Lancing Armstrong

The Rumours are flying around that the horse has got away ! Yes the Tour de France has become the sideshow for the USADA tilt at gaining notoriety , as it endeavors to find traction and thus credibility,  in it's quest to destroy the efforts of a whole generation of US Cycle Racers ! Lance is the target , but any US Racer that was on his teams , are getting besmirched and splattered with flying DUNG !

In an effort to pursue Lance , it appears that USADA , is prepared to make the USA Cycling scene look like a cheating circus ! Take a good look at the offering above ! Needs little effort , to put names to the characatures  depicted !

What has brought this sideshow into the open ?

Speculation is rife that Lance or his supporters leaked to a variety of newspapers the speculation that a number of ex team mates were granted " Suspended Sanctions" for stepping up and giving evidence against guess WHO ? Seems there is nothing that the USADA will not do , to achieve their sole goal , of removing the " Armstrong Era " from the record books !  Remember Bjarne Riis made an admission of " Doping " some years ago ,  " ASO " removed him from their " Le Tour "records for a while , then backtracked and reinstated him  . Regardless of the result of USADA 's efforts can anyone imagine " Le Tour " records NOT showing Lance as the winner of 1999 through 2005 ?

New York Times printed the following report , after the Principle story appeared on Thursday in Madrid , Spain , Italy and Amsredam story :

 " Tygart said that no individual cyclists had yet been punished in connection with the Armstrong case, contrary to a report Thursday in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. That report said that Hincapie, Leipheimer, Vande Velde, Zabriskie and Jonathan Vaughters, a former Armstrong teammate who now runs the Garmin-Sharp team, arranged a deal with the antidoping agency to serve six-month suspensions for their own doping in connection with a suspected conspiracy. Those suspensions would begin in September, the newspaper said.

  "  The Garmin-Sharp team, which is known for its stalwart stance on antidoping, said in a statement that “reports of suspensions are untrue.” "


As you will recall i follow the CyclingNews forum as a source of info as well as of amusement , one of those subscribers has acted like the " dutch boy with his finger in the dyke " , good on him !

his comment :

 " can´t imagine anything will happen to Lance. He won´t be punished for anything, it all will lead to nothing at all.

I personally would have seen VandeVelde, Leipheimer and Hincapie as non-clean riders before, and Zabriskie as non-clean rider who rides non-clean only occassionally.

Tour-wise, mid 90ies to mid 00s have been the USPS/Telekom years. Telekom has been outed officially, so outing USPS is just fair, nothing more.

Lance is and stays the biggest rider of the Tour in history. Media had to write, the winners had to celebrate, fans had to cheer. The only ones who were cheated were the few clean guys. Look at Moncoutie, lokk at the 12 names who did better than him in the 2002 Tour, and you know who has reason to be angry.

Lance´s USADA case won´t change cycling, it will stay like it has always been. Cycling on world class level stays a battle of 98 % of guys on PEDs against 2 % on bread and water. Professional bodybuilding is 100 % - 0%, professional athletics maybe 90%-10%, tennis 70-30%, soccer 50-50, and so on. I can´t see anything can be changed or improved there; it´s good as it is in the moment.
I don´t like Francesco Mosers demand on legalizing PEDs, because then we have nearly 100-0 in cycling.

I have respect for Lance, I have also, and maybe even more, respect for Moncoutie. "

This guy deserves praise , as i had made a comment elsewhere , Thursday , after reading something which alerted me to the breaking story !

My comment :

Originally Posted by skippy

Seems that " Anything Goes " with this USADA publicity stunt , from " tainted personalities " to review what they had already decided were " Facts " , thru to " witnesses " WHOM YOU , THE FORUM , ALREADY HAD ACCUSED OF BEING USERS being granted " suspended sentences "!

Will even 1% believe that Lance was treated in a fair manner Or give a monkeys for anything that the usada slide under the radar whilst the USA are busy electing the next President ?

Perhaps there should be a subsection of the forum called " THE GLEE CLUB "!

Since then there are a couple of new threads on Lance and his behaviours !

In the TRi World there is a thread discussing his situation and asking for a straight " Yes " or " No "!

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4028556;page=1;mh=-1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC

Lance is quite right with his assertion that USADA are continually moving the " goalposts "! In all other recent " doping cases " , sanctions start immediately BUT here these Five US Racers continue at the " Money Spinning Tour de France " as if nothing has happened ! Indeed JV says " THERE IS NO DEAL "! 


Who to believe ?


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/06/lance-armstrong-rips-deal-with-accusers-in-doping-case-as-vendetta.htmlhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/06/lance-armstrong-rips-deal-with-accusers-in-doping-case-as-vendetta.html

Reading elsewhere i found this story on a Journo :

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/15052/everyone-loves-raymond


Regardless of what is appearing in the media , there are some " Journos " who still have an open mind on the Lance story !

Lancing Armstrong

Lance Armstrong : The Legacy !

TALL POPPY Syndrome is alive and flourishing ! Once again those seeking to " destroy " the person they envy most , have moved the " goalposts "! Didn't get the result they wanted in one venue , so they move to the next ! Over several years i have been watching the " mushrooms " gloating about having " the Goods " to convict Lance ! So many places where they dwell , can be found by tripping over a stone . That there are so very few of them that act in concert was shown when they tried to " Petition Pres. Barack Obama " shortly after the Fed's withdrew the Grand Jury action after spending countless millions during a two year span .

Based on the say so , of a disgruntled and disgraced cyclist , who thought he could reap some benefit , the Fed's launched an investigation to see if the US Postal Service had been " ripped Off "! Clearly that sanctimonious ex cyclist saw the possibility of " Millions of Dollars " , coming his way . Whoever put him up to this , is the entity that the Fed's should seek out for a recovery action , fat chance that flandis has two dimes to rub together . Of course there is more in the background that motivated an investigation . Some Feds build reputations on successfully revealing to the public the results of their inquiries .

Now we have USADA being encouraged to stir up the mud at the bottom of the pond , on the slim possibility that those informing them , will be treated as " credible witnesses " rather than malcontents seeking the OP. for a book or some time in the " limelight "!

WHAT USADA should be doing is drawing a line and saying the " Past has GONE "! From    1st July 2012 you have ONE MONTH to reveal ALL your past indiscretions , without penalty !

1st August2012 will be a new Era in the USA , any found to have covered up ANY WRONG DOING will be prosecuted . But here is the RUB ! All Athletes not revealing their past will " take Down " their " Handlers and Helpers "! That means IF WE WERE TALKING OF LANCE AS AN EXAMPLE then Johan Bruyneel , His Soigneurs , His Mechanics , His PR Staff would ALL receive " LifeTime Bans from ALL SPORT Activities !

CAN you imagine what pressure would be placed by these people on ANY Athlete to reveal their PAST  transgressions ? Nobody with any sense , will want to risk their current career even if it means being the " whistle blower "!

So many people who were Athletes are now on the Coaching and Admin staffs of a variety of sports . Are any of them " willing " to see their FUTURE come to a complete halt through an Athlete being embarrassed to admit to " Sporting Fraud " at some event , perhaps even 10 years ago ?  Testing of Athletes has reached the point where " samples " from 1999 are being thrust into the " limelight " as credible evidence , so it stands to reason that there are more such examples available .

Were i involved with a " Dubious Athlete " working in Sport , i would be asking my protege to reveal all , no doubt there will be those who will " cross fingers " and hope for the best BUT once the 1st August comes there will be nobody " let off "!  Did the " Crime , do the Time " !

SURELY IN THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT there are SOME HONEST PEOPLE who without fear or favour can dictate to WADA and through them the rest of the World that " SPORTING FRAUD " is nO LONGER ACCEPTABLE !

Parents letting their sons and daughters deserve to know the Credentials of those Training them in ANY SPORT ! Many countries do a Police Check on the background of those involved with children . So how much more important is it that the children are not influenced by those taking " Short Cuts " to get " Results "?

With a new generation of " Clean /known backgrounds " , coaching at grassroots level will eventually see Athletes arriving in competition with no doubts as to their ability to resist the influence of those currently advocating use of products proscribed by WADA .

ONLY THE ATHLETES CAN DECIDE WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR FUTURE ! I as a bystander can only wish to see less of the " finger pointing " and i am , like many , heartily sick of the continuing " SAGA "  surrounding the career of a retired Cyclist .

An article that came out in a " CNF thread " recently :


http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-09-07/news/tour-de-farce/


CNF has really gone to town on Lance recently with threads such as :


http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17076


http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17534

Also this last thread a chart surfaced in that thread :

http://cyclismas.com/2012/06/lance-armstrongs-business-links-a-flowchart-by-dimspace/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lance-armstrongs-business-links-a-flowchart-by-dimspace

Sorry the chart is not copy-able so take a visit  

On the forum " happychappy " summed up what i personally think with :

" Exactly this. I'm not sure how these people can enjoy spending every day for years working themselves up into these little "hater" frenzies they all have. 

It always just boils down to bickering between themselves like schoolchildren in the end." !

Now you know why i call them " Mushrooms "! Perhaps I should call them Toadstools , because of their poisonous comments , about even those Racers who are as clean as a whistle !

Lance Armstrong : The Legacy !

A Weekend at the Giro d'Italia 2012

Friday evening brought me to the environs of Bra with the Arrivo being in Cervere . Once again i was invited into a home to share the balcony which overlooked the Finish line . Unfortunately the camera recorded the front wheel of Cav's bike so it will be little use to post the shot .

Later i rendevoused with members of the Cuneo Hand Bike Team whom i had met earlier in company with Francesco Moser . As King Cav was in Doping Control i suggested that the guys move around to a point where he would pass on his way to other appointments . Asked to shake their hands and pose for a photo , he found time to wave an acknowledgement but continued on his way to the more important appointments .

Earlier as reported elsewhere i saw Alexanda , the seasoned Presenter of RAI TV simpering like a school girl as Mark arrived on the stage of the program she was in the course of presenting live , " Processa Il Tappa "! Could not believe how she gushed as Mark made his arrival since she usually greets the likes of Vittoio Adorni and Gianni Motta , etc with aplomb , but then i guess Mark had just won his 4th Etappe at this Giro so it was a special and perhaps unexpected occasion ? Certainly she has interviewed the likes of Ramunas and Rodriguez  with less enthusiasm .

Saturday my great friend Ricarrdo , from Torino , that provided my accomodation during the Torino Olympic period , rode with me to about 50 km past Torino where we were stopped by the Polizia Stradalle, so that the race could pass . whilst awaiting the Peloton we were interviewed by " Vanity Fair " personnel who told us the story would appear the following wednesday .

Riding back into Torino with Riccardo , we joined a fast moving chain of riders and sat on at about a 40+kph pace that was rotating in an experience way during the 30 km we were with them .

Torino has the good fortune to have a new bike shop open in December last , speciallizing in BMC bikes and this includes the Bergamont range as part of their inventory . i sat in the shop watching the final 50 km of the Saturday Etappe on their big screen and watched as Ryder the Canadian sprinted in the final 2 km and thus recovered the Maglia Rose .

Later in Riccardo's home i saw Chelsea win the Champions Trophy in Football . Amazing to think that the team owner , a russian , has chased this trophy for several years and sacked a variety of trainers and in the year he has realised his dream , he sacks the Trainer who did the hard work to secure this acheivement for him ?

Sunday was an early start for the ride to Busto A., which is west of Milano , arriving in time to greet the Team Pullmans as they rolled into the parking area . The mystery of the whereabouts of Johan Bruyneel was solved when i photoed him sitting in the front of the bus and had a quick exchange of views with a variety of people .

Mushrooms of Cyclingnews Forum can now go back to what they do best , feeding on bullshit in the dark !

Enjoyed a long chat with Shane Bannon who i knew over the years as the Australian Team Boss and is now the leader of the GreenEDGE Team that is doing such a spectacular job of "showcasing " Aussie Cycling Talent !

Leaving the Partenza area enroute for Lecco , the rain moved in so i diverted to my friends' home in the Varese area . Arrived to find noone home but on checking at the family house nearby found Romildo was visiting whilst Luigia was attending her 92yo mother . Romildo was kind enough to serve me an impromptu lunch and then we watched the highlights of the 1979 Giro on RAI Sport until they presented Live Coverage of the day's etappe where Rodriguez recovered the Mglia Rose as he followed in secod on the day's etappe . He had passed the victor Di Marche in the final kms but then the finish was enlivened by the sprint . During the final 50+km there was only one man away , with 6 mins to start but that was eated up in the final climb . So good to see the Guy be able to take the Victory !

As i write this report i am watching the Italian Cup Final between Juve who i expect to win and Napoli !

Turned out that Napoli won 2 to nil !

A Weekend at the Giro d'Italia 2012