So the USADA
sent off a letter to Lance, as well as a few select others? They say that they have adverse analytical proof that points to EPO use, and/or blood doping. Really?
If this proof DOES exist, why wasn't it presented to the FEDERAL Grand Jury? Hmmmm, Mr. Tygart?
You know why this will never fly, and be but another blip on the radar of Lance and doping accusations?
-If the USADA had hard, fast, positive test results, they'd release them. Tygart would do a big press conference, wave around a bunch of papers, and the vein in his neck would pop out. You think Lance is an ego-maniac? What pushes a person to pursue charges against another that mean nothing? For 10+ years?
-The USADA has no power. They cannot compel ANYONE to speak to them. Sure, they can recommend, and they have ostensibly banned LA from competing in certain events, but in the big picture, it means little, if anything. BTW, Lance has only been banned from UCI/WTC events. He could line up at USAC/USAT events today! The NC crit championships ARE this weekend.... ;)
-The USADA is, in fact, a quasi-Government agency. The were created by the Government, and receive $10 million in funding through grants. $10 million of YOUR tax dollars. Are they chasing MLB/NFL/NHL/UFC/WWE guys with this money as well, or just Lance?
-The Feds have closed their case against LA...forever. He's not going to jail. He's not getting fined.
-The UCI and WADA won't do a thing. Why? Because it's bad for the sport. If they ban Armstrong, or strip his Tour titles, it's a tacit admission that they colluded with not only USPS (and whatever other team LA was on), as well as the vast majority of professional cycling teams of the era in question. Let's face it, the sheer number of guys who later got caught points a lot of fingers in a lot of directions.
-LA has already says he just doesn't care about it anymore.
He's said so in a few interviews. He seems to have found relative peace, has a pile of money that Scrooge McDuck would drown in, and is still admired and beloved by millions, regardless of whether he doped...or not...
As for me, my opinions have been voiced on this little dirt road of the information superhighway on several occasions.
Do I think LA doped? Sure, but they ALL did. It was the era. Well, not really even the era! It's cycling. It's woven into the very fabric of the sport. It's been going on since cavemen invented the wheel, and raced to the buffalo herd to hunt dinner.
Do I feel cheated? Not by Lance or the others of the 90s/00s. The racing was brilliant! I've said it before, but it begs repeating. If you watched the Tour in this time period, and DID NOT jump up and down in front of your TV, shouting like someone in France could actually hear you, then I'll go ahead and call you out for being full of shit!
It's cool now to crap on Lance, Euro-Dogs, doping, etc., but 10-15 years ago, there was barely any room on the bandwagon. People say they LOVE cycling, but now the love seems to be conditional.
Who's the hypocrite now?
Oh, and by the way, Eddy Merckx got popped for doping...more than once. Look it up...
Unless Mr. Tygart produces a vial of Lance's blood, and it's bubbling in his hand, I will not speak of this again.
What's the bet Cav needs a step stool to get to his bin?
