Lance Armstrong Banned and Stripped of TDF Titles

[jcza]

David Walsh‏@DavidWalshST

In Rabobank's departure statement one sentence stood out: "Doping is supported even within the highest institutions of the cycling world."

[GoLefty!!]

Well he does have a point.

 

1998 through to 2001 were sort of mini recession years. The world was looking for areas to invest, the property market was looking good for speculators, and Cycling had not really entrenched itself as a real sport in the USA.

Then a fortuitous thing happens, a young "all american" lad from the wrong background gets cancer.

He's a cyclist and he's riding for a French team.

Bare with me...

Along comes a few enterprising people who say "we'll make you a hero if you do the following. Win the TDF on an American team, riding American bikes, wearing american apparel and using mostly American team mates. Do what you have to do. Here is your mission, contacts and a blank cheque."

LA does whats required and wins the TDF. America goes cycling bedawnered and suddenly the bicycling industry has a new huge untapped market into which it can flood new goods at prices escalating at x4 inflation. America will lap this up because "an American" has taken on the Europeans at their own game and won...

Then the next win comes along and now it's supplement companies, (Food and Drug Corp's), Trek Cannondale, experience booming sales, SRAM is making more money on the back of road cycling now booming. Jobs are being created in the Health and fitness industry, all fueled by the image of an all American boy winning the worlds biggest bike race.

Sponsors are happy, the results are coming in, but no ones questioning how its being done. They're too busy making money. Too busy raising their profit margin. Too busy inventing toys we don't really need to justify that X4 inflation year on year price hike on biking equipment.

When the first rumours start to surface that maybe all's not right, Neither TREK, the beer company, Oakley, Giro or anyone else involved is concerned because the return on investment is just too impressive to take their eyes to what's really going on.

 

By the time we get to the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, America has flooded Europe and the rest of the world with top dollar Cycling goods. They consumerised the TDF and a whole industry. The days of the cyclesmith were gone, The days of little boys who dreamed of winning the tour, sold newspapers to afford their first bike, joined a club and 5 years later had their names on the front page of L'equip were gone. The sport became a professionals domain. Branded team buses, media teams travelling with the teams, whole medical teams all bundled into the same hotels and buses. The pressure to win is immense because the worlds largest market is dying to see their products on the top step of the podium of the biggest cycling event in the world.

 

Then later on when all the underhanded dealings surfaces, those people who benefited, those sponsors and equipment suppliers whose names were up there reeling in the accolades, marketing their products on that glory,... then writes to the world and says they were deceived.....I have to believe that these people are not worthy of even being mentioned or considered next time I need to spend a dollar. They are complicit and nothing changes that. So Rabobank leaves, not surprising but I side with Millar, its a cowardly act because Rabobank is one of those sponsors who demanded the results and helped to create the culture. They only intervened when there was the potential for bad publicity. Trek, Nike, Anhauser -iets off anders, Giro, all cowards running for the hills, waiting for the dust to settle before they come calling with their next great trick.

 

In the maritime world, they say the captain should go down with the ship, and in this case it is true. But it appears the shipbuilders need to be taught a lesson too because they built it from weak steel and now they're hanging in the shadows.

Edited October 20, 2012 by GoLefty!!

[Wayne Booysen]

UCI responds on Monday...should be interesting!

[Jaco-fiets]

Wonder what angle they will be taking here? Pointing fingers, maybe owning up to a corrupt system they had for testing, admitting that they received bribes? Highly doubt anything named apart from the pointing fingers.

 

I just see i statement coming with load of legal bibble babble

[Tumbleweed]

In the maritime world, they say the captain should go down with the ship, and in this case it is true. But it appears the shipbuilders need to be taught a lesson too because they built it from weak steel and now they're hanging in the shadows.

 

Brilliant. Well said, sir.

[udxcob]

well he does have a point.

 

1998 through to 2001 were sort of mini recession years. The world was looking for areas to invest, the property market was looking good for speculators, and Cycling had not really entrenched itself as a real sport in the USA.

Then a fortuitous thing happens, a young "all american" lad from the wrong background gets cancer.

He's a cyclist and he's riding for a French team.

Bare with me...

Along comes a few enterprising people who say "we'll make you a hero if you do the following. WIn the TDF on an American team, riding American bikes, wearing american apparel and using mostly American team mates. Do what you have to do. Here is your mission, contacts and a blank cheque."

LA does whats required and wins the TDF. America goes cycling bedawnered and suddenly the bicycling industry has a new huge untapped market into which it can flood new good at prices escalating at x4 inflation. America will lap this up because "an American" has taken on the Europeans at their own game and won...

Then the next win comes along and now it's supplement companies, (Food and Drug Corp's), Trek Cannondale, experience booming sales, SRAM is making more money on the back of road cycling now booming. Jobs are being created in the Health and fitness industry, all fueled by the image of an all American boy winning the worlds biggest bike race.

Sponsors are happy, the results are coming in, but no ones questioning how its being done. They're too busy making money. Too busy raising their profit margin. Too busy inventing toys we don't really need to justify that X4 inflation year on year price hike on biking equipment.

When the first rumours start to surface that maybe all's not right, Neither trel the beer company, Oakley, Giro or anyone else involved is concerned because the return on investment is just too impressive to take their eyes off what's really going on.

 

By the time we get to the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, America has flooded Europe with Cycling goods. They consumerised the TDF and a whole industry. The days of the cyclesmith were gone, The days of little boys who dreamed of winning the tour, sold newspapers to afford their first bike, joined a club and 5 years later had their names on the front page of L'equip were gone. The sport became a professions domain. Branded team buses, media teams travelling with the teams, whole medical teams all bundled into the same hotels and buses. The pressure to win is emense because the worlds largest market is dying to see their products on the top step of the podium of the biggest cycling event in the world.

 

Then later on when all the underhanded dealings surfaces, those people who benefited those sponsors and equipment suppliers whose names were up there reeling in the accolades, marketing their products on that glory then write to the world and says they were deceived.....I have to believe that these people are not worthy of even being mentioned or considered next time I need to spend a dollar. They complicit and nothing changes that. So Rabobank leaves, not surprising but I side with Millar, its a cowardly act because Rabobank is one of those sponsors who demanded the results and help create the culture. They only intervened when there the potential for bad publicity. Trek, Nike, Amhauer -iets off anders. Giro, all cowards running the hills, waiting for the dust to settle before they come calling with their next great trick.

 

In the maritime world, they say the captain should go down with the ship, and in this case it is true. But it appears the shipbuilders need to be taught a lesson too because they built it from weak steel and now they're hanging in the shadows.

 

Sjoe hectic and yes agreed

[Tumbleweed]

Smashed vase on the yellow carpet at the Livestrong event...

['Dale]

@GoLefty,

 

Cool post nr 2674.

[DJR]

Hi GoLefty

 

That's a very valid point about the sponsors jumping ship, but I believe Karma will give them a snotklap sooner or later, just wait.

 

(Methinks) The flipside of the coin is that in future the sponsors are probably going to have even more power (money talks and sponsors will be in short supply) over the teams and if they use that correctly (punish even a whiff of doping severely) they might have a better chance of keeping the teams clean than anyone else. Whether the sponsors will use heir levarage for good is a different story, but I think they might just be the broom for the cleanup. The riders, management, medics proved to be useless and are really just slaves that will cave in to the pressure to perform by hook or by crook. The anti doping bodies or the UCI haven't been very good this far, can they transform themselves? Team owners should treasure their team, but have they got the power or are they dancing to the tune of the sponsors? However I look at it, sponsors seem to be the key, just like they were the key in creating this huge mess. Agreed with Millar, they (perhaps rather new untainted ones) need to be part of the solution.

[Wayne Booysen]

What is the ultimate goal of a sponsor? Exposure! Where's the most exposure? On the podium! What is the sponsor going to do to achieve this? Business is business!

[awesme]

Go Lefty

 

Love this piece. Well said.

 

G

 

well he does have a point.

 

1998 through to 2001 were sort of mini recession years. The world was looking for areas to invest, the property market was looking good for speculators, and Cycling had not really entrenched itself as a real sport in the USA.

Then a fortuitous thing happens, a young "all american" lad from the wrong background gets cancer.

He's a cyclist and he's riding for a French team.

Bare with me...

Along comes a few enterprising people who say "we'll make you a hero if you do the following. WIn the TDF on an American team, riding American bikes, wearing american apparel and using mostly American team mates. Do what you have to do. Here is your mission, contacts and a blank cheque."

LA does whats required and wins the TDF. America goes cycling bedawnered and suddenly the bicycling industry has a new huge untapped market into which it can flood new good at prices escalating at x4 inflation. America will lap this up because "an American" has taken on the Europeans at their own game and won...

Then the next win comes along and now it's supplement companies, (Food and Drug Corp's), Trek Cannondale, experience booming sales, SRAM is making more money on the back of road cycling now booming. Jobs are being created in the Health and fitness industry, all fueled by the image of an all American boy winning the worlds biggest bike race.

Sponsors are happy, the results are coming in, but no ones questioning how its being done. They're too busy making money. Too busy raising their profit margin. Too busy inventing toys we don't really need to justify that X4 inflation year on year price hike on biking equipment.

When the first rumours start to surface that maybe all's not right, Neither trel the beer company, Oakley, Giro or anyone else involved is concerned because the return on investment is just too impressive to take their eyes off what's really going on.

 

By the time we get to the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, America has flooded Europe with Cycling goods. They consumerised the TDF and a whole industry. The days of the cyclesmith were gone, The days of little boys who dreamed of winning the tour, sold newspapers to afford their first bike, joined a club and 5 years later had their names on the front page of L'equip were gone. The sport became a professions domain. Branded team buses, media teams travelling with the teams, whole medical teams all bundled into the same hotels and buses. The pressure to win is emense because the worlds largest market is dying to see their products on the top step of the podium of the biggest cycling event in the world.

 

Then later on when all the underhanded dealings surfaces, those people who benefited those sponsors and equipment suppliers whose names were up there reeling in the accolades, marketing their products on that glory then write to the world and says they were deceived.....I have to believe that these people are not worthy of even being mentioned or considered next time I need to spend a dollar. They complicit and nothing changes that. So Rabobank leaves, not surprising but I side with Millar, its a cowardly act because Rabobank is one of those sponsors who demanded the results and help create the culture. They only intervened when there the potential for bad publicity. Trek, Nike, Amhauer -iets off anders. Giro, all cowards running the hills, waiting for the dust to settle before they come calling with their next great trick.

 

In the maritime world, they say the captain should go down with the ship, and in this case it is true. But it appears the shipbuilders need to be taught a lesson too because they built it from weak steel and now they're hanging in the shadows.

[DJR]

What is the ultimate goal of a sponsor? Exposure! Where's the most exposure? On the podium! What is the sponsor going to do to achieve this? Business is business!

And therein lies the rub.

[awesme]

And sponsors don't just want this once a month, they want it every race, every weekend, crazy schedule for these guys.

 

G

 

 

And therein lies the rub.

[DaLoCo]

I wonder if the UCI will only respond to the LA charges, or if the other dopers in the mix will also be included? Can those six month bans be turned into something more significant?

[Jaco-fiets]

Smashed vase on the yellow carpet at the Livestrong event...

 

Do you think that broke against Lance's head?

[GrumpyOldGuy]

So not much was said at the event.

 

From what I read "No difficult questions were allowed and the mainstream media was barred" which was pretty much expected I guess.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-20/armstrong-speaks-at-livestrong-event/4324460

Edited October 20, 2012 by GrumpyOldGuy