Big stories buzzing about alleged evidence that Lance Armstrong was doping in 1999 (during 1st TdF victory). No judgments either way here, but waiting to see what unfolds.
Original story from French newspaper
Cycling News
Washington Post
AP
Reuters
Cycling World Divided
The complete text of Lance Armstrong's statement, which was posted on his official Web site late Monday:
"Yet
again, a European newspaper has reported that I have tested positive
for performance enhancing drugs. Tomorrow's L'Equipe, a French sports
daily, is reporting that my 1999 samples were positive. Unfortunately,
the witch hunt continues and tomorrow's article is nothing short of
tabloid journalism.
The paper even admits in its own
article that the science in question here is faulty and that I have no
way to defend myself. They state: "There will therefore be no
counter-exam nor regulatory prosecutions, in a strict sense, since
defendant's rights cannot be respected."
I will simply restate what I have said many times: I have never taken performance enhancing drugs."
UPDATE 8.24 Morning: "The
director of the Tour de France claims Lance Armstrong has "fooled" the
sports world and that the seven-time champion owes fans an explanation
over new allegations he used a performance-boosting drug."
UPDATE 8.24 Evening: Lance said today, "But to say that I've fooled the fans is
preposterous. I've been doing this a long time. We have not just one
year of only 'B' samples; we have seven years of 'A' and 'B' samples.
They've all been negative," he said during a conference call from
Washington, D.C."
UPDATE 8.25 at SportsIllustrated.com: "It doesn't surprise me at all that they have samples. Clearly they've
tested all of my samples since then to the highest degree. But when I
gave those samples," he said, referring to 1999, "there was not EPO in
those samples. I guarantee that."
UPDATE 8.25 at Sportsline.com: "There's a setup here and I'm stuck in the middle of it," Armstrong told the Associated Press. "I absolutely do not trust that laboratory."
UPDATE 8.26 from Larry King Live: "If you consider my situation: a
guy who comes back from arguably, you know, a death sentence, why would
I then enter into a sport and dope myself up and risk my life again?
That's crazy. I would never do that. No. No way."
UPDATE 8.26: "Lance Armstrong received strong backing Friday from
cycling's domestic governing body, which said accusations against the
seven-time Tour de France champion are "completely without credibility."
