Lance Armstrong Banned and Stripped of TDF Titles

[jcza]

Bertagnolli testomony - http://thegaviafiles.tumblr.com/post/33378795535/the-bertagnolli-testimony-a-look-into-ferraris-world

[Tumbleweed]

The one thing I'm amazed by is the fact that Nike are standing firm behind him

 

One other thing, did he possibly get cancer from all the doping/ blood transfusions he has allegedly had/ done?

 

HGH could have contributed to it. Although steroids are used in diseases which cause tissue to waste away, I seem to remember reading somewhere that some steroids can cause tumours to grow. Lance's cancer was said to be very aggressive, so I wonder…

[andydude]

What is sure is these are watershed times for cycling - if not for all sport.

 

For me this is the most important to take cognisance of. It happens in all sports, and if you don't believe that you're very naive. The fact remains that the odds are stacked against the organisations trying to clean a sport, as the money on the other side is just so much more. It's simple economics. The only real way to get caught is through investigations like the one done by USADA and relying on witnesses. If you're actually caught with illegal substances in your body, you and/or your doctor is pretty stupid. Many athletes across sport codes have demonstrated that it's easy to cheat the system and that never being tested positive doesn't mean you're not.

[fandacious]

So despite a ban for working with schumi, pozatto just signed with lampre for 3 years. Business as usual then it seems

[TNT1]

So despite a ban for working with schumi, pozatto just signed with lampre for 3 years. Business as usual then it seems

 

But schumi is retiring. Hamilton's taking his place at Mercedes, so what difference does it make?

[jcza]

So despite a ban for working with schumi, pozatto just signed with lampre for 3 years. Business as usual then it seems

 

Yip no change and it will continue until such time as there is a clean out at UCI

[GrumpyOldGuy]

The one thing I'm amazed by is the fact that Nike are standing firm behind him

 

 

Hmm, yeah, they must still see value somewhere, otherwise I cant see whats the reason, but then they also stuck with Tiger Woods when a number of his sponsors jumped ship, although Tigers fall from grace was not as dramatic and more a personal issue, perhaps they saw he could still and has redeemed himself, so yeah they made a wise decision there and will reap the rewards for years to come.

 

However LA is very different, basically he is an athlete without a platform as he has been banned from competing, so apart from him wearing his Nike sunnies at some low key event somewhere in Tucson Arizona, I cant see where they are getting value and the potential fall out from bad publicity is also very real.

 

Maybe its just Nike culture to stick with their athletes no matter what..........but I suspect they will slowly start to unravel ties and drift away from LA over time, in a year or two they would have moved away completely.

[TNT1]

Hmm, yeah, they must still see value somewhere, otherwise I cant see whats the reason, but then they also stuck with Tiger Woods when a number of his sponsors jumped ship, although Tigers fall from grace was not as dramatic and more a personal issue, perhaps they saw he could still and has redeemed himself, so yeah they made a wise decision there and will reap the rewards for years to come.

 

However LA is very different, basically he is an athlete without a platform as he has been banned from competing, so apart from him wearing his Nike sunnies at some low key event somewhere in Tucson Arizona, I cant see where they are getting value and the potential fall out from bad publicity is also very real.

 

Maybe its just Nike culture to stick with their athletes no matter what..........but I suspect they will slowly start to unravel ties and drift away from LA over time, in a year or two they would have moved away completely.

 

Or it could be he has something in his contract with them that says something along the lines of no actual positive test means they stay with him.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Or it could be he has something in his contract with them that says something along the lines of no actual positive test means they stay with him.

 

Yeah, could be.

 

The crunch time will be when they come to the end of the contract, somehow I dont think they will renew.

[surferchickie]

My opinion, leave him alone. What is done is done. Why bother - hulle krap obviously waar dit nie jeuk nie - let bygones be bygones! seriously! they are acting up like old women with wet pants.... seriously!

[jcza]

My opinion, leave him alone. What is done is done. Why bother - hulle krap obviously waar dit nie jeuk nie - let bygones be bygones! seriously! they are acting up like old women with wet pants.... seriously!

 

I don't agree. Whoever is found guilty should be punished and UCI should have a clear out. No matter how uncomfortable it is. Time is always right do to the right thing.

[tombeej]

My opinion, leave him alone. What is done is done. Why bother - hulle krap obviously waar dit nie jeuk nie - let bygones be bygones! seriously! they are acting up like old women with wet pants.... seriously!

 

How did surfer chickie find herself in Pretoria?

[surferchickie]

I don't agree. Whoever is found guilty should be punished and UCI should have a clear out. No matter how uncomfortable it is. Time is always right do to the right thing.

 

well - then they shouldve done this while he was still racing! obviously someone wasnt doing there job back then - right is right and wrong is wrong - agree! but still, if you do something wrong now, you cant be punished after 55 years from now, you should be punished now!

[surferchickie]

How did surfer chickie find herself in Pretoria?

 

havent you seen the last wave ride up here?

[Kranky]

My opinion, leave him alone. What is done is done. Why bother - hulle krap obviously waar dit nie jeuk nie - let bygones be bygones! seriously! they are acting up like old women with wet pants.... seriously!

 

Reminds me of this

 

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

Edited October 12, 2012 by Goobacks

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I see Ferrari and Bruyneel could face criminal charges in Italy and Belguim.

 

 

Hmm, somebody mentioned in an earlier post that its still "business as usual" with Bruyneel and Ferrari, but my understanding is Bruyneel is has taken leave of absence from RSN until the completion of his arbitration case, (maybe forced maybe voluntary I dont know) and Ferrari is certainly under all sorts of investigations as well as also receiving a lifetime ban from any involvement with athletes, so its really not just carrying on as normal for everyone else except LA, the investigation has bitten deep and many people are feeling a lot of heat, if not finding their livelihoods threatened or facing jail time.

 

I personally cant feel sorry for Armstrong, he is not a stupid man, he must have woken up some nights and said "What if.......?" he knew what he was doing was wrong, he knew the risks, he knew if he was caught what the repercussions would be, he knew he was dragging others into his world, he knew he was risking everything by his actions, yet he persisted. That says to me he never felt any guilt or remorse, in fact he continued with his subterfuge on his return to the sport when he said he was riding for cancer.

 

No sorry, his actions are not one of someone pushed into a situation with no alternatives, he had choices, he chose not to take them, that to me are the actions of somebody who believes they are above the law, they will never get caught, in other words he gambled and he lost, now he must pay the piper.