The fact that he isn't fighting it means he acknowledges that the testimony is true..
Now hold on a minute. If I remember right, he did fight some three other hearings about the exact same thing and won each and every one or had the accusation dropped. So, he got tired of the nonsense, drama, and anxiety of it... He's retired from the sport.
So for instance, if you left a job because you got tired of people making accusations and constantly having to defend yourself. A year later a board brought it all back up and wanted you to come in and spend hundreds of thousands in legal fees defend yourself again (something you've done several times already).... Would you do it or tell them to piss off?
Hell, my wife has accused me of adultery before; That does not make it true if I got tired of proving to her my faithfulness time and time again simply because she can not believe I wouldn't when everyone around her does (includng her)....
On the other hand there are mutants who compete at the Olympic level who, for instance have much larger than normal lung capacity and one runner I've heard of has an unusual blood cellular chemistry that allows his blood cells to uptake up to 50% more oxygen.
The sad fact is that the cycling authorities are so wrapped up in their own image that they discount actual known science which may explain their objections. Keep in mind that 70 years ago, cyclists smoked cigarettes because they thought it dilated their bronchial tubes. This is the world view cycling authorities still live in.
His only defense has been that he didn't test positive on a sample that wasn't mishandled. He never had a defense for the direct witness testimony of his teammates other than, "they must have it in for me" and "who are you going to believe, me or them?" But when you actually read the details of the testimony it is pretty damning.
Now hold on a minute. If I remember right, he did fight some three other hearings about the exact same thing and won each and every one or had the accusation dropped. So, he got tired of the nonsense, drama, and anxiety of it... He's retired from the sport.
So for instance, if you left a job because you got tired of people making accusations and constantly having to defend yourself. A year later a board brought it all back up and wanted you to come in and spend hundreds of thousands in legal fees defend yourself again (something you've done several times already).... Would you do it or tell them to piss off?
Hell, my wife has accused me of adultery before; That does not make it true if I got tired of proving to her my faithfulness time and time again simply because she can not believe I wouldn't when everyone around her does (includng her)....
His only defense has been that he didn't test positive on a sample that wasn't mishandled. He never had a defense for the direct witness testimony of his teammates other than, "they must have it in for me" and "who are you going to believe, me or them?" But when you actually read the details of the testimony it is pretty damning.
I believe almost nothing of 'eye witness testimony', generally. We're accusing someone of lying by dragging someone else up and believing everything they say is the truth. Guess what, everyone lies.
I believe almost nothing of 'eye witness testimony', generally. We're accusing someone of lying by dragging someone else up and believing everything they say is the truth. Guess what, everyone lies.
If it was strictly one person versus another I would agree. But in this case we're talking about several witnesses who were extremely close to Lance and spent hundreds of hours with him. Now we have to believe a conspiracy theory to discount that testimony. I've been following this story a long time and always defended him, but I can't any more.
I haven't looked into this a whole lot, but I think LA was likely on something. Why? Because the rest of the riders are apparently on something, and LA dominated them for many years. But, I don't see this latest action as an admission of guilt. I read an article on him a few months ago, and he spoke about how he's tired of fighting this battle over and over.
As far as stripping the titles and taking back the medals...I'd tell them all to go F themselves, and I wouldn't return a damn thing.
Interesting situation. EPO was banned in 1999 before there was a test for it. The Cycling authorities were on to it so they banned it immediately. They freeze all samples for years so that they can retest at a later date with a better test. I might be mistaken, but LA failed one of those tests and successfully argued that the chain of evidence (or whatever you call it) had been broken. The problem with that defense is that the samples are numbered not named so in essence it would take a conspiracy to locate his and only his sample and then contaminate it.
Another thing that's illegal is storing your own blood and then getting a transfusion of your own red blood cells later. They used to be unable to find that but then developed a test that can detect the plasticizer from blood bags in your bloodstream. Unless you had major surgery or a transfusion immediately before the race you've been cheating. I see nothing wrong with DQing people years after the event if the rules were known at the time of the event.
Then there's his association with a doctor who was banned from cycling for doping. He went to great lengths to hide the relationship but was found out anyway.
I find it ironic that people want to overlook all of LA's suspicious behavior but are all over a spouse's suspicious behavior. I guess it's because he was so inspirational beating brain cancer and all.
I believe almost nothing of 'eye witness testimony', generally. We're accusing someone of lying by dragging someone else up and believing everything they say is the truth. Guess what, everyone lies.
I find it ironic that people want to overlook all of LA's suspicious behavior but are all over a spouse's suspicious behavior. I guess it's because he was so inspirational beating brain cancer and all.
Honestly, I get that. They are suspicions though, not proof. He is a hero of sorts to a lot of people and retired. Just let it go already... It doesn't do anyone any good at this point for that sport besides drag it through the mud in a storm of very public controversy. I can't believe too many people can even name any other professional bike racer besides LA.
Do you think what they are doing is going to do any good for the sport?
If it was strictly one person versus another I would agree. But in this case we're talking about several witnesses who were extremely close to Lance and spent hundreds of hours with him. Now we have to believe a conspiracy theory to discount that testimony. I've been following this story a long time and always defended him, but I can't any more.
Cycling seems like a pretty cloistered environment and like all of them breeds petty seething hatreds.
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