“So let me get this straight … come in and tell them exactly what they wanted to hear and you get complete immunity AND anonymity? I never got that offer,” Armstrong wrote in an email to The Associated Press.
“This isn’t about Tygart wanting to clean up cycling — rather it’s just a plain ol’ selective prosecution that reeks of vendetta.”
The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that Armstrong’s former teammates have been given six-month bans that begin in late September. Citing “well-informed sources,” the paper identified them as Jonathan Vaughters, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, David Zabriskie and Christian Vande Velde.
“We can confirm that our Tour team is entirely focused on the Tour and media reports of suspensions are untrue,” the company said.
USADA wouldn’t confirm the De Telegraaf report but released a statement warning that those named could be subject to “unnecessary scrutiny, threats and intimidation.”
“Any attempt to circumvent the proper procedures in order to bully or silence people who may or may not be witnesses cannot be tolerated,” the statement said.
Vande Velde and Zabriskie are part of the Garmin team. Leipheimer, who rides for Omega Pharma-QuickStep, said: “I’m just here to ride the Tour de France, and so far I’m still in the hunt for the general classification. I can’t say anything.”
Hincapie, who rides for BMC, said he just wants to help Cadel Evans keep his Tour title. Hincapie said he hasn’t spoken to Armstrong recently.
“I’m sad he is going through this,” he said. “He’s done so many things for the sport. His accomplishments are incredible.” BMC team manager Jim Ochowicz denied knowledge of the bans. ”We’ve not received any information from any authority about this issue at all,” he said.
Armstrong has always strenuously denied doping and a two-year federal investigation ended in February with no criminal charges against the Texan. USADA, however, have filed formal charges against Armstrong, accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout the best years of his career. The agency notified Armstrong and his former team manager, Johan Bruyneel, plus several of his team associates of the charges in a letter last month.
The charges came after a USADA review panel examined evidence in the case, which now goes to an arbitration panel to decide. If found guilty, Armstrong could be stripped of the Tour titles he won from 1999-2005.
‘Baseless’
Armstrong’s lawyer, Robert Luskin, calls the charges “wrong and baseless.” Bruyneel, who ran the US Postal team when Armstrong won his first six Tour titles, is now Radioshack Nissan manager. He decided to skip the Tour this year to avoid being a distraction for his team and the race.
USA Cycling said last month about the time USADA filed charges against Armstrong that Leipheimer, Hincapie, Vande Velde and Zabriskie asked to be overlooked for the Olympic team for the London Games. Hincapie said this week that he didn’t want to go to the Olympics as he would be away from his family for most of July at the Tour.
Leipheimer declined to say whether his decision to skip the Olympics is related to the USADA investigation.
“Really, no comment,” Leipheimer said today. “I did have a broken leg in the year and I don’t know if I was the best choice to go to the Olympics.”
His last chemo was 1996 and he won back to back titles from 1999 to 2005. Why would he take cancer drugs after going into remission? Personally i think he should be left alone at this stage. He has been tested endlessly throughout his career. Samples have been stored and retested since then, and he has been cleared in a federal case. Certainly sounds like they are desperate to discredit him at any chance.
I want to believe his story. I read his books and said wow what a remarkable man. I also read David Walsh books and Paul Kimmage and doubts began to creep in. More and more of his former teammates doped,and it’s getting harder to believe that Lance didn’t dope at some stage.
Armstrong stared death in the face when he contracted cancer, his fight back to health and subsequent journey to restart his cycling career is jaw droppingly inspiring as anyone who has read his autobiography will know. I think that he is just as determined to beat the charges levied against him at present. I think he will fight this to the end. I hope he wins this one too.
There is no questioning his drive, focus and determination. Drug taking is a seperate issue. These posts are so polarises. Many calling him a fantastic determines sportsman whose gut determination drove him to achieve great things while others called him a drugs cheat.
Perhaps he is both.
Lance Armstrong alleges a vendetta against him but it’s common practice in any inquiry. You do a plea bargain with people to catch the big fish ie Lance Is this case.
Nope its the constant barrage this man has been under for years. They have been trying to prove it for years case after case and they have found nothing. Now they rely on a testomany of desperate men…. this only gets worse.
It’s easy to make a statement like that, where’s your proof?. But facts are he is the most tested athlete ever. Sample have been tested and retested. 3 year federal investigation. No charges.
Well .. He’s innocent until proven guilty, although I do have to laugh at all the comments supporting him too..When Michelle Smith was also the most tested athlete during the Olympics when she won her medals & people in this country turned their backs on her since.. Such a shame..
Destroyed cycling?? Never remember your name on the start list of any tour. So easy to make comments about champions, guilty or innocent he never destroyed cycling. Like him or hate him he made the tour a great race to watch of that there’s little doubt..
It’s all too late to matter anyway, it’s not going to stop performance enhancement in sport….nIf you have time check out bigger , faster, stronger documentary on YouTube , worth a watch for anyone not aware of what is really going on in some sports…
They should just allow athletes to dope. It’s their body. Just have a different class of athlete. Like sprinters, 100m dope free, 100m doped. Sure may as well throw in an award for the chemist, like the constructors championship in F1. Sorted, ps lance is a hero. As stated above, he IS THE MOST TESTED ATHLETE EVER. If he was cheating he would have been caught….
It’s all too late to matter anyway, it’s not going to stop performance enhancement in sport….nIf you have time check out bigger , faster, stronger documentary on YouTube , worth a watch for anyone not aware of what is really going on in some sports…
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Followed his career, read his books, admire the immense work he does in the battle against cancer. Still a hero in my eyes.
Drugs had took for cancer masked the performance enhancing drugs to took to cheat his way to winning Tour de France.
His last chemo was 1996 and he won back to back titles from 1999 to 2005. Why would he take cancer drugs after going into remission? Personally i think he should be left alone at this stage. He has been tested endlessly throughout his career. Samples have been stored and retested since then, and he has been cleared in a federal case. Certainly sounds like they are desperate to discredit him at any chance.
He wasn’t on the cancer drugs when he won the tour.
I want to believe his story. I read his books and said wow what a remarkable man. I also read David Walsh books and Paul Kimmage and doubts began to creep in. More and more of his former teammates doped,and it’s getting harder to believe that Lance didn’t dope at some stage.
Drug peddler!
Armstrong stared death in the face when he contracted cancer, his fight back to health and subsequent journey to restart his cycling career is jaw droppingly inspiring as anyone who has read his autobiography will know. I think that he is just as determined to beat the charges levied against him at present. I think he will fight this to the end. I hope he wins this one too.
There is no questioning his drive, focus and determination. Drug taking is a seperate issue. These posts are so polarises. Many calling him a fantastic determines sportsman whose gut determination drove him to achieve great things while others called him a drugs cheat.
Perhaps he is both.
Lance Armstrong alleges a vendetta against him but it’s common practice in any inquiry. You do a plea bargain with people to catch the big fish ie Lance Is this case.
Nope its the constant barrage this man has been under for years. They have been trying to prove it for years case after case and they have found nothing. Now they rely on a testomany of desperate men…. this only gets worse.
Tell it to the judge, Druggie…
Nothing but a cheat.
Got any proof josephine?
It’s easy to make a statement like that, where’s your proof?. But facts are he is the most tested athlete ever. Sample have been tested and retested. 3 year federal investigation. No charges.
Well .. He’s innocent until proven guilty, although I do have to laugh at all the comments supporting him too..When Michelle Smith was also the most tested athlete during the Olympics when she won her medals & people in this country turned their backs on her since.. Such a shame..
Not me.
Armstrong’s antics on anyone that doubts him is damming, he put on the pity me show while he destroyed cycling.
throw the book at him now!
Destroyed cycling?? Never remember your name on the start list of any tour. So easy to make comments about champions, guilty or innocent he never destroyed cycling. Like him or hate him he made the tour a great race to watch of that there’s little doubt..
Armstrong goes win this battle. 100% sure.
It’s all too late to matter anyway, it’s not going to stop performance enhancement in sport….nIf you have time check out bigger , faster, stronger documentary on YouTube , worth a watch for anyone not aware of what is really going on in some sports…
They should just allow athletes to dope. It’s their body. Just have a different class of athlete. Like sprinters, 100m dope free, 100m doped. Sure may as well throw in an award for the chemist, like the constructors championship in F1. Sorted, ps lance is a hero. As stated above, he IS THE MOST TESTED ATHLETE EVER. If he was cheating he would have been caught….
It’s all too late to matter anyway, it’s not going to stop performance enhancement in sport….nIf you have time check out bigger , faster, stronger documentary on YouTube , worth a watch for anyone not aware of what is really going on in some sports…
Drugs drugs drugs. End of