UPDATED: USA Cycling says that Lance Armstrong cannot take part in this weekend's Gran Fondo Hincapie, organised by his former US Postal Service team mate George Hincapie, which several former colleagues as well as current pros including Tejay van Garderen are due to ride.
The governing body told Shane Stokes of the website Cycling Tips:"USA Cycling has been asked by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to look into the Gran Fondo Hincapie in the face of questions concerning rider eligibility."
“USA Cycling has informed USADA that the Gran Fondo Hincapie constitutes a cycling 'activity' that is 'authorized' by USA Cycling as those terms are used in the World Anti-Doping Code and in the Anti-Doping provisions of the UCI (International Cycling Union) Cycling Regulations.
“Under these provisions, an athlete’s suspension bars participation in an authorized activity such as this. The UCI has confirmed USA Cycling’s interpretation. The World Anti-Doping Code vests jurisdiction in UCI and in USADA to determine whether an athlete has violated the terms of any suspension, as well as to assess any sanctions that might accompany an adverse determination.”
USADA, whose investigation in 2012 resulted in Armstrong being banned from sport for life and stripped of results including his seven Tour de France victories, had raised the issue of Armstrong taking part in the event with USA Cycling.
USA Cycling’s Gran Fondo Regulations require that “By entering the event, the participant agrees to respect the regulations of the UCI, USA Cycling, and the particular regulations of the event.”
Initially it had been reported that as a non-sanctioned event, Armstrong could ride it. But it is listed on USA Cycling’s website, classified F, meaning a “Fun Ride or Tour.”
Armstrong is banned “from participating in any activity or competition organized by any signatory to the Code or any member of any signatory,” and USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner confirmed it had sought clarification with the governing body.
She told Cycling Tips: “After this question was brought to our attention, we reached out to USA Cycling, and we are awaiting their determination as to whether or not this Gran Fondo qualifies as an authorised event under the rules.”
There are also implications in USA Cycling's Gran Fondo rules for current professionals planning to ride the event, including van Garderen and BMC Racing team mate Brent Bookwalter, as well as Garmin-Sharp’s Alex Howes and Tom Danielson – the latter a former team mate of Armstrong who testified against him.
The Gran Fondo Regulations say: “Riders belonging to a UCI Protour team or UCI professional continental team may not take part in Gran Fondo events without an exception granted by the UCI. However, a rider may participate without this exception in one event per year that bears his name.”
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You say 'he had no place in it' but that is not in touch with reality. He has a huge place in it. So let's deal with it. - In a time when doping was prevalent he was not going to be non competitive; he was a winner; the greatest we've ever seen. In a drug free environment he would have been a winner too. The tour is not an Anglo-Saxon culture where cheating is anathema. In some cultures to win by cheating is better than to play by the rules; it is really sticking the knife in. There are other cultures and Armstrong was in one. He did what was necessary at the time. Maybe they are all going to join the non-cheating culture from now on but I wouldn't bet on it; we will still need sophisticated testing for cycling and all world sports. But Pantani and Armstrong and Ulrich etc etc were great athletes who did what they had to do in order to reach the pinnacle in their era. They gave me great pleasure and I salute them for their monumental efforts and achievements.
Yawn. One cheat in a peloton of 100 cheats. Its in the past, lets move on. I say let him ride, for what its worth.
Stop him from entering any cycling event for the rest of his existence. That might actually piss him off enough to be a true punishment for the years of deceit and lies.
and who wrote this?
See above
Who is the complete cock now?
Truck loads of irony here given the name of the event!
Quite. Banning a doper from an event organised by a doper. Do they think Lance will somehow bring the event into disrepute?! Ha ha
He could just turn up and ride presumably and nobody could do anything anyway.
As for the trolling in the comments here, perhaps the moderators should intervene. There's no place for it.
Quite. Banning a doper from an event organised by a doper. Do they think Lance will somehow bring the event into disrepute?! Ha ha
He could just turn up and ride presumably and nobody could do anything anyway.
As for the trolling in the comments here, perhaps the moderators should intervene. There's no place for it.
I am sure that he is not going to try and cheat any one.
Let him ride i would say.
More generally, what is the purpose of this rule "Riders belonging to a UCI Protour team or UCI professional continental team may not take part in Gran Fondo events without an exception granted by the UCI."?
It would improve most such events I've ever ridden in should there be a bunch of pros there.
And what about the other ex dopers taking part . Could it have anything to do with the fact he's not playing ball with USADA.Give the man a break it's a frickin whitchunt
It is (to do with that) - the others co-operated with USADA and got lesser punishments as a result.
What about the current pros taking part? Riders who quite probably looked up to him in their formative years. Give him no breaks at all, ever and that is the best lesson for the future.
Lance will be pleased to know that Audax UK events are signatories to UCI Regulations and he is therefore entitled to enter.
Admittedly not USA but I'll just say - Ricardo Ricco.
Lance could have killed and had a lesser punishment. Its look a bit too vindictive now
Fuck lance. Crawl under a rock and die
Ohhhh boo hoo...are you upset because Lance crushed your idol worship sonny? maybe mommy can give you some hugs...make it all better...
You sir are a prize cock.
As for the the main post..it's pathetic.
Rules is rules. If they bend them then how far is too far?
It does seem a bit over the top. If it isn't a race, no point getting worked up about it.
It's a fun ride, can't they just let it go?
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