Hincapie: Armstrong doped

[Capcha]

New York - George Hincapie, a longtime member of Lance Armstrong's inner circle, has told federal authorities he saw the seven-time Tour de France winner use performance-enhancing drugs, according to a US news report.

 

A segment of the "60 Minutes" report aired on Friday on the "CBS Evening News," one day after it broadcast an interview with another former member of Armstrong's US Postal Service team, Tyler Hamilton.

 

Hamilton said he also used PEDs with Armstrong.

 

Hincapie has often been depicted as one of Armstrong's most loyal team-mates and was with him for all seven Tour victories. In an interview last year, Armstrong said Hincapie was "like a brother to me."

 

Hincapie is among a number of former Armstrong team-mates and employees who have appeared before a federal grand jury in Los Angeles investigating doping in cycling. Hamilton said he testified for six hours before the panel.

 

Armstrong has never tested positive and has steadfastly denied doping.

 

According to "60 Minutes", Hincapie testified that he and Armstrong supplied each other with the endurance-boosting substance EPO and discussed having used another banned substance, testosterone, to prepare for races. Citing the ongoing investigation, Hincapie declined to be interviewed by "60 Minutes".

 

Interviewed at the Tour of California in Solvang, Hincapie said he didn't want to talk about the "60 Minutes" report.

 

"It's just unfortunate that that's all people want to talk about now," he said. "I'm not going to partake in any cycling-bashing. I have done everything to be the best I can be.

 

"I want the focus on the future of the sport, what it's done to clean itself up. I believe in cycling and want to support it."

 

Later, Hincapie released a statement through his attorney: "I can confirm to you that I never spoke with `60 Minutes.' I have no idea where they got their information. As I've said in the past, I continue to be disappointed that people are talking about the past in cycling instead of the future. As for the substance of anything in the `60 Minutes' story, I cannot comment on anything relating to the ongoing investigation."

 

Armstrong's spokesman Mark Fabiani, said: "We have no way of knowing what happened in the grand jury and so can't comment on these anonymously sourced reports."

 

The Hincapie and Hamilton revelations come a year after Floyd Landis, who had his 2006 Tour title stripped for using steroids, claimed he and Armstrong had both used drugs while on the U.S. Postal team.

 

But while Hamilton and Landis have credibility problems that Armstrong has pointed out - both cyclists denied using drugs for years before changing their story and implicating Armstrong - there aren't as many issues with Hincapie.

 

The 37-year-old cyclist from New York has no known positive tests. He was on the Postal team even before Armstrong and, once Armstrong joined it, the two were frequent roommates on the road.

 

When Landis alleged that drug use was common on the US Postal team, Hincapie responded by saying, "It bothers me, because I've been doing this for 17 years and never heard anything bad about me."

 

After CBS aired the Hamilton interview Thursday, the cyclist gave his 2004 Olympic gold medal back to the US Anti-Doping Agency, which said it is working with the International and US Olympic committees on an investigation.

 

"60 Minutes" also released an excerpt from another Armstrong team0mate, Frankie Andreu, who said he took banned substances because lesser riders he believed were doping were passing him during races.

 

"Things were just getting faster and faster and sprinters were getting over the big mountains and winning, you know, climbing stages," Andreu said in the interview. "There's 200 guys flying over these mountains and you can't even stay in the group. And it's just impossible to keep up. And it's like, 'What the hell's going on here?"'

 

After the Hamilton and Andreu interviews went public, Armstrong launched a website refuting the claims and calling into question the credibility of Andreu, Hamilton and Landis. He also posted a letter addressed to CBS News, calling the "60 Minutes" reporting "disgraceful journalism."

[SwissVan]

 

New York - George Hincapie, a longtime member of Lance Armstrong's inner circle, has told federal authorities he saw the seven-time Tour de France winner use performance-enhancing drugs, according to a US news report.

 

 

According to "60 Minutes", Hincapie testified that he and Armstrong supplied each other with the endurance-boosting substance EPO and discussed having used another banned substance, testosterone, to prepare for races. Citing the ongoing investigation, Hincapie declined to be interviewed by "60 Minutes".

 

 

 

Later, Hincapie released a statement through his attorney: "I can confirm to you that I never spoke with `60 Minutes.' I have no idea where they got their information.

 

 

 

He said that she said that they said......

 

So whose lying and bending the truth?

[Capricorn]

so.. how many eye witnesses does it take...? or rather.. how much smoke must u choke on before you see the fire?

[SwissVan]

Say: Baaa Baaaa poor little sheep...

[ThaStig]

Not to be a fly in the ointment....but won't it be better to wait for full results of the investigation? I just laugh at how people get worked up at sensational reporting and then when the real story comes out it turns out to be a damp squib. Yes the anti-Uniball lobby would like to believe that he doped "how else could he have won it 7-times in a row" and the LA lobby would murder you for ever thinking of it. What about Eddie "The Animal" Merckx weren't his exploits "In-human" too...now I've stirred up the Merckx followers Here's a thought maybe LA didn't dope he didn't have to, but a lot of his helpers had to just to be there in front everyday for 3wks. Most of the time the blue train was the strongest team by far and that was the difference yes he was the best but his team had to be better than the rest so that they could protect him. Just think about it, even when Ulrich was on top he just couldn't pull it through because his team wasn't strong enough and they were also focussed on the sprint jersey as well.

[Jeepdude]

Hincapie never made those allegations.... read his twitter. he has distanced himself from those claims. it was contrived by media

[Kranswurm]

Hincapie never made those allegations.... read his twitter. he has distanced himself from those claims. it was contrived by media

 

Scum of the earth journalists........sorry TW

[Capcha]

I dont see how Hincapie would rat his friend and ex team mate out. Unless there are investigations on Hincapie and his trying to keep his name clean, but its a little too late for that. I guess in time things will iron themselves out.

[TNT1]

Hincapie never made those allegations.... read his twitter. he has distanced himself from those claims. it was contrived by media

 

Yeah until it turns out that there's a fire under all that smoke.

[Delgado]

Yeah until it turns out that there's a fire under all that smoke.

not for the faithful flock though. .

[TNT1]

not for the faithful flock though. .

 

Flocking ostriches!

[Grebel]

I am going to wait for the pro's to find the source of the fire...

[onetrackmind]

Hincapie never made those allegations.... read his twitter. he has distanced himself from those claims. it was contrived by media

"I can confirm to you I never spoke with 60 Minutes. I have no idea where they got their information."

 

That is not distancing yourself. "I never said any such thing" would be distancing yourself.

 

What Hincapie says in his tweet reads more like "I have told the feds everything, how the $%^& did 60 minutes find out what I said?"

[javadude]

"I can confirm to you I never spoke with 60 Minutes. I have no idea where they got their information."

 

That is not distancing yourself. "I never said any such thing" would be distancing yourself.

 

What Hincapie says in his tweet reads more like "I have told the feds everything, how the $%^& did 60 minutes find out what I said?"

 

Thats how any level headed person would read it, but the fanboys who have man crushes on Lance can't remove their emotions from reality.

[SwissVan]

Thats how any level headed person would read it, but the fanboys who have man crushes on Lance can't remove their emotions from reality.

 

Talk about ostriches....

 

Reality is: There is no proof, just accusations from some disgruntled journalists, convicted dopers and self admitted liars.

 

Before you go and list all the (anecdotal)evidence dont waste your time, been there and done that a few times already.

 

Yes this "fanboy" cant wait for the day this gets sorted out once and for all, whichever way it turns out. But at least I'm not a hypocrit who supports proven / convicted dopers and then whines about LA being a doper.

Edited May 21, 2011 by SwissVan

[jmaccelari]

A SCOOP on Armstrong DOPING!?

 

Must be that time of year again. Geez, I didn't realise the Tour was so soon...