part 2
Since the samples were EXPLICITLY not to be used for sanctions, they didn't follow the chain-of-custody regulations, were NOT anonymous, and sat in a freezer for 6 years that was accessible like any other research materials to any number of people.
Chain of custody is ESSENTIAL to handling samples, and it is already established in every context that a broken chain of custody equals completely worthless non-evidence.
This would be like if the cops impounded your car, then sold it at auction, and then 6 years later whoever is driving it gets pulled over, cops search the car, find drugs, and then want to charge YOU. It was obviously out of their "secure" impound facility the entire time, and the drugs could have come from anywhere -- including being forgotten by the cops after using the vehicle in an undercover sting operation (which I seem to recall actually happening in a story covered by Reddit).
Moreover, the French national anti-doping lab in question regularly leaks its findings to the French paper L'Equipe, which has a notorious anti-Lance POV (they really didn't like him winning their tour every single year).
This would be something like if you went for a drug test for your job, and before anyone else got the official results, your worst enemy on Facebook posted the "results" given to him from his buddy at the lab that coincidentally showed you used certain substances that were also sitting in the lab research supplies. Let's see, people with a motive and a grudge who have access to your samples with no chain of custody and know exactly which samples are yours and suddenly find a "positive" years after the fact?
As a cyclist, Lance's Tour de France years were under the auspices of the UCI, which claimed sole jurisdiction over this case, which USADA ignored because they could use their WADA connection as a loophole. The UCI also has an 8-year statute of limitations, and doesn't vacate titles after that even if doping is ADMITTED later, as happened some years back with 1996 winner Bjarne Riis who runs Team Saxo Bank. Jonathan Vaughters just admitted to doping and he runs Team Garmin.
But USADA is now trying to ban the director of Lance's team, who ISN'T an admitted doper, solely because of his connection to Lance. Tygart wants to claim it was a conspiracy and the whole team was doped up, yet curiously is not trying to stop any of the OTHER ex-teammate riders he claims were cheating just like Lance, and who are still competing, presumably in exchange for their testimony.
This seemingly violates USADA's charter, as it is charged with stopping doping, yet is letting CURRENT riders continue on just to nail someone who RETIRED from cycling and last won 7 years ago.
The whole process is the definition of a kangaroo court. The anti-doping agencies ONLY get clout and increase their budgets by busting people; if busts don't happen, people will begin wondering what the point of the doping agencies IS, exactly. There's no bigger fish than Lance, so CEO Tygart is probably counting on a big fat funding increase next year based on being able to abuse power like this.
Imagine how much fear he will be able to strike into athletes' hearts AFTER this, twirling his moustache and swinging his riding crop about, as he struts about imperiously: "I am zee one who took down Lance, you think I cannot take down you?" (Cue evil laugh)
There are no effective safeguards for athletes. Tiger Woods left college early because he couldn't stomach the arrogance and control exercised by the NCAA. Basically anyone in a position of power wants to use it, and it's always for something bad -- without them, you'd just do whatever you were going to do ANYWAY, so the powers are exclusively negative. They can't exercise their power bygiving you the ability to play ball; they can only exercise their power by taking that ability away.
Contrary to the assertion that Lance "accepted" USADA's decision, he instead refused to go into binding arbitration with Travis Tygart, refusing to acknowledge the CEO of USADA's personal vendetta as legitimate. Both Lance and the UCI agree that the UCI is the only legitimate party with jurisdiction, as the UCI has announced publicly.
Nuts In A Blender
Had to google who that was; thanks for the chuckle...Originally Posted by buddahas
[And that joke of mine could have cost me my job in Canada.]
You're never going to beat Lance Armstrong if you can't source your own juice.
Oh for goodness sake.
Will the madness never end?
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
―
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Armstrong's tactic may not be as crazy as it might seem, by leaving it in the Court of Public Opinion he is at least assured of retaining those titles in the minds of the many people that support him, and I'm guessing that there are more of them than people who are happy to bring him down. As for those that are undecided, well he's probably hoping that they will see it as a political vendetta and believe him...
---Update---
Tellingly Nike have continued to support him...
Papa was a rodeo - Mama was a rock'n'roll band
I could play guitar and rope a steer before I learned to stand
Very well put, Markle.
It seems to me that Armstrong has taken the view, to paraphrase a famous quotation, " If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten thousand angels swearing I was right would make no difference". If no evidence is ever provided to support the doping allegations then perhaps the Court of Public Opinion may well be his "ten thousand angels". Our time on this planet is too short to waste in endless arguments.
Last edited by Chang; 26th August 2012 at 12:04.
Migrated
Very well put.
Unless it involves you and a Brit..or even worse..an Englishman
Actually, I'm on a Lance Armstrong thread. For more fun and games with British expat kiddie fiddlers, there's a special thread for you.
Tell me the truth, Guy. Have you been physically attacked by any Brits yet?
No one's that stupid.
Care to comment on Lance Armstrong?
Which thread would that be? The same thread for stupid seppo (cheers 8ball) paedophiles?
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Maybe this one from today.
http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/thailan...ld-rapist.html (Police Catch British Accused Child Rapist)
We could all sit outside on banana lounges discussing the best way to rebuild a 4WD transmission and agree, through shared stories of conquests supporting our assertions, that there is no basis to the proposition that those least assured of their persuasions are the first to condemn others for theirs.
Yep, spot on. Methinks Brits aren't capable of commenting on an American bicyclist, might as well stick to defending their pedophile countrymen.
Well, you're confident, I will give you that...
Nah, I'm over him.Care to comment on Lance Armstrong?
I don't really care much about cycling anyways...
We have Bradley Wiggins now.
He's British, and I expect he has a bell on his bicycle to warn people when he's coming.
Not that I particularly need to know when .....
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