Lance, latest have we done it yet.

Ooo this should get us to 1000. It’s definately a witchunt then.

Stunning open letter from Michael Ashenden to Phil Liggett:

http://nyvelocity.com/content/features/2012/filthy-business-indeed

rkk01 – Member

Usada has not had access, despite requests, to the evidence the Food and Drug Administration investigators gathered, and has built its own case.

Ooh, that’s a twist isn’t it. Wonder if they’ve got anything extra, to make up for the loss? Or if it all ends up coming down to making a weaker case, but relying on the lower burden of proof? (or, I guess option c is the “federal case dropped because of corruption” allegation, which I’d like to see more of too)

Stunning open letter from Michael Ashenden to Phil Liggett:

http://nyvelocity.com/content/features/2012/filthy-business-indeed

That is a great letter

Feel a bit sorry for Liggett after reading that, it was like watching him go 10 rounds with Tyson. Absolutely destroyed.

Brilliant letter!

I think the letter could have been better written with more precision and less bile. Othewise people might…..

Feel a bit sorry for Liggett after reading that

No argument with the content of the letter, just the style.

I think the letter could have been better written with more precision and less bile.

Yep. What a cock. Maybe he should stick to doctoring and leave the speaking to others?

Just to clarify, I didn’t actually feel sorry for him and quite enjoyed the leter. Maybe Liggett should stick to commentating (badly) and leave the analysis of doping controls to others?

Well, actually Liggett was commentating (possibly badly) and was actually asked for his opinion, unlike Ashenden.

Ashenden has now lost his credability with that diatribe. He could have written it better and reinforced his postion the the arguments about the case, wonder if he was pissed. No wonder LA and the supporters can claim witchunt.

Yep. What a cock. Maybe he should stick to doctoring and leave the speaking to others?

He actually usually writes very well, he’s obviously just tearing his hair out (OK he was already bald…) at the crap Liggett was spewing and ranted back in a STW forum-style manner which whilst entertaining I agree doesn’t really make him come across in the best light

Thought his letter was ok

Phil you are talking out your rear
love Ashenden

he was not wrong and phil was

Hmmmmmm. Nah, I don’t think he loses credibility. There’s no lack of diatribes from the pro- side, so a bit of furious wrath from the other side hardly changes the tone. I think it’ll put people off, and it’s not particularily readable, but then there’s no lack of more reasoned discussion to complement it.

I think the letter could have been better written with more precision and less bile. Othewise people might…..

Given the crass stupidity and hypocrisy of Ligett’s comments I thought he was pretty restrained TBH.

A little off topic but can anyone explain how Riis is still allowed to have any involvement in the sport of cycling, let alone manage a professional cycling team? Latest allegation comes from Hamilton.

+1 JY & Northwind

A mate of mine summed it up nicely with “weird how he uses ‘Phil’ to mean ‘dickhead'”

A little off topic but can anyone explain how Riis is still allowed to have any involvement in the sport of cycling, let alone manage a professional cycling team?

It’s why it’s taking so many years to clean up cycling. A very high percentage of riders go into things like team management, coaching, commentary etc when they retire so they keep everything covered up nicely. They doped, they know how it was done, they introduced the younger riders (the ones who are still racing) to doping, those practices get a bit more refined then when they retire they’ve got their cushy little commentary number or a role as DS but if they speak out, suddenly all the sponsorship comes crashing down, the team fragments, the younger riders who looked up to these guys suddenly have their career ended – so they don’t speak out.

That’s part of the reason that a lot of the cycling press never questioned LA’s results cos he’d simply deny them interviews and photos – this at a time when interviews with LA sold magazines and photos and got hits on websites. Hence everything published about him was always about how great he was…

The UCI is supposed to be introducing some sort of rule that prevents anyone with a doping conviction from working within the sport but that hasn’t happened (yet).

Ashenden’s reply (or more tellingly, the comments underneath it) show just how divided it is. The issue is no longer about LA doping. It’s about different sides in a war sniping at each other, pot shots about who’s got the biggest axe to grind, who knows “the truth”, counterclaims to the other sides claims. What a total mess.

A mate of mine summed it up nicely with “weird how he uses ‘Phil’ to mean ‘dickhead'”

ha ha, 🙂

Crawling up towards the 900 mark…
This is very interesting… Shows all the links LA has/had with cycling in general – some of this came as news to me as well but it shows how small and incestuous the world of cycling is and how LA was able to control the peloton and the media and even the governing bodies.

This isn’t restricted to LA, this kind of stuff still goes on today but the flow chart surprised me. Full version available as a pdf download here[/url]

doping is like speeding….its against the law, but hey.

Nine hundred

More sh*te hitting the fan according to twitter. Usada have positive samples and the UCI threatening journalists if they say there was a cover up.

More sh*te hitting the fan according to twitter. Usada have positive samples and the UCI threatening journalists if they say there was a cover up.

I have a (largely unused) twitter account – I keep forgetting to look at it.
Can you suggest a few people/orgs I should be following?

Ny velocity, yohan vaughters and velonews

In the current climate TAHSP on Twitter is an interesting read. They have a graphic about those who are tainted by drugs and their finishing position in the Tour.

Edit link to graphic

For the first hand revelations click here…[/url]

😉

Double post

http://road.cc/content/news/65453-usada-retest-lance-armstrong-blood-samples-proves-positive-says-french-tv-show

If true… ouch!

Sheryl Crow Gave USADA Information About Lance Armstrong’s Alleged Doping

sorry higgo – hard to read the ‘crow’ bit with sidebars that read “Hand Bras Should Be The Law” 🙂

glitchty bump

The “interview” with LA in the link I posted above is amusingly satirical…

Cyclismas Let’s delve into that subject. Why did you come back from retirement? Your return is being discussed as your Achilles heel, opening the door for USADA to move against you.

Lance Honestly?

Cyclismas That would be nice for a change.

Lance Hang on. (dials cellular phone) Hi Mark? Can I spill the beans on why I came out of retirement? Is there any damage to the titles if I share the truth? Yes. Yes. Yes. No. No. He didn’t ask about that yet. It’s fine? Alright. I’ll go for it. (hangs up phone)

Cyclismas So you can tell us the truth on that one?

Lance Yes. I did it for the alimony.

Cyclismas Sorry? Alimony? Can you elaborate?

Lance Sure what the hell. All my ex-girlfriends receive a monthly payment in exchange for their signing of a non-disclosure agreement for keeping my activities private and quiet. I also make substantial payments to Kik for the kids and her lifestyle, not to mention taking care of my kids with Anna. Plus, I just can’t help but have extra helpings, if you know what I mean. Seriously, the number of blondies in Colorado for the US Pro is off the hook. The boys have done some good scouting for me the past two weeks.

is the interwebz broken?
Another bump

no. but i think Hora’s resolve might be.

Some more bits and pieces from Hamilton’s book:

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/media/books/Lance-Armstrong-Case-Closed.html?page=1

Little bit more info on Hamilton’s new book:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9518947/Lance-Armstrong-book-to-be-amended-for-UK.html

Not sure whether to laugh or cry on this one… 🙄

vitriolic bile

Just so we all understand what the USADA’s arbitration process is, it is a prosecutor (Tygart), a lead arbitrator (Tygart) and two (of Tygart’s) employees. If there’s a ruling by this board that gets appealed, then the appeal goes to Tygart. There are no internal or external controls on the USADA.

On Thursday, Aug. 23, Armstrong announced that he wasn’t going to play in Tygart’s sandbox. Tygart, the same day, in an excited, agitated manner, announced that he, personally, was stripping Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles, his Olympic medal and all financial rewards from his cycling career. However, the International Cycling Union and the Amaury Sport Organization, which is in charge of the Tour de France, have not accepted mini-despot Tygart’s opinion, which is the USADA’s ruling, because they want to see the evidence to back it up. The bylaws of the World Anti-Doping agency says they have to back the USADA, but they have demurred, awaiting the evidence.

Gotta love the measured, objective reporting…

Im quite sure ive never actually read anything with so many inaccurate statements and lies in it before…

Armstrong has seven children,

Even Armstrong’s statement said he had 5 children

I am not sure anything in that article was true