Lance Armstrong stripped of Tour de France titles and banned.

[Tiberius]

[5thHorseman]

[Tiberius]

[5thHorseman]

these charges only came up this year.

the rumours have been about for years, mostly coming from former team mates.

a lot of people within cycling reckon it's the teams getting the doctors to drug the cyclists without their knowledge.

[Tiberius]

Regardless, he's surely innocent until proven guilty?

[5thHorseman]

I agree 100%, but his behaviour is suspicious and he was told this would happen if he didnt fight the charges. he isn't fighting the charges, so it happened.

Mr Armstrong had until midnight on Thursday, August 23, to contest the evidence against him in a full evidentiary hearing with neutral arbitrators as provided by US law. However, when given the opportunity to challenge the evidence against him, and with full knowledge of the consequences, Mr Armstrong chose not to contest the fact that he engaged in doping violations from at least August 1, 1998, and participated in a conspiracy to cover up his actions.

evidence against him, then he pulls out. i don't get it.

He says there is no evidence, so why pull out? surely if there is no evidence it would be open shut.

I'm gutted.

[Napoléon]

Well I was watching BBC earlier and they made it sound as though he isn't contesting the charges because the evidence against him is so strong. Like 5th says, very suspicious that he wouldn't challenge it, if you were truly innocent you'd fight it all the way, especially if it's your whole fucking life's work on the line.

They also said a lot of his team mates and fellow cyclists would potentially testify against him.

So to me it sounds like he doesn't stand a chance and has been found out as a drugs cheat.

Very strange indeed.

[Tiberius]

All I've heard is that the "evidence" is witness testimony. Armstrong claims that the witnesses were coerced into testifying by corrupt officials. It may sound like a long shot or a conspiracy, but the real question should be, how has he passed every single drug test if he'd been doping? Physical evidence > witness testimony almost every single time, and all the physical evidence seems to support Armstrong.

[5thHorseman]

Just spoke to my father in law(big cycling fan), he heard on the radio that apparently 10 ex teammates were willing to testify against him.

Most likely passed by using masking agents, they're getting on top of that now, Frank Schleck got banned from this years TDF because he tested positive for a masking agent.

[Napoléon]

So why the hell doesn't he fight it then Tibs?

Him saying he's 'tired of it' is pretty fucking lame let's be honest. I'd fight in every court in the land to prove my innocence if my whole career, character and reputation were on the line. Hell this will ruin his reputation for all of time, I wouldn't stop fighting, just because it's getting tiresome.

Smacks of him being guilty in all fairness.