Lance Armstrong: Usada report reveals doping evidence

By +Frank B.
in The Sporting Arena

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Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

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Lance Armstrong: Usada report reveals doping evidence

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong's team ran "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme the sport has ever seen" according to a report by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Usada says it will deliver the full report in the doping case against Armstrong, 41, later on Wednesday.

It contains testimony from 11 of his former US Postal Service team-mates.

He has always denied doping allegations but has not contested Usada's charges.

Usada chief executive Travis T Tygart said there was "conclusive and undeniable proof" of a team-run doping conspiracy.

The organisation will send a "reasoned decision" in the Armstrong case to the International Cycling Union (UCI), the World Anti-Doping Agency and the World Triathlon Corporation.

The UCI now has 21 days to lodge an appeal against Usada's decision with Wada or they must comply with the decision to strip Armstrong, who now competes in triathlons, of his seven Tour de France titles and hand him a lifetime ban.

Armstrong, who overcame cancer to return to professional cycling, won the Tour from 1999 to 2005. He retired in 2005 but returned in 2009 before retiring for good two years later.

In his statement, Tygart said the evidence against Armstrong and his team - which is in excess of 1,000 pages - was "overwhelming" and "and includes sworn testimony from 26 people, including 15 riders with knowledge of the US Postal Service Team and its participants' doping activities".

Tygart revealed it contains "direct documentary evidence including financial payments, emails, scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance enhancing drugs by Lance Armstrong and confirm the disappointing truth about the deceptive activities of the USPS Team, a team that received tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars in funding".

He also claimed the team's doping conspiracy "was professionally designed to groom and pressure athletes to use dangerous drugs, to evade detection, to ensure its secrecy and ultimately gain an unfair competitive advantage through superior doping practices".

Among the former team-mates of Armstrong's to testify were George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for failing a dope test and was recently found guilty in a Swiss court of defaming the International Cycling Union for alleging they had protected Armstrong from doping claims.

Tygart said: "The riders who participated in the USPS Team doping conspiracy and truthfully assisted have been courageous in making the choice to stop perpetuating the sporting fraud, and they have suffered greatly.

"I have personally talked with and heard these athletes' stories and firmly believe that, collectively, these athletes, if forgiven and embraced, have a chance to leave a legacy far greater for the good of the sport than anything they ever did on a bike.

"Lance Armstrong was given the same opportunity to come forward and be part of the solution. He rejected it.

"Instead he exercised his legal right not to contest the evidence and knowingly accepted the imposition of a ban from recognised competition for life and disqualification of his competitive results from 1998 forward."

Usada confirmed that two other members of the US Postal Service team, Dr Michele Ferrari and Dr Garcia del Moral, also received lifetime bans for their part in the doping conspiracy.

Three further members, team director Johan Bruyneel, a team doctor Dr Pedro Celaya and team trainer Jose Marti, have chosen to contest the charges and take their cases to arbitration.

Tygart also called on the UCI to "act on its own recent suggestion for a meaningful Truth and Reconciliation programme".

"Hopefully, the sport can unshackle itself from the past, and once and for all continue to move forward to a better future," he added.

Source: BBC Sport

Grand Master

Astra.Xtreme

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Unless they have some doping test results to show, this still proves nothing. "Testimonies" from a group of people isn't evidence. I could get a group of people to all blame a random person for murder, but it isn't going to get them prosecuted without actual proof.

They have been hounding Armstrong for damn near a decade, and have never had a single bit of proof against him. Either provide some proof, or leave the guy alone.

Experienced

ShMaunder

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Unless they have some doping test results to show, this still proves nothing. "Testimonies" from a group of people isn't evidence. I could get a group of people to all blame a random person for murder, but it isn't going to get them prosecuted without actual proof.

They have been hounding Armstrong for damn near a decade, and have never had a single bit of proof against him. Either provide some proof, or leave the guy alone.

I agree with you and the testimonies, its probably waffle. Though I would like to know what is meant by the scientific data and laboratory test results because that is the only possible reliable information that I've heard regarding this long case.

Tygart revealed it contains "direct documentary evidence including financial payments, emails, scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance enhancing drugs by Lance Armstrong and confirm the disappointing truth about the deceptive activities of the USPS Team, a team that received tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars in funding".
Grand Master

Farstrider

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For me the sad part is that Lance Armstrong had his name alongside the greats like Miguel Indurain, Philippe Thys, Greg LeMond, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx. Now it appears that he was a cheat like his countryman Floyd Landis. One of the great sporting events on the plant, sullied and spoilt, making you wonder how many others have also cheated!

Veteran

DavidM

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Unless they have some doping test results to show, this still proves nothing. "Testimonies" from a group of people isn't evidence. I could get a group of people to all blame a random person for murder, but it isn't going to get them prosecuted without actual proof.

They have been hounding Armstrong for damn near a decade, and have never had a single bit of proof against him. Either provide some proof, or leave the guy alone.

The problem is the tests can't keep up with the dopers, these are designer drugs made to beat the tests. When you know how the tests work, you can figure out how to beat them.

I don't know (or care) if he did it or not, but it seems strange in a sport dominated by dopers that the one guys who claims he didn't/doesn't/never has, to beat them over and over again. I'm not saying it's not possible, just that it's strange for a completely healthy biker to have to dope to win, but a cancer patient doesn't?

Grand Master

XerXis

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For me the sad part is that Lance Armstrong had his name alongside the greats like Miguel Indurain, Philippe Thys, Greg LeMond, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx. Now it appears that he was a cheat like his countryman Floyd Landis. One of the great sporting events on the plant, sullied and spoilt, making you wonder how many others have also cheated!

Merckx has been caught using doping several times. It's a sport for cheaters.

I wouldn't mind as much if they just admitted it, yes we use doping, without it it is impossible to do what we do.

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