Can you say witch hunt? Upon hearing about the 24 out of competition tests since he started his comeback, I googled to see if I could find some stats the list the amount of tests other riders have had. I didn't have much luck but if gambling I'd say Armstrong's amount is likely disproportionate to the rest of the riders. I could be wrong but still, the French anti-doping agency has done nothing but shot itself in the foot with regards to credibility. Sad really. As bad as doping is for the sport, but playing these games the French authorities are doing nothing to help cycling and Le Tour by using these tactics. When I heard about the man waiting for Lance I sadly got some sort of Gestapo impression. How can they not see the damage they themselves are causing our sport. I believe that if they ban Lance from Le Tour he has a solid case to take to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. In the end they'll likely rule that the French have no proof (again) and force his inclusion to Le Tour. End result, the French Anti-Doping Agency will have even less credibility.
I'd be highly surprised if it came down to that. I would think that, given the lab person apparently authorized Lance to take a shower, the French authorities will hem and haw, suck some wind through their teeth and decide they'll let Lance compete... this time... but he should never do it again. I don't see what other moves they have. My understanding is that a person can clear epo from their blood in a short period of time by injecting saline solution, but that won't work on hair. So I don't see how Lance could have faked that (assuming he wasn't clean). However, Lance was pretty stupid. The rules are pretty clear that the tester must see the athlete the entire time. Lance should have just stayed on the porch until the tester's id was verified.
I just found this on YouTube. A group of fixed gear guys from San Francisco heads to Austin, meets up with Lance and they all go out on the town on fixies. He manages to come across as pretty cool in the video, and drops the crew going down a hill. Not so good at skidding, though. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNCPEzdZs5s&NR=1"]Lance Armstrong, Closet Fixie Freak[/ame]
Pretty cool video for the most part although I didn't like the stuff with them darting in and out of traffic. It's not very responsible and a big part of why some motorists in this area decide to swipe bikeys. Lance knows better.
No doubt. The one scene where the guy shoots through the intersection narrowly missing traffic is pretty ridiculous.
Armstrong: 'Shower-gate' case closed http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/apr09/apr24news3 The AFLD said Friday that it has "decided to take into consideration the athlete's written explanations and, in consequence, not to open a disciplinary procedure against him." It also confirmed that no abnormalities were detected in the urine, blood and hair samples taken during the control.
So what is the over/under that something like this pops up again with regards to Armstrong by the end of the season?
Lance Armstrong will compete in the Tour of the Gila after all, the seven-time Tour de France champion's first race since breaking his collarbone in a crash last month. http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9506422/Armstrong-will-race-Tour-of-the-Gila-after-all
I used to live just outside of Santa Fe and spent some time backpacking in that neck of the woods. Beautiful.
....and they'll all three be sporting Mellow Johnny's jerseys. Can't say Lance isn't a good business man. They are pretty nice jerseys so I'm sure internet sales will do well.
http://www.velonews.com/article/91380/leipheimer-wins-first-gila-stage-kristin-armstrong-wins And Levi wins the first satge of the Gila
Lance Armstrong has committed himself to riding in support of teammate Levi Leipheimer in the Giro d'Italia.
With Lance riding for Levi, I feel strongly that Lance is going for top spot in France. I know he's said the right things about supporting Contador but I'm really doubting now that he's backed off of his original "goal" for the comeback. I don't know that I'd take that bet but nothing would surprise me. That would be pretty funny and rest assured that Johan would be running things.
So far it looks like Armstrong is pretty satisfied the way Giro is going. He's just trying to ride into form, pretty much ignoring all accelerations up front, not overly concerned about time gap. It looks like he's concentrating on the Tour, as well he should.
Don't tease us....how was it? Obviously it focuses on Lance the survivor not the racer which could be interesting. Let me know, good motivational stuff can make for great reading.
The book was very personal, and it wasn't so much about cancer or racing. Although, the book had plenty of both. The main thing that impressed me about the book was how it contained numerous moments where Lance looks very vulnerable or weak. It's not as if he paints himself to be a superhero that conquers the TdeF. He quits racing. He questions his own ability/purpose. His relationships falter due to his own mistakes. It's just a very human portrayal of who he is. In that way, it really becomes inspiring. I think you'd love it, Mo. You already seem to understand Lance's character, and it really made me kind of step back and say "Oh, OK. This is why he's like this or acts this way."
The junk never ends. "Armstrong's team"? A pot-shot by the race director? Wow. http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/94564/astana-fined-for-late-sign-in-before-stage-3