Lance Armstrong Loses Race Against Unconstitutional USADA Witch Hunt

[XLFD]

Lance Armstrong, winner of seven consecutive Tour De France bicycle races between 1999-2005 is in the process of getting stripped of his accomplishments, because an organization called the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) believes anecdotal evidence that he has used performance enhancing drugs/techniques (dope) to accomplish them.  The witch hunt currently being conducted to discredit Lance Armstrong is reminiscent of the ’50s Senate investigation of its citizens in a desire to expose communist infiltrators. Many fine people suffered irreparable damage as a result of false and misleading innuendoes. This agency is out of control. Armstrong submitted to hundreds of drug tests during his competitive years without incidence. Leave the man alone.

A couple of discredited dopers making these accusations many years later who stand to benefit from accusing Lance of doping coupled with a power-hungry agency who ignores their own rules on testing and their statute of limitations have continued a campaign that can only be called a witch hunt that claims you're guilty until you can prove your innocence-- even if you've proved your innocence over and over again throughout your career.  Screw the facts and the Bill of Rights, tear down this man's amazing feats, most accomplished since he's recovered from cancer and became an icon for the fight against cancer.   Here is his own statement, you can take it or leave it.  I will take it and believe it.

Lance Armstrong's Statement of August 23, 2012

AUSTIN, Texas - August 23rd, 2012 - There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense.

I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADA’s charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADA’s motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene.

If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA’s process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and – once and for all – put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colors. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In-competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?

From the beginning, however, this investigation has not been about learning the truth or cleaning up cycling, but about punishing me at all costs. I am a retired cyclist, yet USADA has lodged charges over 17 years old despite its own 8-year limitation. As respected organizations such as UCI and USA Cycling have made clear, USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges. The international bodies governing cycling have ordered USADA to stop, have given notice that no one should participate in USADA’s improper proceedings, and have made it clear the pronouncements by USADA that it has banned people for life or stripped them of their accomplishments are made without authority. And as many others, including USADA’s own arbitrators, have found, there is nothing even remotely fair about its process. USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honor its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers’ expense. For the last two months, USADA has endlessly repeated the mantra that there should be a single set of rules, applicable to all, but they have arrogantly refused to practice what they preach. On top of all that, USADA has allegedly made deals with other riders that circumvent their own rules as long as they said I cheated. Many of those riders continue to race today.

The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s just not right.

USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles. I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours. We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront. There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart.

Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet.

[Willy]

Excellent statement from Lance. It does boggle the mind that he has been tested  hundreds of times and has never tested positive for any banned substance and he's still being accused of doping. I doubt there are many people who really think he is guilty of what is being claimed. I admire the man for standing his ground for as long as he has and I agree with his decision that enough is enough. The international bike riders remind me of a bunch of jealous, squabbling teenagers and cat fighting girls. Lance has proven himself to be the mature person among all of those squabbling fools.

[AQUAMAN]

Well said Willy, and again, thanks. It's the perception that the media gives that "sticks, and perhaps, like the LDN, stinks". Journalism has lost it's credibility of late, for darn sure!

[Dave]

I think it was quite obvious that the head of the USADA had it out for Armstrong for whatever reason. No matter what Armstrong did, he was going to be found guilty of something and be stripped. It's a sad situation but I understand why Armstrong just opted to walk, can't say I blame him either. USADA was stupid to go after him too, in the end I think they hurt the sport.. I mean if you have someone that does good and never test positive for anything and still go after them, they are suggesting everyone is dirty and if everyone is dirty and cheating, why would I want to watch?

[Willy]

Very good points Dave

[XLFD]

And why would you want to participate, if you have to use your prize money in defending yourself against baseless charges?

[Willy]

I understand that the USADA will allow Armstrong to compete in more races but to keep him from having an unfair advantage over the other cyclists he can only ride this approved USADA bike.

[XLFD]

I think that's the bicycle he used to capture his seventh Tour De France title, if I'm not mistaken. 

[XLFD]

Lance was formally stripped of his seven tour titles and banned from the sport for life officially today from the UCI. http://www.woodtv.com/dpps/entertainment/celebrities/uci-agrees-to-...

"It is for Mr. Armstrong to defend himself against such witness statements that he deems to be incorrect. It is not for the UCI to do so," the governing body said in a statement.

There is and never has been any due process for these extralegal witch hunts.  People can be rewarded for snitching on others, as was the case for real witch hunts, and the USADA and the UCI has had plenty of chances to make their case to the public at large.  But they don't ever do it.  They say there is a mountain of evidence but they don't even offer a molehills worth.  When given the opportunity, UCI gives this in their two page statement defending their decision.  Their conclusion is that the tests used by all the anti-doping agencies were faulty, which is why Lance never tested positive:

[Willy]

The UCI can't have it both ways. If "the tests used by all the anti-doping agencies were faulty" for Armstrong then the tests used for all of the other cyclists were faulty as well so how can they say who did or did not cheat. How is it possible for someone to be tested 218 times and show no signs of using illegal substances but then be accused of using illegal substances. That makes no sense. Also if the UCI is going to except testimony from people regarding cheating then it is up to them to determine if that person is lying, not up to the accused. I think this is a big mess caused by the UCI itself.

[XLFD]

I like to see that Lance isn't taking the recent bad news lying down-- or is he?  This recently taken picture shows him relaxin' in his crib, complete with his seven yellow jerseys from seven consecutive Tour de France races, achieved during seven years of testing negative for hundreds of randomly taken drug tests.  A private non-judicial USADA panel, more than a dozen years after his first jersey, has used the depositions of disgraced drug-using cyclists given secret incentives to testify against others (probably with extra to knock down the big fish) as the sole evidence against the 7 time champion. 

I may be naive, but I will believe until its proven in a real court that operates on Constitutional principles, or until the man himself admits to it.   We owe him that much for what he has accomplished.

[Willy]

Let's assume that he was using enhancers. Most of the other riders were doing the same and he still beat them 7 times. I'm with you X. Until this is presented before an unbiased court and positive proof is presented, or he admits to doping then as far as I'm concerned he will remain a champion. Not only is he a champion but he has dedicated his life to helping others. He could be off to a Mediterranean resort and enjoying a non complicated life but instead he wants to give his time to doing something decent and good.

[XLFD]

Well, Lance came clean on Oprah.  I feel a bit foolish for presuming that he was innocent and defending him, but I am sure I would feel even more foolish if I would have convicted him without anything besides the hearsay of discredited riders.  Lance, you should still be admired for fighting back from cancer, but you should be actively despised for all those people you have attacked publicly and sued over the years when you knew the truth. 

And there is nothing you can say at this time that will salve the wounds you have created among your legions of fans and ex-fans by all the lies, posturings and slander of others you have used to cover up your cheating.