Lance folds on drug charges

The way you go on you'd think he was Welsh ;o)

As you may have gathered I am a little passionate on this and get really agitated by people taking what LA says and holding it up as gospel without questioning and/or researching it - not accusing you of that Big Guy.  He has tested positive and he hasn't been tested nearly as many times as his PR machine says he has and there are an awful lot of people (Andreu, O'Reilly, Anderson etc.) with nothing to gain who are painting a consistent picture. As they don't exist in the peloton their income is directly influenced by omerta.  I guess they are all part of the huge conspiracy to bring down Lance (headed up by Walsh and Kimmage) and probably faked the moon landings before bumping off the people's princess. 

I don't think USADA finding him guilty (cos he folded after seeing what they had on him I'll grant you) is supposition.  I think USADA are due to give the case files to the UCI very soon and they have also said (I think) they will be going public (even if Bruyneel doesn't make them) so the UCI won't be able to bury the evidence under a bland 'we agree' statement.

It's all a load of nuggets I'm tellin' ya!

As U-sada* were. 

On a highly unrelated note wasn't Sada the first person ever evicted from Big Brother?

On a (mildly) related note, I love the fact that Landis is now legally prevented from saying that the UCI, amongst other things, are "terrorists, have no regard for the rules, load the dice, are fools, do not have a genuine desire to restore discipline to cycling, are full of shit, are clowns, their words are worthless, are liars, are no different to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi" or similar allegations of that kind.

Yep, that just about covers it.

I theeenk they may be a tad different to Gadaffi.  Theyve not got an honour guard of attractive women have they ? And live in tents ?

Oh and the whole hiding in a pipe thing. Although I wouldnt rule them having to resort to that when the Lance fans storm their offices with pitchforks and blazing torches. 

I was reading that Landis thing earlier after Dr Hutch tweeted it - I guffawed when it mentioned "full of shit".

it's got a touch of the schoolyard and sticks and stones about it eh?......

The different responses to drugs how is that different to different responses to training techniques we are all different - some can never make it but even those that have the potential one size doesn't fit all.  Regardless of how much benefit someone may or may not get from it they are equal idiots for doing it.

I am not defending the drug taking really just the witch hunt when it seem apparent that the majority of the higher placing riders were doping as well at the time.  It isn't going to change anything now when others caught at different times to winning events have kept their titles. 

Can any of us say that the sport really is clean now - the drug testing will always be a step behind what is being developed and used

I thought the buying off of the UCI was a load of crock. The results are sent to the UCI and the IOC simultaneously - unless he bought off the IOC as well.

I don't care whether he doped or not really. However it has gone on for so long with no real evidence it is starting to annoy me. 

The guy who tested the positive said that the evidence was inconclusive and he wouldn't go to court with it. IT needed another sample but there were issues with it.

If they have evidence then present it. If not then either drop it or get the evidence. Other than that it does seem like they are just a bunch of whingers on witch hunt.

Maddy - thats the entire point of sport, isnt it? People are different, some are more "talented" (have better genes or whatever) and combined with a bit of skill/ intelligence/ luck/ gucci kit (depending on the sport in question) more often that not, that person wins. Your point was that if everyone is allowed to dope, the playing field is leveled, and winning is dependant only on tactics/ luck/ having the best wheels. Which it wouldnt be.

Wow. Am amazed that so many people still believe and trust in the 'legend' of Lance. One of the reasons the 'man who never quits' quit his fight, was in an attempt to ensure that the actual real evidence that has been systematically gathered by USADA, stays in a file and is not exposed to any judicial process.

The point of his action was to be able to maintain a high-ground where he could accuse USADA of conducting a witch-hunt against him, rather than having to argue about real evidence from drugs tests, team managers and team mate's affidavits.

The fact that Lance has lied, bullied, cheated and misled people for years is the real scandal here and we will look back on this case in a few years time and shake our heads. No one likes to lose a hero, or a legend to make us aspire to. But it's much worse to have been subjected to an organised conspiracy to fool us all.

He is not a nice guy. He deserves what is surely coming to him. Perhaps this sounds harsh and opinionated but i didn't feel like this a couple of months ago. I was quite a fan. But I started reading a lot of background info, scholarly articles, journalists reports, team mate's testimony etc. Helped by the UCI, he was able to fob off testers, get early warnings, have dodgy results buried, lost or contaminated, while he threatened or buried junior team members who wouldn't play along.

Why did Lance pay $100.000 to the UCI in 2005? Doesn't that seem a bit weird to anyone?

I was in the 'oh well they probably all did it' camp, why rake up old stuff etc etc then I read David Millers book and thought it was obvious he was careful not to say anything about Lance - which made me wonder, but thought it was mainly about him rather than the other riders - v good read BTW.

Then read Tyler Hamilton's book...... Blimey!  Even if he is bitter, angry, testifying to save himself - whatever - it's pretty strong stuff. I have only been been following the sport relatively recently - If I were a die hard fan - Hamilton's book would have made me furious.

Can't even bring myself to even go on the Live Strong website now. Everything LA has touched is now tainted in my mind.

It shows how far this brings all sport into disrepute that I (along with others obviously) raise an eyebrow at folks like Bolt. Which is a real shame.

Well as he isn't prosecuting LA, just writing a book, who knows.

But as for there being actual proper evidence?  I will be pretty amazed if some isn't forthcoming during the next while. Only time will tell.

It is amazing how the did he didn't he dope has captured the worlds imagination; there is a wealth of opinion on every cycling forum site with passionate argument either way. I should not really be surprised that it is mirrored here. I have contributed my opinion for what it is worth elsewhere. But if you have not looked already; have a look at www.52x12.com this has a lot of stuff from the Dr who is alleged to have doped Lance. The science is frighteningly complex and makes me think this bad smell could hang around for a long time to come.  Come on USADA publish your stuff....please! 

I totally agree.  

It's not about the bike makes LA sound pretty arrogant, not very likeable but certainly a character and never ever a quitter.

So when he quit! 

But they do need to put up or shut up, and I am saying that as someone who thinks LA is guilty as sin.

Havent we seen the positive EPO test results already ? And the accounts from several sources ? 

OK so its not gone to court - but theres plenty of stuff out there. 

Not read the Hamilton book - must have a look. 

The whole time I was reading Hamilton's book I was driving my husband insane ...'omg listen to this'... etc etc  

$100,000 isn't that much if you are in Lance's league.

No evidence has been proffered that he bribed the IOC as well so bribing the UCI would be pointless.

If there isn't hard evidence then they should shut up, if there is then they should publish it. As they haven't published it is because they aren't confident in their evidence.

Not really a Lance fan but it is innocent until proven guilty and there is nothing proven.

There is lots of evidence of aliens coming to earth and taking people away, feeling them up, messing with their heads and using probes. But would that evidence stand up in court.