Another round of dramatic headlines over doping allegations against Lance Armstrong , this time occasioned by the US anti-doping agency, USADA, sendinga 15-page letter to Armstrong, and others, charging extensive useof indeed, a conspiracy over performance-enhancing drugs. The Washington Post appears to have obtained a copy of the letter , the rest of the media is following its lead. USADA is a part federally funded agency overseeing anti-doping inthe US Olympic movement, but it has the power to suspend athletesfrom competition (as it has already now with Armstrong, 40, whowill be barred from his present schedule of triathlon appearances),to bring charges (though not criminal charges) in a hearing.Depending on the outcome, it may strip an athlete of his or hertitles. So, what is at stake, potentially, is the full set ofArmstrong's seven consecutive Tour de France victories (1999-2005). The USADA letter accuses Armstrong of participating in an organiseddoping program, administered, it is alleged, with the aid orknowledge of Armstrong's long-time team manager Johan Bruyneel andItalian trainer Dr Michele Ferrari.
The banned drugs listed by USADA includes practically everything in the dope cheat's cabinet bar aspirin: "[T]he blood booster EPO, blood transfusions, testosterone, humangrowth hormone, corticosteroids, and saline and plasma infusions toboost his performance or mask his use of banned substances." I am not an expert in the long and tortured history of these allegations , but it looks to me as though most of this stuff relies onstatements made by former teammates such as Floyd Landis and TylerHamilton, or may be based on testimony given to the grand juryinvestigation (which finally closed without resulting in anyprosecution of Armstrong). In other words, we knew this already and whom we chose to believe was a matter of conscience. The new element appears to be that USADA has samples taken fromArmstrong during his Tour de France comeback appearances in 2009and 2010, which it claims are "fully consistent with bloodma nipu la tion including EPO use and/or bloodtransfusions". Not needless to say, Lance Armstrong denies all allegations and charges. His statement makes the point about the justice department's dropped case and characteristicallyflames USADA with a flourish: These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that theJustice Department chose not to pursue after a two-yearinvestigation.
These charges are baseless, motivated by spite andadvanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises ofanonymity and immunity. Although USADA alleges a wide-rangingconspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athleteit has chosen to charge. USADA's malice, its methods, itsstar-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first andadjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness andfair play. But about those 2009, 2010 samples, nothing specific beyond hispro forma denial. So, how significant is USADA's move? Do the newcharges mean Armstrong's Tour titles really are at risk? My best guess right now: don't bet on it.
First, the technology fordetecting blood-doping is constantly evolving, but it seems strangethat USADA has only now discovered that its samples suggestevidence of cheating. Second, samples "fully consistent with" seemto leave a fair bit of wiggle-room for scientific argument; itdoesn't immediately appear to offer the kind of stone-cold proof ofdoping one would assume would be required to rip down those sevenframed yellow jerseys from Armstrong's rec room wall. And finally, when did we ever see Armstrong roll over and cop aplea? He has already given notice that he'll fight this round ofaccusations, just as he's seen off every one before. The odd thingis that with each succeeding battle against assorted dopingagencies, federal investigators, judicial authorities, and formerteammates who've "turned" and talked to the media, his stock retortof "vendetta" actually starts to sound less hollow. There is almost the weird effect of his gainingcredibility, the longer this all goes on.
Like many others, I felt I knew all I needed to about LanceArmstrong long ago. Perhaps it's time to let him keep his Tourtitles, and move along. I want clean, dope-free cycle sport now.Scrubbing obsessively at supposed stains of the past is doingnothing for that.
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