Argh! He was robbed.
It's odd that they don't reallocate places. I assume it's because they can't be sure about who was cheating or more to the point, who will be disclosed as a cheat down the track. You'd think that someone in Cadel's place may have grounds for a suit. He could go after (either or both) the UCI and Lance.
I guess the UCI will try to recover the prize money. To just say you're not the official winner any more but you can keep the prize is a bit lame.
Personally think cycling has done itself a huge diservice in the way that this has been handled.
Lance pushed the boundaries for a competitive edge. He knew what the limitations at the time were and stayed under them. He did not fail a test AT THE TIME.
Cycling bodies would have been better off saying that no rider who failed a test at the time won a championship race and that all results stand, then go on to say that testing is now much more rigorous and that cycling is a clean sport. Much better than dragging the sport through the mud
If he wasn't on the gear "before", then he will be when the authorities in the US slam his coit in the slamer for Perjuring himself at previous hearings ![]()
Soon as the first group sues him into court trying to reclaim monies given, he is goneski big time.
No different to Marion Jones who copped six months for perjury when she hit the courts.
Straight out cheat, nothing more, nothing less.
Mate, if you've ever known someone with cancer or suffered it yourself, you'd know that's something never to wish on anyone- lock him up, strip him of titles and money- but that's just horrible![]()
Yes my comment was out of line, so I have removed it. An immediate family member died from pancreatic cancer.
Bit of a mess the whole thing really but it had to happen, anyone who has followed the sport closely over the years knew those were dark days back then. Not a year would go by on the tour when part thereof or a whole team would get thrown out for being busted with large quantities of pharma.
I also think Lance has been made somewhat of a scapegoat, made all the more sweet by his achievements, but the doping was so systemic back then that I hardly think you can lay blame of the entire situation solely on him, as some people have. Almost everyone who was a serious contender back then was playing the game, Lance and USP just played it better it seems. I think the UCI has a lot to answer for, they had to know about it, from a wider perspective, as there was simply that much of it going on for so long that it would have been impossible for them not too.
I think if the real truth came out and everyone who's guilty fessed up the fallout would be massive, we've already seen the VP and the head performance coach of Cycling Aus stand down this week, I bet if you shook the tree harder a significant number of the apples would fall out.
Probably the saddest thing of the whole thing is that Livestrong will be tarnished by this, which isn't a good thing and imo not deserved. Personally I think whether you hate Lance or not, what he has done with Livestrong has to be commended as raising over 500million for cancer patients/survivors is extraordinary. Some people claim false pretenses yada yada yada, the only thing they should be asking themselves is, does Livestrong help people immensely, has your donation been used for good; answer yes. It's also a charity which pays out about 82% of the donations it receives, which is almost unheard of (lookup someone like the RedCross or Oxfam for a laugh)...so it's not just some ego trip...it's a legitimately good cause.
I am not a lawyer, nor am I over all the details of this topic except for what I have been fed by the media. But....
If the governing body of a sporting event makes a ruling that an athlete "shall not take performance enhancing substances" and then makes a ruling and ENFORCES that an arbitry figure of say 50mg/1000L is acceptable...Isn't that saying that any detection of that substance below that level is not performance enhancing?
Where is the statute of limitations?
Perhaps Pfizer could sue for lost advertising opportunities? Even without balls, Lance goes hard on the bike, and in the bedroom.
you would have seen four corners where he has given evidence in a civil court (due to an insurance policy) repeatedly stating that he never took anything. so if proven that he has used then he will be guilty of purgery and will prolly go to jail?!
Interesting article from Brad McGee.
www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/how-dopers-stole-the-best-years-of-my-career-20121026-28aif.html