From AFP:
Lance Armstrong, seeking a record sixth consecutive Tour de France in July, has vowed to take legal action over a new book about him which alleges he used banned drugs.
Tailwind Sports, owner and operator of Armstrong's US Postal Service Cycling team, said Armstrong, 33, will begin libel proceedings against the authors and publishers of "L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong."
"Lance Armstrong utterly denies ever having taken any performance-enhancing drugs," a statement said. "Accordingly, Lance Armstrong has instructed his lawyers to immediately institute libel proceedings."
The book focuses on statements attributed to Emma O'Reilly, a soigneur who worked with Armstrong from 1998-2000. O'Reilly claims Armstrong used the banned blood booster EPO.
O'Reilly also alleges that Armstrong asked her to dispose of bags with syringes after the 1998 Tour of Holland and that in May 1999, as Armstrong trained in the Pyrenees, O'Reilly said she was asked to drive to Spain to pick up drugs which she handed to Armstrong in a parking lot.
O'Reilly claims in the book Armstrong asked her to use makeup to cover up syringe marks on his arm at a Tour de France medical checkup in 1999.
Armstrong, a Texan, has neither tested positive for banned substances nor faced any bans over doping.
O'Reilly, 33, left the US Postal team in 2000 on apparently good terms, with ex-Postal coach Mark Gorski praising her.
Another account from the International Herald Tribune:
Among O'Reilly's charges are these:
In June 1999, during the Dauphine Libéré race, Armstrong told her that his hematocrit level - the relation of oxygen-bearing red corpuscles to white in his blood - was 41 percent, or nine below the legal maximum.
"Everybody in cycling knows you can't win with a level as low as 41 percent," she is quoted as having said. "What are you going to do?"
"He looked at me and said, 'Emma, you know what I'm going to do; I'm going to do what the others do.'" She added: "I knew exactly what he was going to do."
In July 1999, before the perfunctory medical examination that precedes each Tour de France, Armstrong asked her for makeup to cover bruises on his arm caused by injections. The authors say that the many legal injections of vitamins, iron and recuperative agents that riders receive are always administered in the buttocks; the upper arms, they contend, are better suited for such illegal substances as EPO, human growth hormone and steroids.
In May 1998, after the Tour of the Netherlands, Armstrong gave her a bag of empty syringe needles to dispose of.
In May 1999, during a training camp in the Pyrenees, she was sent to the team's headquarters in Spain, where Johan Bruyneel, the Postal Service team's director, gave her a container of about 24 pills that she delivered to Armstrong two days later in a parking lot in Nice, where he then lived.
In July 1999, during the Tour de France that he was easily leading, Armstrong had a positive finding for steroid use. "I already knew about the steroid because Lance had told me," she is quoted as having said.
"He said he had used a steroid before or during the Route du Sud the month before, and he thought it would be O.K. for the Tour. He thought the drug would be completely eliminated from his body."
To resolve the looming scandal, she continues, Armstrong and two officials of his team decided to attribute the steroid to a cream used to treat saddle sores. Since Armstrong had not listed such a cream or treatment on his obligatory medical form, the team's doctor, according to this account, filled out a predated prescription.
At a news conference during the Tour, Armstrong explained the appearance of the steroid as a result of his treatment for a saddle sore.
The storm passed. Afterward, O'Reilly is quoted as having said, Armstrong told her, "Now, Emma, you know enough to destroy me."
The extract in L'Express gives no indication why O'Reilly, who left the team a few years ago to get married, would speak now, especially since she starts her account with an anecdote about Armstrong's generosity and kindness toward her.
As she did in interviews at the time, she also cites the warm friendship between them.
She is not the only witness cited in the extract. Also mentioned are Stephen Swart, a former rider from New Zealand, who alleges that Armstrong paid him $50,000 to allow the Texan to win a series of races in 1993 in the United States with an overall prize of $1 million.
Kathy LeMond, the wife of the American rider who won the Tour de France three times, is also quoted at length about threats that Armstrong allegedly made to him because he had spread doubts about Armstrong's victories in the Tour.
Johnny Nelson interview
More on the LeMond/Armstrong situation, including some pretty damning comments:
Greg LeMond, the original American Tour de France strongman, lambasted Lance Armstrong Thursday, voicing a point-blank synopsis of his sport: Cycling is doped and so is Lance Armstrong.
In an interview with French daily Le Monde, LeMond -- winner of the Tour de France in 1986, 1989 and 1990 -- elaborated on the brouhaha escalating between himself and Armstrong and made scathingly public in the recently published book "L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong," which details Armstrong's alleged ties to performance-enhancing drug use.
"Lance was violent and very accusatory," LeMond said, rehashing a July, 2001 phone conversation with Armstrong in which the five-time Tour winner took issue with statements made by LeMond to David Walsh, a sports columnist at London's Sunday Times and co-author of "L.A. Confidential."
The Sunday Times quoted LeMond as lamenting Armstrong's well documented association with Dr. Michele Ferrari, an Italian who is recognised as the chemical architect behind some of cycling's more dubious teams.
"EPO is no more dangerous than orange juice," Ferrari once told French sports daily L'Equipe.
"Lance thought I was trying to attack him, but I simply wanted to convince him to cut his ties with Ferrari," LeMond said in Le Monde.
"Lance insinuated that I couldn't have won the Tour without EPO," LeMond continued.
"That's impossible because EPO wasn't even around at the time," LeMond said, nonetheless pegging the drug's exact entry into the pro peloton.
"In 1990 I won the Tour and my team [Z] won the top-team classification. One year later, not one of us could follow the pace in the pack. There had been a radical change."
"I'm happy I'm no longer racing because, today, riders don't have much of a choice... There's always been a doping problem in our sport, but in the last 10 years, the products have become so powerful that they can literally change the physiology of an athlete."
"You can transform a mule into a thoroughbred."
Armstrong's rebuttal, of course, is -- and has always been -- that he has never tested positive.
"Everybody says that," retorted LeMond in the pages of Le Monde.
"[World time-trial champion] David Millar also never tested positive, but now he's admitted using EPO... Lance is ready to do anything to keep his secret. But I don't know how long he's going to be able to continue convincing people that he's innocent."
Greg LeMond, the original American Tour de France strongman, lambasted Lance Armstrong Thursday, voicing a point-blank synopsis of his sport: Cycling is doped and so is Lance Armstrong.
In an interview with French daily Le Monde, LeMond -- winner of the Tour de France in 1986, 1989 and 1990 -- elaborated on the brouhaha escalating between himself and Armstrong and made scathingly public in the recently published book "L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong," which details Armstrong's alleged ties to performance-enhancing drug use.
"Lance was violent and very accusatory," LeMond said, rehashing a July, 2001 phone conversation with Armstrong in which the five-time Tour winner took issue with statements made by LeMond to David Walsh, a sports columnist at London's Sunday Times and co-author of "L.A. Confidential."
The Sunday Times quoted LeMond as lamenting Armstrong's well documented association with Dr. Michele Ferrari, an Italian who is recognised as the chemical architect behind some of cycling's more dubious teams.
"EPO is no more dangerous than orange juice," Ferrari once told French sports daily L'Equipe.
"Lance thought I was trying to attack him, but I simply wanted to convince him to cut his ties with Ferrari," LeMond said in Le Monde.
"Lance insinuated that I couldn't have won the Tour without EPO," LeMond continued.
"That's impossible because EPO wasn't even around at the time," LeMond said, nonetheless pegging the drug's exact entry into the pro peloton.
"In 1990 I won the Tour and my team [Z] won the top-team classification. One year later, not one of us could follow the pace in the pack. There had been a radical change."
"I'm happy I'm no longer racing because, today, riders don't have much of a choice... There's always been a doping problem in our sport, but in the last 10 years, the products have become so powerful that they can literally change the physiology of an athlete."
"You can transform a mule into a thoroughbred."
Armstrong's rebuttal, of course, is -- and has always been -- that he has never tested positive.
"Everybody says that," retorted LeMond in the pages of Le Monde.
"[World time-trial champion] David Millar also never tested positive, but now he's admitted using EPO... Lance is ready to do anything to keep his secret. But I don't know how long he's going to be able to continue convincing people that he's innocent."
-
jamesmcdonnell
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 45229
- Joined: 12 Nov 2003, 06:11
Be interesting to see if threatening translates into actual action - the Beckhams threatened legal action over Rebecca Loos etc but of course nothing happened in reality as 'Goldenballs' didn't have a leg to stand on (legally at least). I wouldn't be surprised to see the same here - Armstrong makes all the right noises, but then sails to another victory and in the ensuing celebrations, the controvery is smothered over and forgotten.Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:Well, someone is obviously lying. I just hope it isn't Lance. If he is taking them to court, hopefully all will out one way or another.
And if he is threatening libel, it's because this time it's so close to home.
I understand wanting to back a legend, but as (hopefully) an objective observer, the allegations appear to be too detailed to be lies, particularly as the individual concerned lacks a motive.
The criticism from another racing legend in the form of Lemonde is also pretty damning...
Both of them may have a motive to have a pop - unless you can tell me different.
There are always jealous, self-deluded people out there who resent being put in the shadows of others.
I don't know anything about this soigneur but if you remember, a woman recently made very detailed and specific allegations about being sexually assaulted by the Hamiltons. Time, place, activities, the lot. A total fantasist. Poor example but it's the only one that comes to mind at present!
As for Le Mond...he is a Tour legend in his own right. But he was always a dummy-spitting, toy out of the pram throwing type and since he has been eclipsed by Lance in every way, his canker has grown with each Tour victory.
There are always jealous, self-deluded people out there who resent being put in the shadows of others.
I don't know anything about this soigneur but if you remember, a woman recently made very detailed and specific allegations about being sexually assaulted by the Hamiltons. Time, place, activities, the lot. A total fantasist. Poor example but it's the only one that comes to mind at present!
As for Le Mond...he is a Tour legend in his own right. But he was always a dummy-spitting, toy out of the pram throwing type and since he has been eclipsed by Lance in every way, his canker has grown with each Tour victory.
-
jamesmcdonnell
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 45229
- Joined: 12 Nov 2003, 06:11
-
Chris the fighter
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 121
- Joined: 11 Jun 2004, 11:18
What a good thread about drugs in sport. Sadly a fact in life in most sports
as is gamesmanship and cheating. I think that boxing has a better record
then most in that regard. My Fave sports apart from boxing are Athletics
and Swimming I'm really looking forward to the Olympic Games hopefully
clean. I try to have an attitude that what I'm watching is clean call that navie if you want. There are always people you will cheat its human
nature i'm afraid in everything but if they don't fail any tests I try to
convince myself its clean. I think the probelm is not as bad as in the 70's or 80's particulary with the women they look more like women then the
half men in the photos. Anyway I'm looking forwar to watching Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps in the swimming and Carolina Kluft in Athlectics oh and the Cubans in boxing too of course.
as is gamesmanship and cheating. I think that boxing has a better record
then most in that regard. My Fave sports apart from boxing are Athletics
and Swimming I'm really looking forward to the Olympic Games hopefully
clean. I try to have an attitude that what I'm watching is clean call that navie if you want. There are always people you will cheat its human
nature i'm afraid in everything but if they don't fail any tests I try to
convince myself its clean. I think the probelm is not as bad as in the 70's or 80's particulary with the women they look more like women then the
half men in the photos. Anyway I'm looking forwar to watching Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps in the swimming and Carolina Kluft in Athlectics oh and the Cubans in boxing too of course.
Jones only qualified at long jump because of no other jumpers reaching the qualifying mark. Her boyfriend Tim Montgomery also failed to qualify in the 100. Finished 7th being clocked at I believe 10.16. Yeah and he has the nerve to say he wasnt juicing. Its a joke.jamesmcdonnell wrote:Shit, Jones didn't qualify? Probably cos she had to clean up. I always thought she looked like she juiced.
Both customers of Balco.Floyd wrote:Jones only qualified at long jump because of no other jumpers reaching the qualifying mark. Her boyfriend Tim Montgomery also failed to qualify in the 100. Finished 7th being clocked at I believe 10.16. Yeah and he has the nerve to say he wasnt juicing. Its a joke.jamesmcdonnell wrote:Shit, Jones didn't qualify? Probably cos she had to clean up. I always thought she looked like she juiced.