Lance Armstrong’s Anti-doping Program To Be Made Public During Comeback
by Emmanuel Pionnier
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Sept 25, 2008 (AFP) - American Lance Armstrong, making a return to professional cycling three years after winning his seventh Tour de France, said on Thursday his doping test results would be open to the public.
The Texan, who won the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005, was speaking during a press conference at a cycling exhibition in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile fellow American Greg Lemond, who won the Tour de France in 1986,
1989 and 1990, said Armstrong’s return was not good for the sport.
“His return is not good news,” Lemond told Bicycle.net in Las Vegas. “It’s like a nightmare, that we have lived through all these years, returning.”
Armstrong said he would be working with Don Catlin, the founder of the new Anti-Doping Research Institute in Los Angeles, in an attempt to be completely open about his tests.
He retired from professional racing the night he won his last Tour de France, but announced his return to the international cycling scene on September 9 this year.
While Armstrong was answering questions at the press conference, Lemond was almost stealing the show as he attempted to ask questions. However Lemond was continually cut off and talked over by Armstrong when he tried to speak.
Lemond also twice asked a question to Catlin, who was sitting next to Armstrong, but received no reply.
On Wednesday, Armstrong confirmed he would be returning to the sport, aged 37, saying he would be riding for the Astana team, run by his old sporting director Johan Bruyneel.
Armstrong, in an attempt to lessen doubts that his seven Tour victories were won without doping, said: “I want to have a level of transparency and I don’t want to leave any hint of doubt. I will do what I am asked to do. It is his (Catlin’s) work. He will do whatever he wants (concerning testing).
Catlin himself said: “Everything will be made public and everyone will be able to see the evolution of the results and see if there have been changes.
“What will happen? His samples will also be frozen for analysis in several years time if need be.”
Armstrong has been accused of doping practices on several occasions, most notably in an article in French sports newspaper L’Equipe in 2005, claiming six urine samples from his 1999 Tour victory contained blood-boosting drug EPO.
The rider himself has always denied doping and the sport’s world governing body, the UCI, cleared him in 2006.
On his racing schedule, Armstrong had said earlier: “I said (on Wednesday) I was going to participate in the Tour Down Under (in Australia at the end of
January) and the Tour de France (in July). I can now add that after the race in Australia, I’ll get back into training and then race in the Tour of California.”
Armstrong, who was treated for testicular cancer in 1996, has continually claimed his comeback, which will be for at least one year, was to raise awareness of cancer through his “Livestrong” cancer prevention campaign.
“I have no contract, no wages and no bonuses,” Armtrong said. “Everything is being done as a type of donation. It will be for at least a year but it could be longer. It depends on how the campaign (cancer awareness) goes.”
Armstrong, who rode in a cyclo-cross event on Wednesday night, said his reasons to make his comeback with Astana was because of loyalty to Bruyneel, who helped him to his seven Tour wins.
“To have my own team (Livestrong) would have been too complicated,”
Armstrong added. “And I wanted to be loyal to Johan (Bruyneel). I would only have made a comeback with him.”
Categories: InterBike, News
Tags:
The article does not specify why Lamond thinks Armstrong’s return is bad for the sport. It does seem to imply that it is bad because people suspect Lance of doping. But that seems to be a problem for all riders, not just Lance. It has only gotten worse since Armstrong left. Say what you want about him, he knows how to pass the test.