Tour de France - Armstrong expecting Tour ban

Eurosport - Sat, 11 Apr 18:37:00 2009

Seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has said that he expects the French Anti-Doping Agency will prevent him from riding in this year's race.

CYCLING Lance Armstrong - 0

"There is a very high likelihood they will prohibit me from riding on the Tour," the 37-year-old American said on his website.

The AFLD had earlier said Armstrong could face disciplinary action because he "did not respect the obligation to stay under (the) direct and permanent observation" of a drugs tester who came to his southern France residence last month.

Armstrong said he went to shower while Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel was checking the tester's credentials with the International Cycling Union.

"He (the tester) was odd, he was alone. He seemed suspicious," said Armstrong.

The Texan, who fought testicular cancer before coming back in 1998, was asked to provide urine, blood and hair samples when returning from a training ride around Beaulieu-sur-Mer last month.

Any sanction imposed on Armstrong would be valid on French territory only.

"It's too bad. The Tour is something I love dearly, something I wanted to ride, to race in, to be competitive in, either go for a victory or help Albert (Contador) or Levi (Leipheimer) get a victory," he said.

"We shall see. The comeback has been important to me for two main reasons.

"Obviously I have a passion for cycling still, but more importantly I have a passion for the global fight against cancer.

"I wanted to tell that story in France but if we can't do that we can't do that it's their call, it's their country, their event, their rules so we have to play by those."

Armstrong has had a difficult relationship with Tour organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation, who said last year the 37-year-old's return to the race would be "embarrassing".

In 2005, the French sports daily L'Equipe, owned by ASO's parent company Editions Philippe Amaury, claimed samples of Armstrong's urine from the 1999 race showed traces of the banned blood-boosting substance erythropoietin.

However, Armstrong, who has never tested positive, was cleared by a Dutch investigator appointed by UCI.

AFLD president Pierre Bordry last year invited Armstrong to have his 1999 samples re-tested but the Texan declined, arguing they could have been compromised.

Reuters

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  1. I would love LA compete again in the Tour but only if­ he meets the same re-requisites as every other rider in­ the race.

    Cycle racing and the Tour specifically has a­ long and shameful history of riders and teams trying to­ beat the drug tests and I am afraid it would be no­ surprise if LA had been persuaded by some­ pharmaceutical geeks that he could manage it.

    From The Iron Duke, on Sat 11 Apr 12:03PM

  2. @jonathan graham
    Wait a second, organise you're own­ tour you stupid alcooholic gelee eater, and see how you­ do

    From EmmanuelR, on Sat 11 Apr 12:01PM

  3. I think the next step for the french will be to exclude­ the astana team from the tour like they did last year.­ is it not strange they did not take the same action­ with cofidis when they were under similar circumstances­ and who was the last french rider to be caught for­ drugs. conspiracy i tell you.

    From ai, on Sat 11 Apr 11:55AM

  4. Haters! Armstrong is innocent

    From TP, on Sat 11 Apr 11:54AM

  5. Cheese eating surrender monkeys strike again

    From jonathangraham_48, on Sat 11 Apr 11:39AM

  6. look a lot of you are missing the point so heres an­ analogy

    Imagine Usain bolt wins another 3 Olympic­ races then gets cancer, recovers and wants to compete­ again.In the mean time the Olympic community find that­ all his previous urine tests now show traces of­ performance enhancing drugs.Then when they go to test­ him again he disappears for a­ "shower".

    Should he be allowed compete?And­ is the fact that he is an amazing athlete or that one­ nationality may dislike him relevant ?Be objective.

    From PeterS, on Sat 11 Apr 11:19AM

  7. If he has always been clean, then why did he avoid­ europe like the plague, except for the tour?

    From GRAHAM, on Sat 11 Apr 11:07AM

  8. Armstrong has recorded an aerobic capacity of 83.8­ mL/kg/min (VO2 Max)[6] [7], higher than the average­ person (40-50),although lower than other Tour De France­ winners, Miguel Indurain (88.0) and Greg LeMond (92.5).­ His heart is 30 percent larger than average; however,­ an enlarged heart is a common trait for many athletes.­ He has a resting heart rate of 32-34 beats per minute­ (bpm) with a maximum heart rate of 201­ bpm.Armstrong's most unusual attribute may be his­ low lactate levels. During intense training, the levels­ of most racers range from 12 μL/kg to as much­ as 20 μL/kg; Armstrong is below 6­ μL/kg. This ability of lactate removal is most­ likely attributable to many years of hard training.­ Therefore, lactic acid build up (or acidosis) does not­ occur as easily in his body. Acidosis, and lactate in­ general, does not cause fatigue but is a good,­ testable, marker for the cause of muscular fatigue —­ muscle cell depolarization. Some have theorized that­ his high pedalling cadence is designed to take­ advantage of this low lactate level. In contrast, other­ cyclists rely on their power to push a larger gear at a­ lower rate.---WITH ALL THOSE ATTRIBUTES ARMSTRONG HAS­ BEEN CRAFTED BY GOD AND NOT DRUGS TO RACE--THIS GUY IS­ SUPERHUMAN!!1

    From franklin b concience, on Sat 11 Apr 11:05AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I for one hope that he'll not make to the Giro­ either

    From ernestofranz, on Sat 11 Apr 10:53AM

  10. The tester could travel for 2hours to test but became­ IMPATIENT over 10 minutes??? don't think so there­ is a premeditated campaign to stop LANCE by the WEAK­ french!!! They are weak and always WILL be.

    From dan dan, on Sat 11 Apr 10:52AM

  11. The french are typically scared of competition in this­ event.

    Lance is the greatest ever and NOT french thats­ why the french are trying every trick in the book to­ deter him.

    The french should be tested???......for­ ENVY!! Go Lance GO!!!!!!

    From dan dan, on Sat 11 Apr 10:50AM

  12. One of the most tested guy on the planet finds 10­ minutes of­ extra body odour so intolerable that he­ disappears to­ take a shower, KNOWING full well that­ the tester will record this as:
    '
    "Disappeared­ from sight for 10 mins­ immediately after I asked for­ samples"
    '
    I really admire the guy and even a­­ top 15 finish will be fantastic, but Lance­ unplugged­ his brain for a few minutes, that's for­ certain.

    From p, on Sat 11 Apr 10:45AM

  13. Lance Armstrong is a legend!

    From aron638, on Sat 11 Apr 10:33AM

  14. This was always going to happen, the French have been­ dreading the return of the greatest rider ever.­ Here's to a strong Giro, let the TdF kill itself­ off with anti-American xenophobia and arrogance.

    From riderden, on Sat 11 Apr 10:31AM

  15. jamesthomasonsemailaddress, i am in agreement with you.

    From ranp121, on Sat 11 Apr 10:26AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Actual testicular cancer would not allow you to ride­ without substantial use of drugs not allowed in­ sport.

    If testicular cancer was indeed real, many­ congratulations on the recovery. But he must not be­ allowed in sport after 1998.

    How about someone who­ lost his legs in an accident. Would he be allowed to­ race with a 50 cc engine instead of pedals?

    From ernestofranz, on Sat 11 Apr 10:24AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Racist is he/she who doubts the French.
    He/She would­ doubt any authority which does not suit him/her view.

    From ernestofranz, on Sat 11 Apr 10:20AM

  18. Drugs:) he is as guilty as can be

    From brap999, on Sat 11 Apr 10:16AM

  19. jamesthomasonsemailaddress- lets also get it straight­ that those sample that they tested all show drugs­ now......maybe they were right to suspect him?

    From PeterS, on Sat 11 Apr 10:08AM

  20. if he broke the drug testing rules then he should be­ banned.

    From neil and gayle, on Sat 11 Apr 10:02AM
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