Lance Armstrong stops fighting

[FieryPrincess]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/23/sport/...tml?hpt=hp_bn1

"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," Armstrong said in Thursday's statement.
"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?"

One tends to wonder what is motivating all of this. It sounds to me like in the face of the overwhelming physical evidence that they have decided instead to take the hearsay from the teammate. From reading the article, it also sounds as if there is no way for Armstrong to win the battle. I mean - anyone could say anything anytime. It doesn't make it true. Armstrong at one point was the most tested athlete in sports. If they couldn't find anything as available as he was - it is a fair indicator that there was nothing to find.

I have never been a cycling fan, but I am a bit of a fan for Armstrong and what he has overcome. By trying to preserve the integrity of the sport, they have ruined it. I side with Armstrong.

[Mestral]

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http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/23/sport/...tml?hpt=hp_bn1

One tends to wonder what is motivating all of this. It sounds to me like in the face of the overwhelming physical evidence that they have decided instead to take the hearsay from the teammate. From reading the article, it also sounds as if there is no way for Armstrong to win the battle. I mean - anyone could say anything anytime. It doesn't make it true. Armstrong at one point was the most tested athlete in sports. If they couldn't find anything as available as he was - it is a fair indicator that there was nothing to find.

I have never been a cycling fan, but I am a bit of a fan for Armstrong and what he has overcome. By trying to preserve the integrity of the sport, they have ruined it. I side with Armstrong.

Me thinks it is political. He is, after all, and American who took the honors that normally go to europeans. I guess they just couldn't handle the embarrassment of having him win year after year. This should serve as a warning about signing any thing that involves "arbitration," as that is the same as signing away your rights ("arbitrators find for the corporation about 99% of the time, since the corporations pay them to dispose of the complaints). Normally I am not too much of a fan of government, but I think that the arbitration craze is something that should have been reigned in years ago.

[sojourner truth]

Methinks you have hit on the truth. The biggest factor is that the French think that they are the only ones who are supposed to win this thing every year, and have been pressuring USADA to disqualify Armstrong so they can pass the wins down to the first Frenchman in line.

Of course, there is the small problem that the 2nd and 3rd place winners were Belgians and Dutch. No problem...They have already had them disqualified as well for doping.

It is a farce, and Lance knew it. It would save everyone a lot of time and effort if they just awarded the medal to the first Frenchman in line. If the doping problem is so severe, why aren't there ways to check the status of participants prior to the competition? It wouldn't matter, because Lance passed all the tests anyhow, and still got the axe.

Of course, if it would have been a Frenchman that came across the line first, there would be no questions asked.... Lance and any American might as well compete in the Black Miss America Pageant...They'd stand a better chance.

[onetime]

I think it is just a tad bit fairy tail-ish to believe that he did not take steroids, literally in regards to the testing the man with the most cash in hand usually wins. The sport is absurdly dirty in that most of the winners get caught using some sort of performance enhancer I for one am glad he just gave up. Where there is smoke there is always fire.

[FieryPrincess]

except when there isn't.

If they can't find something in over 500 tests...

[Mestral]

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I think it is just a tad bit fairy tail-ish to believe that he did not take steroids, literally in regards to the testing the man with the most cash in hand usually wins. The sport is absurdly dirty in that most of the winners get caught using some sort of performance enhancer I for one am glad he just gave up. Where there is smoke there is always fire.

Do you really believe the tripe you posted, or did you accidentally post to the wrong thread?

[Rick]

I don't know what to think about Armstrong giving up. Maybe he did dope, maybe he just figured that they weren't going to stop accusing him, so why go broke? I don't know.

But to those blaming the French, this latest push was from the United States Anti-Doping Agency who receives our tax dollars and quite possibly needed to land a "big fish" in order to keep the money flowing.

The science shows that he didn't, people, (some of who have been caught) say that he did. What do you believe?

[CenTexDave]

The international agency that handles cycling pronounced him clean time and time again.
I think Rick's onto something.
Interesting to note that his charity has had a surge in donations the last couple of days.

[onetime]

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except when there isn't.

If they can't find something in over 500 tests...

From what I hear from sports radio, there are a variety of ways to beat it, but also I have heard that they were going to test blood samples as well as use testimony from his former teammates. Most of the people that participate in that sport including the Americans that were on his team have been caught using some type of performance enhancer.

[kantwin]

USADA assessing a penalty, that it may not have the legal authority to do, going beyond the statute of limitations, based upon accusations, without regard to scientific proof.
Guilty until proven innocent.
What a wonderful organization.