www.propublica.org/article/olympics-top-investigator-secret-efforts-undermine-russian-doping-probe