Updated: Lance Armstrong can't ride Gran Fondo Hincapie, says USA Cycling

Hincapie chose to register the event with USA Cycling (I'm guessing this might be for insurance or liability reasons?) so it has to be run according to their regs, which already exclude Armstrong. It's not a new punishment or something invented just to annoy Armstrong. I'd be surprised if Hincapie did not already know about this and was just chancing his arm for the publicity and hoping he would get away with it.

Does it really matter if he rides or not?

I accept that he did a lot of bad things when he was a professional cyclist, and for that reason any role in professional cycling should be unavailable to him. Be it as a DS, coach etc (although he wouldn't be the only proven and convicted doper in one of those roles, not by a long shot).

But let's apply a bit of common sense here. It's a glorified sportive that he has no interest in winning, he's only there to ride with some friends that invited him along and chat with members of the public. Is it really the end of the world if he rides?

I understand that strictly speaking, USADA shouldn't let him ride. But it seems that they are taking it a bit far in this case, and I would wager that they're doing it just to piss him off.

It's the difference between a ban and a punishment.

A ban means: no more racing, dickwad.

A punishment means: you your cheating above and beyond, so your punishment is more than simply a ban.

The message here is: If you want to dope and have fun riding bikes that's fine. If you want to dope so you can cheat in organized races with big cash payouts, now you're playing with fire.

They should take his bike away and tell him if he wants to exercise, he has to run. OK, tricycles allowed, but they have to be kid's sized with pink tassels! And no jerseys! T-shirt and jeans for you bub!

We should see if he wants to do a sportive then, the USADA won't recognise this and so, it will bring in loads for charity if he rode..

http://crankpunk.com/2014/10/23/hincapies-gran-fraudo-wanders-ever-furth...

An opinion.

I hope he just turns up and rides with his mates without a number or timing chip.

presumably this event is on public roads? Unless closed, I'm guessing there's nothing (in The Land Of The Free), to stop him going out for a personal ride, around the same time? I can't imagine personal scruples would be much of an issue...

Don't ever let him race again.

I have never wished anyone dead, a rant is a little bit different to wishing people were dead.

The problem is that he can't just 'turn up'. In his own words, he is 'Lance F-ING Armstrong'. If he rides then he is likely to get the event into trouble as he won't go unnoticed.

Lance made his decisions and one of them is not co-operating with USADA, and also trying to corrupt the U.S. legal system by getting the Federal case pulled.

The comments about not having ruined anyone's career is very wide of the mark considering he stymied Frankie Andreu's career, not Betsy. But I can see why she was angry with Lance. The list of people Lance screwed include his own best friend, Neal. But a lot of the comments here seem to be made by people who don't know what they are talking about.

All I can say is this couldn't happen to a better person, because a better person wouldn't have been as conceited, selfish, arrogant, vindictive and bullying as Lance. He made his decisions and now he can't even ride a sportive....them's the breaks.

Well who here has turned up and ridden the route of a sportive without actually entering? He could always do that, and hope no-one recognises him!

Armstrong broke the rules of the sport. He was prosecuted and sanctioned. He is ineligible to ride the Fondo according to the conditions of the event. Pretty simple.

"destroyed so many careers". Well, the 'two-speed peloton" pretty much put paid to anyone who didn't want to dope with EPO; LA didn't do that all by himself. He didn't do Greg Lemond any favours, but Greg's not destitute and is on his way back into the bike business with a lovely new bike, the Washoe. Maybe Betsy Andreau, but again, not destitute and how far can you go in your career as a masseuse? ."

Nobody used the word 'destitute' until you did. Also, I'm *fairly* certain that Betsy Andreu (sp) didn't have a career as a masseuse. Sounds as though you haven't a clue what you're on about.

usada are a bunch of mother fucking, vindictive, hypocritical scumbags. Little mommas boys with vaginas. Hey usada...

http://youtu.be/xuXcHcA46Zs?list=UUR8LBdeRKoh1Mviji1QPfXg

What noether said ^^^^.

Other comments supportive of Lance are either sociopathic or do not know the facts.

And if he rides what can they do - ban him some more? Pathetic!

Poor guy, just let him ride his bike with people who want to ride their bikes with him. Maybe no one will show up meaning he'll be on his own?

Can he go as Juan Pelota?

Could it be that the organizers themselves registered this event with USA Cycling to raise its profile? The registration fee is about $200.

I don't have a feeling that USA Cycling are watching me every time I get on a bike, even if I meet a couple of friends.

Lance destroyed so many careers in his quest for dominance of the sport. These men and women have vanished from the scene without a second chance. He was a top athlete who refined the use of drugs to such height that he became unassailable. He demanded from his team to follow his practices. He used his wealth and influence a the top of the pyramid to bribe or otherwise bully whistle blowers into silence. Not content with his succes, he staged comeback after comeback. He plunged the sport into a deep state of disrepute from which it still has to recover, banking on the misplaced culture of omerta that prevailed. He was the primus inter pares who destroyed the sport. He has no place
in it, no matter how small.

Well, I'm just glad I'm not banned. I can go ride my bike, and I think that's fabulous!

＼(^▽^＠)ノ