Lance back in the news.

[sfotex]

Interesting. Hope Lemond doesn't have a heart attack over this.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...PaV_story.html

[DasBlunt]

Complete charges here:

http://online.wsj.com/public/resourc...arging0613.pdf

[Cyber Cop]

This is a bit rediculous at this point. Too much time has passed, and unless they are going to go after every american cyclist who won a race or stage in the last two to three decades they need to just stop.

I dunno, report says they have samples from 09/10 that shows blood manipulation. You would think that he at least rode that race clean, if not then I guess he has it coming.

[Cyber Cop]

Where Hamilton and Landis stripped of all wins? I mean, they are on record admitting to doping.

[supermodel159]

Good read on slowtwitch here

[TBS]

This is a bit rediculous at this point. Too much time has passed, and unless they are going to go after every american cyclist who won a race or stage in the last two to three decades they need to just stop.

I dunno, report says they have samples from 09/10 that shows blood manipulation. You would think that he at least rode that race clean, if not then I guess he has it coming.

This

No doubt in my mind LA at least transfused blood. If he did, and/or took EPO, testosterone, HGH, etc. he was good enough at it to not EVER get caught. Suspicious results /=/ guilty

There needs to be some sort of statute of limitations. I don't see Eddie Merckz getting his awards yanked, and he's admitted to doping.

[kidwoo]

Interesting. Hope Lemond doesn't have a heart attack over this.

More like an erection lasting more than four hours.

[Skistack]

Banned from Ironman France on June 24. All that training down the toilet, I'd be pissed.

[superstator]

I don't see Eddie Merckz getting his awards yanked, and he's admitted to doping.

Only because nobody's stupid/brave enough to go over to Eddie's house and try to take them. Or maybe they have, and they just never come back.


Seriously though, I'm not a Lance fan by any stretch, but I have a hard time seeing how this serves the sport in any way. I totally believe he was doping, but unless they want to just declare that no Tour result in the last 30 years was valid due to pervasive doping, I don't see the point.

[Yeah!]

I have a hard time seeing how this serves the sport in any way. I totally believe he was doping, but unless they want to just declare that no Tour result in the last 30 years was valid due to pervasive doping, I don't see the point.

Yup.
How about if the anti-doping agencies worked to stop the doping that's going on NOW instead of getting their panties in a bunch about what happened 10 years ago.

[Dickeymotto]

Only because nobody's stupid/brave enough to go over to Eddie's house and try to take them. Or maybe they have, and they just never come back.


Seriously though, I'm not a Lance fan by any stretch, but I have a hard time seeing how this serves the sport in any way. I totally believe he was doping, but unless they want to just declare that no Tour result in the last 30 years was valid due to pervasive doping, I don't see the point.

This is why I have just given up on pro cycling. If the sport is to the point that we can pretty much write off any result as a product of doping (past or present), then I just don't give a shit anymore. Fuck it all.

[sfotex]

More like an erection lasting more than four hours.

Thus causing said massive heart attack...

[Hott Butt Mud]

I watched the USA Pro Challenge in CO last year and the only cool part of it was just simply being there. It was fun to watch other people in the crowd, bike around to the spectating spot and drink some beer. Best part was watching all of the cops and team vans drive through the course before the bikers.

Basically, I didn't even give a shit about the riders coming through.

[Long Duck Dong]

This is why I have just given up on pro cycling. If the sport is to the point that we can pretty much write off any result as a product of doping (past or present), then I just don't give a shit anymore. Fuck it all.

I'm curious what sports you haven't given up on then, if any. My understanding of anti-doping measures is that the sports that appear to have the biggest problems with doping have that appearance because they are the sports that are the most active in fighting it. Not saying this applies to you, but I am getting tired of Americans who actively follow the NFL and NBA saying that cycling is a joke because of all the doping. You think there has been a football or basketball team that wasn't packed full of dopers over the last 25 years? Please. The only reason doping seems so problematic in baseball is that the sport was essentially pressured into addressing the problem when all their stars starting growing their heads and getting adult acne. I guarantee you that whenever the other major American sports get serious about fighting doping that it will make the doping problem in baseball seem like a joke.

Were cyclists doped to the gills for a generation? Absolutely. But at least now the sport has decided to own up to the problem and try to fix it. There simply is no consistent way to apply that fix to events that have already happened (ex: Armstrong's Tour wins). Does that mean that the anti-doping agencies should just start over and ignore what has happened over the last 10 years when evidence is everywhere that the sport's main protagonists were openly breaking the rules? I don't think so. Apparently folks in this thread think the sport should just callously throw out the record book from the last 30 years. That isn't a very thoughtful or respectful stance in my opinion.

[Jubelale]

The dude cheated and now he's been caught. What's the problem? This is exactly the type of thing that will clean up professional cycling.

The 2011 Tour and 2012 Giro were the best grand tours I've seen. The riders actually looked human and had bad days. I think the Contador suspension played a large part in this.

[Crampedon]

Fuck his self-righteous lying ass.

At least we don't have to listen to the media coo-cooing over his Ironman efforts and maybe the stupid banner adds about "come to Kona to see Lance ect" will stop.

Lance fever took over the Xterra last year too, we could do without that as well.


Oh, and the mang's name is spelled MERCKX

[reynolds.trailrun]

Maybe he had a little help or maybe he did not. Seven Tour wins would support that he did. I think it is good to fix previous issues if everything is clear cut, i.e. you know who did and did not partake in various methods of doping. Therein lies the issue. No one really knows who did or did not. Ullrich had issues with doping during that era and so did most of the prominent cyclist then and before. So someone should try to sort through to figure out who did not dope and award the "good" rider? I call bullshit. We should stop playing favorites and falsely believing that were not likely doping as well. And you can be 'roided up and still have a bad day. Just watch Riis try to defend his tour in 1997. Pantani lit him up on a climb though Pantani did eventually drop Ullrich as well.

If they were really that interested in cleaning up the sport when they made doping illegal they should have really tackled the issue then, not now. Yeah, screening was not all that effective then. If one tries hard enough today they can still be a step ahead of the screening. To some degree I think the whole charade just muddles what I like about cycling which is watching a the contenders go at it with a few pretenders keeping things interesting. This requires a somewhat level playing field which was eschewed towards those who doped then. Maybe that is not the case now and hope that is true.

[supermodel159]

Banned from Ironman France on June 24. All that training down the toilet, I'd be pissed.

He'll be racing at Kona.

[sfotex]

Pantani lit him up on a climb though Pantani did eventually drop Ullrich as well.

Pantani just had better drugs,well, up until they killed him....

[Garth Bimble]

The dude cheated and now he's been caught. What's the problem? This is exactly the type of thing that will clean up professional cycling.

The 2011 Tour and 2012 Giro were the best grand tours I've seen. The riders actually looked human and had bad days. I think the Contador suspension played a large part in this.

I'm not saying the guy's clean but he's one of the most drug tested athletes in the world and has yet to show up hot. Do I think he doped? Of course I do, but what you and I think doesn't mean shit. As far as having samples that show he juiced for the last 2 tours...I find it hard to believe because if the French could have popped him, they would have.

[TomCrac]

A big doping "scandal" in the news, and just before the big Tour.... wow, how unusual...

[Benny Profane]

Pantani just had better drugs,well, up until they killed him....

I thought he died of a cocaine overdose.

[reynolds.trailrun]

Pantani just had better drugs,well, up until they killed him....

True. Though my point being that Riis was not looking too hot on that stage.

[smmokan]

Banned from Ironman France on June 24. All that training down the toilet, I'd be pissed.

Ah yes, guilty until proven innocent.

[TBS]

I thought he died of a cocaine overdose.

That's true, but it's hard for your heart to pump blood that's as thick as ketchup.