May and June used to be the months Lance Armstrong reserved for putting the finishing touches on his form for the Tour de France, a race he dominated from 1999 through 2005. But over the past two years, they have become months in which he has been forced to defend himself against allegations that threaten to damage his Tour record and his legacy as a racer and cancer activist.
Armstrong’s Tour de France career ended last summer with more of a whimper than a bang. A man known during his seven victories for his surprising ability to avoid crashes, illness, and the usually inescapable "bad day," Armstrong’s luck appeared to have run out.
His mediocre finale came after Floyd Landis’s allegations of Armstrong’s systematic drug on the US Postal Service team, which in turn led to the opening of a federal investigation led by Jeff Novitzky, the man known for trying to bring Barry Bonds and BALCO to justice. All in all, it’s safe to say that winning an eighth Tour de France was not the only thing on Armstrong’s mind last July.
In 2011, May and June have once again proven to be cruel months for Armstrong, who officially retired from the sport after competing in Australia’s Tour Down Under this past January. The first big blow came when Tyler Hamilton, one of Armstrong’s former teammates, appeared on “60 Minutes” and made several allegations that mirrored those made by Landis last May. First among his claims: Hamilton said he witnessed Armstrong taking EPO during the 1999 Tour de France and also while preparing for the Tour in 2000 and 2001.
But Hamilton’s most damaging allegation concerned a drug test that Armstrong supposedly failed during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland. According to Hamilton, Armstrong told him of the positive and that a deal was made to essentially make the test disappear. If indeed found to be true, this shocking revelation could affect much more than Armstrong and his legacy. The UCI and then president Hein Verbruggen—not to mention the lab responsible for the tests—could also become the figures in a conspiracy that some believe could bring the sport to its knees.
To make matters worse, “60 Minutes” also reported that BMC Racing Team’s George Hincapie had testified before a federal grand jury that he and Armstrong supplied EPO to each other and discussed using other banned substances to prepare for races. Of all the men to have ridden with Armstrong, Hincapie is viewed by investigators and fans as the most loyal. He is also the only one to have raced on all seven of Lance’s Tour-winning squads. If the “60 Minutes” report proves true, Hincapie’s testimony could be the final nail in Armstrong’s coffin.
As if things weren’t tense enough, in June Armstrong and Hamilton bumped into each other at an Aspen restaurant soon after the airing of the “60 Minutes” broadcast. While eyewitness accounts claim nothing happened, Hamilton says Armstrong stopped him on his way to the bathroom, threatening to “make his life a living hell on the witness stand” should the case ever get to trial. Hamilton’s attorney responded by contacting federal grand jury and now the FBI is investigating whether Armstrong’s actions constitute witness tampering. Such intimidation might have worked for Armstrong while racing his bike, but in a court of justice, they serve to strengthen the case against him—one that gains momentum with each new revelation.
Source: http://www.bicycling.com/news/pro-cycling/lance-armstrong-one-year-later
Davida V. Munson Mack N. Rayner Agnes J. George James E. Curtis Thomas C. Johnson Raul J. Walker
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