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

USADA had sought clarification from USA Cycling over whether event falls within its rules

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.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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51 comments

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Crocket replied to Quince | 10 years ago
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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.

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Das | 10 years ago
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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.

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Beaufort | 10 years ago
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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.

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freespirit1 | 10 years ago
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and who wrote this?

See above

Cyclist wrote:

I ride down the canal towpaths regularly, I shout from at least 100m then 50 etc on your left or right, if they make no attempt to move or move across into my line I don't move or slow down, if they do then I will always slow and say thanks. I don't blame kids under 10ish or dogs. A couple of summers ago I shouted at the top of my voice to a fisherman who had one of this great white fishing poles across the path I was well over 100m away he looked straight at me and carried on doing his thing, so I ran straight over his pole, lovely crack. I consider myself to be considerate to others in every way, however one chance is all you get as that is all I will get from a lorry.. However ref the headphones and walking, let's talk about idiotic cyclists who wear them..idiots, far more so than walkers on a canal towpath.

Who is the complete cock now?

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thegibdog | 10 years ago
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Truck loads of irony here given the name of the event!

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700c replied to thegibdog | 10 years ago
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thegibdog wrote:

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.

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700c replied to thegibdog | 10 years ago
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thegibdog wrote:

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.

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JohnMartin | 10 years ago
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I am sure that he is not going to try and cheat any one.  39
Let him ride i would say.

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amawby | 10 years ago
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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.

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wozzer64 | 10 years ago
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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

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spin sugar replied to wozzer64 | 10 years ago
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wozzer64 wrote:

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.

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Adrian C replied to wozzer64 | 10 years ago
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wozzer64 wrote:

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

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.

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Philip Whiteman | 10 years ago
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Lance will be pleased to know that Audax UK events are signatories to UCI Regulations and he is therefore entitled to enter.

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bikeandy61 | 10 years ago
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Admittedly not USA but I'll just say - Ricardo Ricco.  35

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Beefy | 10 years ago
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Lance could have killed and had a lesser punishment. Its look a bit too vindictive now

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anarchy | 10 years ago
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Fuck lance. Crawl under a rock and die

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manmachine replied to anarchy | 10 years ago
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 20  20  20
Ohhhh boo hoo...are you upset because Lance crushed your idol worship sonny? maybe mommy can give you some hugs...make it all better...  21

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Cyclist replied to anarchy | 10 years ago
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anarchy wrote:

Fuck lance. Crawl under a rock and die

You sir are a prize cock.

As for the the main post..it's pathetic.

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brakesmadly | 10 years ago
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Rules is rules. If they bend them then how far is too far?

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Must be Mad | 10 years ago
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It does seem a bit over the top. If it isn't a race, no point getting worked up about it.

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truffy | 10 years ago
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It's a fun ride, can't they just let it go?

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