The First Shoe Just Dropped

[Double Clutch]

Michelle Ferrari, Pepe Marti and Luis Garcia del Moral receive lifetime bans

This is an interesting development. Maybe they didn't have any reason to be involved in sport at this point, so they decided to save themselves the trouble/expense of challenging. On the other hand, Ferrari hasn't let his Italian ban slow him down. This might be away of avoiding the expense of a challenge, while continuing as though nothing has happened.

[jitahs]

Michelle Ferrari, Pepe Marti and Luis Garcia del Moral receive lifetime bans



This is an interesting development. Maybe they didn't have any reason to be involved in sport at this point, so they decided to save themselves the trouble/expense of challenging. On the other hand, Ferrari hasn't let his Italian ban slow him down. This might be away of avoiding the expense of a challenge, while continuing as though nothing has happened.

Making a ruling based on the non-contestation of the charges facing them, the US Anti-Doping Agency has applied a lifetime ban on the controversial doctor Michelle Ferrari, blocking him from ‘participating in any activity or competition organized by any signatory to the [WADA] Code or any member of any signatory.’

Read more: Michelle Ferrari, Pepe Marti and Luis Garcia del Moral receive lifetime bans

This is entirely ceremonial. Ferrari doesn't "participate" in anything other than existing in Tenerife, where the pros come to him. At a main hotel they drop his name to get a 10% discount, so says the internet.

[j44ke]

So, the ten cyclists not named? Guesses?
Floyd
Tyler
George
CVV
Vaughters
DZ
Frankie
Mrs Frankie
?
?

Bob Roll

[Chance Legstrong]

Bob Roll

training camp enabler

[chasea]

What year did they biological passport start up? Before it, would doping have been a year round, even in the off season thing? Would be interesting, given the implications of a UCI cover up, to see where Tex stood on the UCI's scale-of-1-to- 10 susspicion list.

[e-RICHIE]

Barzini is dead. So is Phillip Tattaglia. Moe Greene. Stracci. Cuneo. Ferrari. Marti. del Moral. Today I settled all family business so don't tell me that you're innocent atmo.

[Honus]

That athletes and actors are generally poor choices for heros and role models and they should look elsewhere for heros.

As Dean Kamen said "We are what we celebrate."

[King Of Dirk]

“If your kid needs a role model and you ain't it, you're both fucked.”
― George Carlin, Brain Droppings

[BBB]

The best threat is the death penalty. You dope once and you are gone for the rest of your life. It isn't like cycling is going to run out of riders. But like I said, cycling is entertainment, so a death penalty would only work as long as you weren't kicking a star like Cadel Evans out of the sport. The television sets would go out all across Australia if something like that happened. So the yin and yang of drugs testing vs. entertainment almost assures that cheaters will prosper or at least linger long enough that others will decide the rules are fungible if not beatable. I mean, look at David Millar. He's a doper. But he's also popular. Popular enough that the British Olympic team changed its "get tough" rules on doping to allow him to compete. Yay. Oh well.

The British Olympic team had its get tough rules changed for it by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and not because David Millar was popular.

[j44ke]

The British Olympic team had its get tough rules changed for it by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and not because David Millar was popular.

Well, then that's a bad example, but my point still stands. Thanks for the correction.

[BBB]

I'm loving the Godfather references...

Armstrong spending time in Sicily to escape the heat following the death of a team mate...picks up with a girl who doesn't look like his Mum...before the anti-doping Police blow her up...has a clandestine conversation with the heads in Italy ("all will be forgiven if you come back and ride the Giro")...

[Frankwurst]

As Dean Kamen said "We are what we celebrate."

That makes me a comfortable chair on my dock with a cocktail not the least bit concerned about to much of anything. Dean Kamen knows his shit.

[blasdelf]

[mainemike]

more stuff
Lance Armstrong: Victim? | Outside Celebrities | OutsideOnline.com

[72gmc]

inrng : uci president mistaken over usada case

[GJsquare]

Its amazing that lance still finds people to come out and write sh!t in his defense (i.e. Outside mag article). If they in fact have 10 former teammates that came forward, no amount of shadow boxing gets him out of it. Not even Pat McQuaid forgetting the rules now. Its a club, you broke the rules, you are out. That's it. Case closed.

[christian]

more stuff
Lance Armstrong: Victim? | Outside Celebrities | OutsideOnline.com

I think this is a great and interesting article, but I think it glosses over the fact that to race a bicycle, you need a UCI license, for which you pay. And when you pay for that license, you agree to the UCI rules, which includes anti-doping jurisdiction by WADA. I think it's hard to argue failure to follow due process when you yourself have agreed to the rules.

[Mike Marley]

more stuff
Lance Armstrong: Victim? | Outside Celebrities | OutsideOnline.com

"But imagine that this isn’t about Armstrong, or even about athletes."
no thanks

[echelon_john]

This just in. If true, I suspect it indicates the USADA is pretty damn sure they have damning evidence.

Armstrong attorney: Lance gets 30-day extension on whether to pursue arbitration with USADA - The Washington Post

[GrantM]

This just in. If true, I suspect it indicates the USADA is pretty damn sure they have damning evidence.

Armstrong attorney: Lance gets 30-day extension on whether to pursue arbitration with USADA - The Washington Post

Just once, i'd like to read in a mainstream news story, right beside where they repeat that
Lance "has never failed a drug test" that there is no test for autologous blood transfusions
of which he is being accused.

-g