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Lance Armstrong chooses not to cooperate in doping investigations

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Shiggy

Member
Lance Armstrong has chosen not to be interviewed under oath by Usada

The US Anti-Doping Agency has claimed that Lance Armstrong's decision not to be interviewed under oath and provide information that could clean up the sport was born out of fear that he could risk "potential criminal and civil liability".

Armstrong, accused by Usada last October as leading the "most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen", had been given the chance to reveal details about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in cycling. However, a deadline to state his willingness formally to cooperate was put back by two weeks on 6 February and was on Wednesday rejected.

The disgraced rider had been in talks with Usada but his attorney, Tim Herman, said in a statement that Arnstrong would not comply with a process that would "only demonise selected individuals".

Armstrong's decision not to co-operate means his lifetime ban from sport will be upheld, and Usada believes that the reason behind the announcement was down to a fear that he could face lawsuits in the future.

A Usada statement said: "We have provided Mr Armstrong several opportunities to assist in our ongoing efforts to clean up the sport of cycling. Following his recent television interview we again invited him to come in and provide honest information and he was informed in writing by the World Anti-Doping Agency that this was the appropriate avenue for him if he wanted to be part of the solution.

"Over the last few weeks he has led us to believe that he wanted to come in and assist Usada but was worried of potential criminal and civil liability if he did so. Today we learned from the media that Mr Armstrong is choosing not to come in and be truthful and that he will not take the opportunity to work toward righting his wrongs in sport. At this time we are moving forward with our investigation without him."

Armstrong, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, admitted to doping during a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in January. However, Usada believes that his confession did not go far enough and that a number of details remained unresolved.

A statement from Armstrong's attorney read: "Lance is willing to cooperate fully and has been very clear: he will be the first man through the door, and once inside will answer every question, at an international tribunal formed to comprehensively address pro cycling, an almost exclusively European sport.

"We remain hopeful that an international effort will be mounted and we will do everything we can to facilitate that result.

"In the meantime, for several reasons, Lance will not participate in Usada's efforts to selectively conduct American prosecutions that only demonise selected individuals while failing to address the 95% of the sport over which Usada has no jurisdiction."

Earlier in the month ABC News reported that Armstrong was under criminal investigation by US federal agents, saying the agents were "actively investigating Armstrong for obstruction, witness tampering and intimidation".
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/feb/20/lance-armstrong-usada


Some people never change.
 
B

border

Member
I am very curious about how they got away with it for so long and what they were doing to pass drug tests.

Still though, it's kinda cool that he'll take it all to his grave-- a magician never reveals his tricks.
 
B

Bombadil

Banned
rogue_pigeon said:
Well, a person that's genuinely sorry for their actions very likely would co-operate. Atonement is a thing that exists.

Armstrong isn't sorry.
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He's a douche, but there is little incentive (other than abstract concepts like honor and forgiveness) in cooperating in the investigation because he could lose all of his wealth and face a prison sentence.

Atonement doesn't put Ferraris in the garage.
 
A

akira28

Member
Yeah, I'm over the whole doping thing. Lets just forget this guy ever existed, and lets hope USADA falls into a volcano or something, while we're at it. Pricks all around, and I'm not interested in dick measurements.
 
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LakeEarth

Member
border said:
I am very curious about how they got away with it for so long and what they were doing to pass drug tests.

Still though, it's kinda cool that he'll take it all to his grave-- a magician never reveals his tricks.
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The cheaters are always several steps ahead of the testers, but tests catch up eventually. When they do, those 7-8 year old frozen blood samples come into play.
 
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Koomaster

Member
Not sure what incentive he has to rat out other cyclists and possibly get himself into real legal trouble. Also was them lifting the life-time ban on him even on the table? Sounds like blackmail to me.
 
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Kung Fu Jedi

Member
Koomaster said:
Not sure what incentive he has to rat out other cyclists and possibly get himself into real legal trouble. Also was them lifting the life-time ban on him even on the table? Sounds like blackmail to me.
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They could have reduced the lifetime ban down to eight years. That's still a substantial amount of time for any athlete. My guess is that if he could have gotten it reduced to 2-3 years, he would have started naming names. Lance still wants to compete in triathlons and marathons.
 
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Takuan

Member
His reputation is already sullied beyond repair and he is making a conscious decision not to drag others down with him. I can respect that.

Well, on second thought, it's more likely that he's just protecting himself... but him having weathered his fall from grace is enough punishment for me.
 
V

vidcons

Banned
BertramCooper said:
How?

Are you suggesting it was dishonorable for Armstrong's teammates to testify against him?
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Err, their situation was different.

Fuck Tygart. Armstrong's ban was severe in hopes that he'd testify against those who aided him. It was all leverage to try and make a bigger case.
 
B

BertramCooper

Banned
vidcons said:
Err, their situation was different.

Fuck Tygart. Armstrong's ban was severe in hopes that he'd testify against those who aided him. It was all leverage to try and make a bigger case.
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USADA is trying to clean up the sport. How does it help anyone for Armstrong to keep silent?

I don't understand the grade-school playground logic being used in this thread. Turning in other cheats is a good thing.
 
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Toa TAK

Banned
macuser1of5 said:
surely this is just a misunderstanding
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image.php
 
V

vidcons

Banned
BertramCooper said:
USADA is trying to clean up the sport. How does it help anyone for Armstrong to keep silent?

I don't understand the grade-school playground logic being used in this thread. Turning in other cheats is a good thing.
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If USADA is so interested in cleaning up the sport then they wouldn't have given those who testified against Lance and are still competing weak 6 month bans over the off season. Who are you kidding? It was a witch hunt to get Lance and that's exactly how Tygart treated it. Now that inklings of bigger things (things cycling fans have cared about (aka, things not Lance) for cleaning up the sport) are showing potential, there are attempts to build a bigger case.

This is just sports lawyers trying to make a bigger case. They don't give a damn about cleaning up the sport.
 
K

kehs

Banned
I didn't really care about this whole armstrong thing, but now? oh yea.

Department of Justice all up in this piece.

The Justice Department will notify a federal court Friday that it is joining one of his former racing teammates in suing him for using performance-enhancing drugs during the Tour de France, legal sources told NBC News.
The government is signing on to a lawsuit filed two years ago by Floyd Landis, one of Armstrong's former Tour de France teammates who has already admitted cheating. Among its claims: Landis saw Armstrong store and then re-inject his own blood to boost his performance, and Armstrong twice gave Landis banned hormones before races.
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http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...-against-lance-armstrong#.USekL-_cdQQ.twitter


Get your crying Lance avatar ready macuser.
 
S

SnakeswithLasers

Member
Bombadil said:
He's a douche, but there is little incentive (other than abstract concepts like honor and forgiveness) in cooperating in the investigation because he could lose all of his wealth and face a prison sentence.

Atonement doesn't put Ferraris in the garage.
Click to expand...

Oh ethics, where have thee gone?
 
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