BREAKING: Lance Armstrong: Enough is enough, won't fight doping charges(stripped of medals)

[R4 TrumPence]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/story/2012-08-23/Armstrong-doping-charges/57258616/1

Declaring "enough is enough," Lance Armstrong says he will not fight charges brought by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, a surprising decision that sets the stage for the cyclist to be stripped of the Tour de France titles that turned him into an American hero.

Armstrong, 40, said his decision did not mean he would accept USADA's sanctions. His lawyers threatened a lawsuit if USADA proceeded with punishing Armstrong, arguing that the agency must first resolve myriad disagreements with the International Cycling Union over whether a case against Armstrong should be pursued against based on the evidence.
In walking away, Armstrong cited a familiar defense, noting he had never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and saying his decision is not an admission of guilt, but a choice to devote his time to his family and his Livestrong foundation for cancer survivors. Armstrong overcame advanced cancer just a few years before his string of Tour de France victories.
MORE: Full statement from Lance Armstrong
PHOTOS: Armstrong in pictures
COLUMN: Brennan: Lance now a cheater
"I know who won those seven Tours," Armstrong said in a statement. "The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially (USADA CEO) Travis Tygart."
Armstrong said he will "commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities."
Armstrong's choice still may forever taint his legacy in sports. USADA, which says it has "overwhelming evidence" that Armstrong doped based on lab results and eyewitness accounts, is expected to ban Armstrong from competition for life and strip him of his cycling titles. The agency's statute of limitations is eight years, though in its letter to Armstrong it said it can disqualify competitors from earlier events if they are found to have made false statements at the time.
On Monday, a federal judge dismissed Armstrong's case against USADA and said the agency can rightfully claim jurisdiction over the cyclist's case. Judge Sam Sparks also rejected Armstrong's claim that the arbitration process was biased, ruling that the cyclist must seek victory there before asking a court to intervene, as Armstrong agreed to do in applying for cycling licenses. Sparks did raise several issues of fairness in USADA's "vague" charging letter, but said those issues could be argued as part of the arbitration.
MORE: Lance Armstrong time line
MORE: Letter from Armstrong's lawyer
Armstrong declined, saying, "I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair" and said USADA has "zero physical evidence" to support its "outlandish and heinous claims."
Instead, Armstrong attorney Tim Herman fired a letter off to USADA Thursday that suggested Armstrong would sue if USADA moves to sanction him. "You are on notice that if USADA makes any public statement claiming, without jurisdiction, to sanction Mr. Armstrong, or to falsely characterize Mr. Armstrong's reasons for not requesting an arbitration as anything other than a recognition of UCI jurisdiction and authority, USADA and anyone involved in the making of the statement will be liable," Herman wrote.
Herman told USADA it could submit its case against Armstrong to UCI or the international Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Switzerland.
By declining to go to arbitration, Armstrong and his legal team sent the message that he no longer wants to participate in a fight he doesn't consider fair. After years of rumors and accusations of cheating, many people already had made up their mind about him - a point that wasn't lost on Armstrong.
His charity has enjoyed strong support despite the doping allegations, though Armstrong's popularity has slipped, according to Q Scores, which measures the likeability of celebrities.
Sanctions against Armstrong could mark the end of a long sporting saga that once captivated the world. A native of Austin, Texas, Armstrong successful fight against cancer and remarkable career inspired millions of other survivors and gave rise to Livestrong and its iconic yellow bracelets.
Armstrong previously was subject of a federal investigation into whether he committed fraud while on the USPS team, not whether he doped. That investigation was stopped earlier this year with no charges filed. USADA then brought its own non-criminal case against Armstrong, citing its authority to protect the integrity of sports as authorized by Congress.
Armstrong described it as "Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt."
USADA has consistently said its mission is to keep sports clean and that Armstrong was being handled like any other accused athlete. The agency said Armstrong should be held to the same rules as everybody else and should not have "a new set of rules that apply only to him."
In its letter of charges dated June 12, USADA accused Armstrong of being part of a sophisticated doping conspiracy involving five other members from his U.S. Postal Service cycling team, including doctors, a trainer and coach.
Two declined to fight, leading to swift lifetime bans from USADA. The other three decided to fight the charges in arbitration.

[R4 TrumPence]

AP Exclusive Lance Armstrong decides not to fight USADA charges, puts 7 Tour wins at risk

USTIN, Texas — Lance Armstrong said Thursday night he is finished fighting a barrage of drug charges from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, putting his unprecedented string of seven Tour de France titles at risk along with his legacy as one of the greatest cyclists in history.

The decision sets up a likely lifetime ban from the sport and the possibility that Armstrong will be stripped of his signature achievement — the extraordinary run of Tour titles he won from 1999-2005.

Armstrong, who retired last year, declined to enter arbitration — his last option — because he said he was weary of fighting accusations that have dogged him for years. He has consistently pointed to the hundreds of drug tests that he has passed as proof of his innocence.

“There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, “Enough is enough.” For me, that time is now,” Armstrong said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. He called the USADA investigation an “unconstitutional witch hunt.”

“I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999,” he said. “The toll this has taken on my family and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today - finished with this nonsense.”

USADA will almost certainly treat Armstrong’s decision as an admission of guilt, and hang the label of drug cheat on an athlete who was a hero to thousands for overcoming life-threatening testicular cancer and for his foundation’s support for cancer research.

The agency can impose a lifetime ban and recommend Armstrong be stripped of his titles. That would put the question in the hands of the International Cycling Union, which has disputed USADA’s authority to pursue the investigation and Tour de France officials, who have had a prickly relationship with Armstrong over the years.

Armstrong insisted his decision is not an admission of drug use, but a refusal to enter an arbitration process he believes is improper and unfair to athletes facing charges.

“USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles,” he said. “I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours.”

USADA maintains that Armstrong has used banned substances as far back as 1996, including the blood-booster EPO and steroids as well as blood transfusions — all to boost his performance.

The 40-year-old Armstrong walked away from the sport in 2011 without being charged following a two-year federal criminal investigation into many of the same accusations he faces from USADA. The federal probe was closed in February, but USADA announced in June it had evidence Armstrong used banned substances and methods — and encouraged their use by teammates. The agency also said it had blood tests from 2009 and 2010 that were “fully consistent” with blood doping.

Included in USADA’s evidence were emails written by Armstrong’s former U.S. Postal Service teammate Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title after a positive drug test. Landis’ emails to a USA Cycling official detailed allegations of a complex doping program on the team.

[evadR]

Sarah Palin took the same road when faced with never ending baseless charges.

Enough IS enough.

[mystery-ak]

...but it looks like he is admitting it......

[mystery-ak]

http://blog.livestrong.org/2012/08/23/statements-by-lance-armstrong-foundation-vice-chairman-jeffery-c-garvey-and-leaders-in-the-cancer-community/


Statements by Lance Armstrong, Foundation Vice Chairman Jeffery C. Garvey and Leaders in the Cancer Community
Aug 23, 2012 by Jeff Garvey, Vice Chairman and Founding Chair

Today, Lance Armstrong issued the following statement regarding his decision not to seek arbitration in USADA’s proceeding against him:

“Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I’m looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission.”

Vice Chairman and Founding Chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation Jeffery C. Garvey issued the following statement in support of Armstrong’s decision:

“Faced with a biased process whose outcome seems predetermined, Lance chose to put his family and his foundation first and we support his decision.

“Lance’s legacy in the cancer community is unparalleled. Lance could have left cancer behind him and never looked back. Instead, before ever winning the Tour de France, he established a foundation that today has served 2.5 million cancer survivors with its free patient navigation services. With his leadership, Texas created the largest fund for cancer research and prevention outside of the federal realm with Proposition 15 in 2007. Lance has personally contributed nearly $6.5 million to propel his foundation’s services to cancer survivors and their families. He served his nation for six years on the President’s Cancer Panel. With his help, the foundation has raised close to $500 million to further the fight against cancer and serve those affected by the disease. Lance’s devotion to cancer survivors shines through in the countless phone calls, emails and visits he makes throughout the year, something the rest of the world never hears about. Lance has unfailingly stood by the cancer community and we will always stand by him.

“The leadership of the Lance Armstrong Foundation remain incredibly proud of our founder’s achievements, both on and off the bike. Lance’s contributions to the fight against cancer are invaluable and we look forward to continuing the important work at hand: helping people affected by cancer overcome the financial, emotional and practical challenges related to the disease.”

Garvey was joined in his support of Armstrong by leaders in the cancer community, including John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society and Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

“The American Cancer Society and the Lance Armstrong Foundation share a mission to reduce global suffering and death from cancer, which causes one in eight deaths worldwide and is rapidly becoming a global pandemic,” said Seffrin. “The American Cancer Society, along with so many others, has witnessed the Foundation’s powerful personal commitment to improving the quality of life of those with cancer, and fighting cancer globally. It is our hope that the Foundation will continue its important work. Reducing suffering and death from cancer is a moral imperative, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s contribution is sorely needed.”

“Lance Armstrong and LIVESTRONG have been invaluable leaders and partners in the fight against cancer and tobacco use,” said Myers. “They have helped focus global attention on these urgent public health challenges and mobilized millions of cancer survivors and their families to take action. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has worked closely with Lance Armstrong and LIVESTRONG in tobacco prevention campaigns across the country and the world. Those of us who have worked with Lance Armstrong, LIVESTRONG and its staff have been deeply impressed by their dedication to improving public health and serving those whose lives have been touched by cancer. We look forward to their continuing work to help cancer survivors and prevent cancer from happening in the first place.”

[Atomic Cow]

I'd love to know how he took all these drugs without ever failing a single test.  The French were constantly testing him since they couldn't stand the fact that an American kept winning their bike race.

This is nothing but taking out someone because they can without any proof other than the word of a someone who was actually busted for cheating.

[evadR]

N I F O N G 101

When they wanna gitcha, they gonna gitcha.

[R4 TrumPence]

N I F O N G 101

When they wanna gitcha, they gonna gitcha.

That's right!

[jmyrlefuller]

I just hope the ICU tells the USADA to go pound sand. They've clearly overstepped their bounds on this one.