(Lance) Armstong cleared of doping charges

[papau]

LNDD (The International Cycling Union) appointed lawyer Emile Vrijman said his report "exonerates Lance Armstrong completely with respect to alleged use of doping in the 1999 Tour de France."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/05/31/armstrong.doping.ap/index.html?cnn=yes
Posted: Wednesday May 31, 2006 9:09AM; Updated: Wednesday May 31, 2006 9:25AM

Armstong cleared of doping charges
Lance Armstrong was cleared of all doping charges during the 1999 Tour de France.
Simon Bruty/SI


AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Independent Dutch investigators cleared Lance Armstrong of doping in the 1999 Tour de France on Wednesday, and blamed anti-doping authorities for misconduct in dealing with the American cyclist.

A 132-page report recommended convening a tribunal to discuss possible legal and ethical violations by the World Anti-Doping Agency and to consider "appropriate sanctions to remedy the violations."

The French sports daily L'Equipe reported in August that six of Armstrong's urine samples from 1999, when he won the first of his record seven-straight Tour titles, came back positive for the endurance-boosting hormone EPO when they were retested in 2004.<snip>

The report said WADA and the LNDD may have "behaved in ways that are completely inconsistent with the rules and regulations of international anti-doping control testing," and may also have been against the law.<snip>

[underpants]

1. HAhahhahahaha GOOD!

Eat this you f**king doubters

[barb162]

54. yep!

[SaveElmer]

2. Not a surprise...

The French have been on an anti-Lance jag for years...

Not surprising they would go overboard...

It was obvious this testing was bogus from the beginning!!!

[MadHound]

3. LOL, great news, not unexpected, but great nonetheless

Now, I wonder when all those Lance bashers will show up with some grand Dutch conspiracy or something:eyes:

[LostinVA]

5. Oh, any second... as well as saying how he's evil for getting a divorce

from the wife that stood by him during cancer... even though they didn't meet until he was well on the road to recovery... and even though the two of them are on excellent terms.... and even though the reasons they divorced were "mundane" (difference in religious beliefs, etc.). Oh! And I forget the mountain biking riding with Bush.... all of that means he's a doper.

The French have hated Lance for years... about a decade or so!!!!!

[rocktivity]

11. What's French for "If you can't beat 'em, ban 'em?"

:rofl:
rocknation

[LostinVA]

13. Isn't that the truth...

[Lost4words]

40. Ever been to France, LostinVA?

just wondering....................

[LostinVA]

43. That has nothing to do with anything

I have been a huge booster of France for many years, excluding the debacle in Rwanda. Just like I've never been to, say, Israel, but I know they are responsible for certain actions against the Palestinians.

Trying to paint me as anti-French -- which I am definitely not -- doesn't change the fact that the vendetta against Armstrong has very much been engineered and manipulated by certain French sports and establishment officials.

And yes, I have been to France, the Winter of 2001. And I (basically) speak the language.

Nice try, though...

[Lost4words]

45. Ive been there also, but your post sounds like you are slamming all Fr

and it makes you sound like a hatefull person all because some group dare attack LA? Sorry but you didnt sound very worldly, or open minded toward others. Blame the individuals responsable not the whole country.

You are too close to DC and you are picking up group hate it sounds like to me.

Nothing against you, but your post Did sound anti-French and if I picked up on it I am sure a frenchman would as well.

Nice Try? I a not trying to do anything so I am not upset.

I have done the same thing, we all do, but in truth such statements make one seem small and distract from the point you are trying to make. Stick to the facts, identify the guilty parties.

Would it be a surprise that some would question LA's ability after so many super human victories, especially with all the doping and steroids going on in the world of sports?

Would you be surprised to find some anti-American sediment arount the world
that might motivate this kind of thing?

Personally I am just sick of French bashing, if it wernt for the french we would be the confiderate states of America right now. No wait, we wouldnt have gotten that far, we would still be under the rule of those wonderfull Brits!

It seems most Americans dont mind that Barry Bonds needed steriods to do what an overweight boozing Babe Ruth could do half asleep.

In close I wish you well, BTW, I was lost in VA for 30 years!

[Lost4words]

41. I thought the word was "rocknation".

is french for if you dont know them its ok to knock them.

[BrklynLiberal]

18. Exactly!!!! All those "Urban Legends" that were being passed

around about him were so wrong.

Every interview with him indicated to me he was anything but a Bushite.

I am thrilled that this bullshit can finally be put to rest.

[jberryhill]

51. The Perfidious Dutch...

....and their imperialist expansionist policy into the North Sea?

Those Dutch?

[cboy4]

4. I'm glad they cleared Lance "Freeper" Armstrong!

Kidding!

I just remember the video of him biking with that numb skull Bush on the ranch

[LostinVA]

6. Look at my post #5!!!

[cboy4]

7. Nice!

;)

[AndyTiedye]

9. It Could Be Highly Amusing to Go Bicycing with W**

[Ferret Annica]

28. I'll bet that Trek

mountain bike whimpers every time Smirk sets his ball-less rump into the saddle to preform another stellar display of lousy bike handling.

[jeffgad]

32. He was one of the very, very few pro athletes that refused to

cross picket lines to make commercials during the actor's strike a few years ago.

[LostinVA]

36. I hadn't heard that!

Unlike Tiger Woods, who did.

[BiggJawn]

8. Kiss my ass, Dick Pound!

I hope this causes a shit-storm in and around WADA.

Rawstory will probably have "proof" of the Dutch Conspiracy by dinner-time....

[stop the bleeding]

12. I second that n/t

[rocktivity]

10. Hopefully, c'est fini.

And hopefully, Armstrong's detractors will finally fermez les bouches about it.


rocknation

[Larry in KC]

14. This is a very good day for me!

First, it was the last day of school! Read on, it'll make sense...

Second, this morning before school, one of my second-graders and her parents (with whom I'm on great terms) gave me a framed, matted picture of me cycling, with this bonus: the inscription "For Larry--Lance Armstrong". The dad was instrumental in arranging Lance's surprise visit recently to American Century Investments here. They got my wife to lend them a picture to create the gift. My jaw kind of dropped when I realized what it was.

It's a little more special because I had cancer in the summer of 2003. I told myself that if Lance won the Tour, I'd live (then I realized the frightening corollary that left me with). It turned out to be the Tour he had to battle enormous problems to win. I'd watch him race live in the mornings, then cycle to my radiation therapy. He won. I got well. (To brag, I had the great lift of being pointed out as an inspirational example for riding to the therapy, a kind of very minor version of Lance himself.)

So, two hours after getting that very special gift this morning, I saw the news about Lance's being exonerated of winning unfairly, which was a nice bit of icing on top. All days should be like this!

[BrklynLiberal]

17. Wow! You REALLY did have a great day!! Triple Biorhythm high

perhaps. :thumbsup: :hi:

Congrats on beating the Big C!!! :headbang: :yourock:

[fleabert]

20. fantastic story! you should share it with the Foundation

they are always asking for survivor stories. Lance would love yours, I am sure. you might even ask for a bike ride sometime, I know he's more likely to do stuff like that than most celebrities, esp. if you ride already. I used to live in Austin and heard about him riding with people occasionally.

I am sure you know this already, but for those that don't

www.livestrong.org

[Fovea]

23. I think that American Century

should get the city council to let them put the banner back up for the summer.

[yellowcanine]

15. Where are all the Lance bashers who were ready to throw him overboard

when this first came out?

[BrklynLiberal]

16. SEVEN YEARS it took? I hope he sues their asses off.

Well, I guess the satisfaction of being proved right, and winning 7 Tour de France races in row may be enough. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[fleabert]

19. AGAIN! How many tests does he have to pass, and how many studies

have to be done on this guy before the world accepts that he is an oxygen consuming work of art? His blood processes oxygen at a better rate and recovers from lactose production better than normal people!

I hate fuckers who say Lance dopes, yet can't be bothered to read UT's research on him.

and no, I won't google it for you- if you want to find the study, do it yourself.

(you in the general sense, not you, the OP)

[BrklynLiberal]

22. I read about that in Sports Illustrated. Amazing.

And his at-rest heart rate is like Bjorn Borg's was....like if he went to an emergency room, it is so slow, they would think something was wrong with him .

[sweetheart]

21. republican dope

Up is down, no-dope vote dope.

[Township75]

24. And the French become more irrelevant than ever.

Maybe they can pick on someone else next year...they sure as hell can't seem to find someone from France to do well in their own event.

[Lost4words]

47. "And the French become more irrelevant than ever". ONLY to You!

Wht do so many people in this country think their stuff DOSENT STINK? I dont get it!

[Thorandmjolnir]

25. Apparently lots of people here are talking out of their ass

This is not a french vendetta against Lance Armstrong. This is a fight against doping. During the 1998 Tour de France, it was revealed that massive doping of the then Festina Team (A french team) had taken place. The whole team was disqualified, riders were banned and people went to jail (Among the riders banned were Richard Virenque, one of the biggest stars in french cycling at the time). Since then, top riders for all over the world has been either accused of doping or actually found guilty of doping. Names like American Tyler Hamilton ( Winner of Liege-Bastonge-Liege, and a TDF stage), Roberto Heras (Spain), Last years winner of the Vuelta a Espana and David Millar (England) have all been found guilty of doping and banned for the required 2 years.

Now, one of the biggest scandals in doping is unfolding in Spain, with a lab in Madrid being implicated in wide spread blood doping, which not only involves cycling, but also many other sports. The biggest cycling team in Spain, Liberty Seguros-Wurth's manager, Manolo Sainz was been arrested,the team sponsor has withdrawn, and the teams TDF is in danger. (Big deal since one of the TDF favorites is Alexandra Vinokurov, and he rides for the team).

So this has nothing to do with Lance Armstrong personally. It has to do with investigating journalism, and accusations of the biggest star in the sport being doped.

I am glad Lance Armstrong was cleared (WADA still disputes how the report by a dutch lawyer, exonerates Lance Armstrong, since the report apparently did not look at the testing itself).

But can this french bashing please stop. Regardless of how the US press has presented it, Lance Armstrong is loved by the french public. Every where in france during the TDF, people cheered at him when he went by. I saw people wait for hours to get his autograph.

During several stages you would see french people dressed in their favorite team jersey, holding a GO LANCE sign as well.

If you want to know more about the unfolding scandal in Spain, cyclingnews.com is doing an excellent job.

This is a story about how serious doping violations are considered in Europe versus the USA. (Did you know, that during the Giro d'Italia and the TDF, police would raid the team hotels at 5 in the morning to look for drugs? Did you know that a rider caught with doping drugs in Italy can go to jail?)

Imagine the SF Police raiding the SF Giants locker before the World Series. Thats how doping is viewed by the authorities in Europe. (And before any one says you can't compare the World Series to cycling, just remember that the TDF is one of the biggest spectator sports in the world. (in 2004 about 1 million people were at the time trial on Alpe d'Huez.)

[Larry in KC]

26. And don't doubt this poster's knowledge on the subject...

Not only did he himself win the Tour de France in 1996, he currently is team director for the team of the best current rider and just-crowned Giro d'Italia winner, Ivan Basso of CSC. Nice to have you here, sir! Insert emoticon here.

[Thorandmjolnir]

27. LOL

Thanks, it was the only name I could come up with in a hurry. Feel kind of bad for Bjarne to drag him into this.

Any way to change poster name?

:P

[Larry in KC]

31. Surely he wouldn't mind...

He's never exactly quiet with his own opinions! Your post was a good and informative one, by the way. Thanks!

[October]

29. C'est vrai! I thought it was freeperville with all the French-bashing

I can't believe all the bashing of the French.

Informative post. Thank you.

[Sewsojm]

35. It's sad to see,

All the Hate for the French here at DU, must be more Bush lovers here than I ever thought there were.

[LostinVA]

37. That isn't French hating

We totally stood up for and with the French during the whole "Freedom Fries" debacle. This is dismissing the vendetta against Armstrong instigated by and perpetuated by French journalists, cycling authorities, law enforcement, judges, etc. They were French. Not Dutch or Spanish or English or Bolivian.

They really went more than a bit nutso about this... And they are STILL lambasting Armstrong!

[Lost4words]

48. SO? Get over it! Your own govt is stealing your future and this upsets yo

[brentspeak]

38. Surprise: I both can't stand Bush...

AND I'm not exactly a huge fan of the French. The two are not mutually exclusive.

[Lost4words]

50. I like the French more than the Brits, BTW the French were instrumental

in our war of Independence, Thanks to their assistance we no longer answer to the Queen but their history of helping us out doesn't seem to sway you. Most Americans Idea of history is the last 5 minuets.

[Lost4words]

42. trully

[fleabert]

33. while I am sick to death of the lance bashing and doping accusations,

I do not hate the french, nor do i think the people of France in general dislike Lance. He lived there while training, and learned french to try and make nice with them- It has been, by many accounts, a strained relationship, but ultimately a good one.

I do hate the seemingly endless supply of doping accusations towards Lance, and the assumption that he cannot possibly have won fairly (that assumption is made by americans, french, whatever- I just call them uneducated), the research clearly shows that he is an anomaly- a perfect atheletic machine.

Screw the bs about his marriage, screw the bs about doping, he's an amazing athlete, and a fantastic fundraiser. I adore him!

[LostinVA]

34. Agreed n/t

[stop the bleeding]

49. Agreed BR - people should goto cyclingnews.com

if they wish to get the true facts on doping in cycling/ the european peleton. This isn't about french people not liking Lance it is more about the press trying to get at Lance.


Shit as you know the majority of English speaking riders have houses in France, Italy and Spain.

Tough luck for Spain and all of their riders right now, we knew something like this was gonna break big.

On a side note what do you think about Gilbert Simoni claiming that Basso tried to buy him off for that stage win in the Giro? Pretty crazy talk coming from big mouth Gilbert

[Larry in KC]

52. I'm torn about that because I like them both

...but Gibo's accusations sound a little wild to me. Ivan seems a lot more credible in his response, and his actions.

Why pay someone to let you win when you've proven you can ride them into the ground, anyway?

[brentspeak]

30. What's Greg LeMond going to say about this?

Guy went from hero to zero after he began accusing Armstrong of doping.

[Lost4words]

39. Athletes all walk on water,

if there were a single group the would could do without, its athletes

:puke:

[Javaman]

44. I completely agreed...

What a complete bizarro land we live in. We pay athletes outrageous amounts of money to perform in athletic events that helps no one but themselves and their corporate sponsors, yet we grossly underfund our teachers and schools who educate millions of minds daily.

"Rah rah, he'd done scoreded a goal! me's life, so much better as for it!"

Sigh.

I live in Austin and frankly, I could careless about lance and his two wheeled money maker.

I would be more impressed with lance if he gave his money to charities that educate people as to the causes of cancer: pollution, heavy metals in our water, crappy food, etc, rather than pouring more and more money into the pharma company's to produce more drugs to make them money. Quid pro quo don't you know.

I'm sorry I have soiled the concept of saint lance, because you know, each time he cycles he makes a statement about recovering from testicular cancer...But you know, the millions of other people who have recovered from far worse odds and had far less opportunities to high profile doctors, like lance did, mean nothing. :sarcasm:

I'm tired of the idolizing of these "hero" athletes.

Who is the bigger hero? the pampered athlete who plays a game and gets millions or the average joe or jane who works at a crappy job to support a family, while struggling to save for their education, pay for a family health plan and TRY to save for retirement? And this same person, may have a history of cancer in his or her family, prays that they don't get it because the bills will destroy what little they have.

Now who is a hero?

We live in bizarro land.

Flame away, because frankly, I could care less about lance.

[Lost4words]

46. Great Post!

you'll get no flames from me, just respect for one who trully sees!

[Larry in KC]

55. As I said, I teach school...

I'm not paid well. I survived cancer, too.

Still, I love watching the Tour de France, and loved Lance as a beacon of excellence in a world that too often embraces mediocrity. It's all right to be truly excellent in one field. How many of us can say we are? As we all prove daily, it's not possible to be excellent in all fields. Like you, I pick and choose whom I admire, and I don't worship without reservation.

I think the world is big enough for both teachers and athletes. You can choose to ignore them without banning them for the rest of us.

[cantstandbush]

53. Screw Lance Armstrong. Why does this thread keep getting pumped?

Our soldiers are being killed and killing for the dictator occupying the WH and we want to talk about Lance Armstrong's doping charges and yet every breaking news item about Israel atrocities, or Bush lying, or US war crimes sinks to the bottom or gets locked in LBN. This shit is crazy!