So, Big George Hincapie publicly confirmed both that he'd spoken to USADA and that he was a habitual doper for a prolonged period of time that coincided with his association with Lance Armstrong. Knock me over with a feather, who would have thought that Armstrong was full of shit? Only everyone who follows cycling and is currently breathing. To the true believers in his innocence, again, well done - I'm having a beer with the Easter Bunny later on and you're all welcome to drop around.
But back to the 'news'. Given I live in the US of A, it's not over for Lance. Couple of nice articles in NY times today.
First a story on Emma O'Reilly, the former soigneur to US Postal who spoke out when collaborating with David Walsh on L.A. Confidentiel: Les Secrets de Lance Armstrong. She was vilified and pursued by Armstrong and his cronies as he did to anyone that suggested he was a doper. Typical bully - he pursued someone with intimate knowledge of his doping but who barely had the money to defend herself when she spoke the truth. Armstrong, a bully and a pathetic coward.
However, his fellow team members also bear responsibility for his poor behavior - not only did they dope, but they knew he did and that he was pursuing and bullying anyone that accused him of doing so...but they did nothing. Sorry Hincapie, but confessing after you have retired doesn't absolve you from your sins. You should apologise to anyone that Armstrong persued because not speaking out made you part of the Armstrong problem. Same for Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters, David Zabriskie, Matt White and anyone else on that team involved in the doping program.
The culpability that these riders bear is that they knew about the doping AND the persecution by Armstrong of anyone that accused him. Fucked up moral choices that should haunt them forever. Along with Lance Armstrong, just another bunch of 'c-bombs' as Americans say (for the rest of the World vernacular, see Brad Wiggins* ha ha).
However, his fellow team members also bear responsibility for his poor behavior - not only did they dope, but they knew he did and that he was pursuing and bullying anyone that accused him of doing so...but they did nothing. Sorry Hincapie, but confessing after you have retired doesn't absolve you from your sins. You should apologise to anyone that Armstrong persued because not speaking out made you part of the Armstrong problem. Same for Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters, David Zabriskie, Matt White and anyone else on that team involved in the doping program.
The culpability that these riders bear is that they knew about the doping AND the persecution by Armstrong of anyone that accused him. Fucked up moral choices that should haunt them forever. Along with Lance Armstrong, just another bunch of 'c-bombs' as Americans say (for the rest of the World vernacular, see Brad Wiggins* ha ha).
The second article, relates to a spat between Armstrong and an insurance company that underwrote a performance payment to him for success fees during his Tour wins. Problem No. 1 is that Armstrong prevailed and was awarded $7.5M during an arbitration but also has been shown to have consistently lied under oath. Looks like he will be getting a visit from the lawyers for SCA to send the cash back plus interest (they should also send around the goons to have a word about his kneecaps). Problem No. 2 is that he lied under oath and that will affect any future statements he makes in Court - ie in legal jargon, he will be assumed to be an unreliable witness, in common terms he will be assumed to be complete liar about anything and everything and not just cycling issues. Doh!
Sadly plenty more news to run on the entire pro peleton during this period (call that the 20 years prior to 2011) and there will be a long list of respected riders who will be revealed to be dopers - all of whom will legitimately say that they had no choice because it was so endemic in the peleton and that to compete, they had to be on the juice. All up a massive fucking disappointment but not a surprise to true cycling fans. We know it has always been going on, just not the depth or the degree of organisation. Lance Armstrong will be remembered as the greatest doper ever. The Barry Bonds of cycling. He might have some redemption in the eyes of cancer survivors and their families because of Livestrong but everything he did in cycling will be irrelevant. Even his apologist, unethical sponsors have dropped him. Nike, Trek, Anheuser-Busch, Sram you are a collective disgrace and only dropped him when your continued unethical support for a clear and known doper started to threaten sales - don't pretend it had anything to do a policy of supporting only drug-free sportspeople.
* Thanks BikesnobNYC for the a far more reasoned analysis of Bradley Wiggin's vernacular. More interesting and funnier than the bullshit moral highground from Bicycling.com.
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