Associated Press
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said he believes that last year’s winner Floyd Landis did not dope but likely will lose his arbitration case against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Landis, who agreed not to defend his title this month, tested positive for synthetic testosterone after a dramatic and decisive win in the Tour’s 17th stage last year. After a 10-day hearing in May, Landis is awaiting the decision of the arbitration panel, which must decide whether to uphold the positive doping test.
“I think conventional wisdom is that he will lose (his arbitration hearing), because USADA has never lost a case,” said Armstrong, the guest speaker Tuesday at an Aspen Ideas Festival health forum discussion that former CBS anchor Bob Schieffer moderated.
“The arbitrators don’t ever rule for the athletes,” Armstrong said, according a story in Wednesday’s edition of The Aspen Times. “Quite frankly, the system is set up against the athletes. Unfortunately for him, I don’t think he did it. That’s always been my position and still is today.”
Armstrong is again the subject of doping allegations in a soon-to-be-published book, “From Lance to Landis.” Much of the material in the new book is based on testimony given in a legal dispute between Armstrong and Dallas-based company SCA Promotions, which had a bonus contract with the cyclist.
Armstrong repeatedly has denied doping allegations against him both in court and the public arena.
And Tuesday he defended cycling’s commitment to testing.
“If you went to Major League Baseball and said, ‘We’re going to have random, unannounced, out-of-competition controls,’ they would tell you, ‘You’re crazy. No way, we’re not playing another game.’ The NFL, they would never do that. NHL, no way. Golf, forget it. Tennis, forget it. Of course, cyclists get tested more than anything else, and perhaps that’s why they get caught more than anyone else.”
definitely agree with the last part of the statement…as for the rest… yeah sure.
Yes sure 
.
when do they announce the decision?
Supposedly tomorrow.
I have not followed all the specifics of Floyd’s case. However, in an interview with the Washington Post the other night he mentioned that he has spent over $1million USD just trying to get access to the test results that “prove” he is guilty. As I recall, Lance had a similar issue as well. Wouldn’t doubt it if both situations involved the same people. Regardless, essentially what Floyd was saying is that even after a year of legal battles and all that money spent, he has yet to see the evidence that is being levied against him.
If this is true…and I must reiterate IF …the world of professional cycling (and other sports) has far more to worry about than just the use of drugs by athletes. Maybe I’m off base here but if there was a legitimate testing of his blood/urine and he failed it, he would have been suspended or found guilty right away. End of story. Move on. The fact that it has drawn out for so long tells me that “legitimacy”, or the lack thereof, is the real problem.
Personally, I’m with Lance on this one. I do not think Floyd is guilty. However, I do believe that he will be found “guilty”. And that we will never know the real story.
if there is one thing all Landis’ fighting has done, its exposed an obviously flawed process and given people a seed of doubt. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, people are going to believe what they want because the evidence is so controversial.
I don’t know whether Landis is guilty or not. I don’t think anyone does, with the exception of Floyd himself. I can say that I wouldn’t convict anyone of anything based upon the evidence that has been made public. This lab can’t even keep control numbers straight, among other records. When the CEO of the company that makes the machine witnesses the testing, and finds they don’t know how to work it properly, and is willing to testify to that effect…well, I can’t say I am filled with confidence.
Dopers need to be busted. But the process that convicts them needs to be above reproach. This is a farce.
Phil
Seems that Floyd’s tactics have worked, which was to win in the court of public opinion.
I agree. Too many things were done wrong, or appear to be done wrong. The process should be bulletproof.
The answer should be cut and dry. He doped. He didn’t dope. If it’s the former can’t be answered without a hint of doubt it must be the latter.
I don’t think public opinion has anything to do with it.
Imagine if I said to you, “Yeah, sorry, the lab got the ID number wrong on your HIV test. They might have left it out on the counter for a few hours too…but we aren’t sure about that. The records are unclear. But they used some white-out and fixed the labeling and records, and said not to worry because they are really professional. Oh, and apparently they don’t know how to work all that new fangled equipment. It’s cool, though. They say they are experts. But back to your test results, turns out you are positive. Better tell your partner to get tested right away.”
If I fixed your medical records and pulled a similar stunt, I’d be sued six different ways and would at a minimum be brought before the state medical review board. It is ridiculous that a laboratory can get away with any of this stuff.
exactly, maybe not everyone but he still has a strong fan base that believes his innocence. If he hadn’t fought, I am not sure that would have been the case.
look at the issue with Petacchi now. The guy had a TUE for asthma and they found his levels too high. Could he have been using the medicine inappropriately, maybe, but I would bet that it is legit. He really has no recourse once the olympic committee lawyers get their hands on it. Unfortunately, you have one of the greatest sports run by a bunch of inept lawyers.
Floyd’s lawyers have produced that really fancy slidedeck pointing out numerous flaws in the process. They did that solely to garner public support.
I am positive that the USADA will come to a fair decision, weighing the testimony and analysis of results from all sides. Not just Floyd’s.
The Petacchi case is one that I do find disturbing. There should be a way to fasttrack cases like his, where there is a legitimate TUE for the substance in question.
Floyd’s lawyers have produced that really fancy slidedeck pointing out numerous flaws in the process.
Should someone be nailed to the wall on flaws or should a case with that many flaws be tossed out? They can’t even be 100% sure that that sample is his.
If anything this case points out how poorly the testing labs do the job they do an how poorly the whole doping system is run.
As for Pettachi he has to prove he did not dope since he is over a certain limit. UNder that limit and WADA has to prove he did dope.
The system is guilty until proven guilty and good luck proving your innocent. Even people who proved that they had no knowledge the supplements they were taking were being contaminated at the manufactoring level have recieved 1 yr bans. Tell me how that is fair?
I think that the USADA (realistically, it will ultimately be CAS) will tell us whether those flaws were significant enough to have the charges dismissed or not, after weighing the evidence on both sides and making a determination as to whether those errors in the process constitute a fundamental breakdown in the process. I am not comfortable saying that there was a significant breakdown in the process on the basis of only one side of the argument.
If supplements were being contaminated, and you received an unfair advantage (knowingly or unknowingly) then there should be a penalty. I agree that a year is too long, IMO, but there should be a penalty of some sort.
Have any supplement companies been successfully sued by athletes who have tested positive? I would think that a few successful suits would force the supplement companies to clean up their acts and provide some sort of certification that the supplements they produce are contaminant-free.
And of course there is no way that Floyd is innocent because Lemond took the stand and said he wasn’t!!
:rolleyes:
“I am positive that the USADA will come to a fair decision, weighing the testimony and analysis of results from all sides. Not just Floyd’s.”
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- In which case I’m sure you also believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny…
If Floyd were facing these charges in courtroom, they’d have been dismissed on day one. But WADA and USADA are just not into playing fair, or even playing by their own rules.
- In which case I’m sure you also believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny…
“And of course there is no way that Floyd is innocent because Lemond took the stand and said he wasn’t!!”
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- That bit of business as much as anything else, demonstrated what a farce the whole thing is. WTF is Lemond in this process and WTF could he possibly add, in the way of EVIDENCE, that could have anything approaching relevance to the process?