Posted on 09/15/2005 8:08:17 PM PDT by Racehorse
Lance Armstrong, fed up with what he described as the "crooks and criminals" influencing his sport, said Thursday he will not end his retirement and return to the Tour de France.
"I've got my kids, my fiancée, my work. Upon further review, why should I come back and deal with crooks and criminals and people like Dick Pound, who have no ethics," Armstrong told the Austin American-Statesman.
Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion, and Pound, the director of the World Anti-Doping Agency, have been clashing for years. After taking over WADA, Pound described cycling as one of the dirtiest sports in the world. Armstrong publicly disputed Pound's claims and gave almost $100,000 to his sports governing body to develop a test for blood boosters illegally taken by some cyclists to get an edge on the competition.
Their feud escalated last month after L'Equipe, a French newspaper, published what it said were the results of six positive drug tests from urine samples provided by Armstrong during the 1999 Tour, the first of his seven straight victories. The newspaper reported that the positive tests were linked to Armstrong only by coded numbers.
A French lab acknowledged that it had tested backup urine samples from the 1999 Tour while conducting research to perfect a test for erythropoietin (or EPO), a banned blood booster. The research was only to be conducted if the samples and results were kept anonymous.
However, someone leaked the details to the French newspaper. The UCI — the international cycling federation — started an investigation into the leak early this month. The agency issued a statement last week saying that the World Anti-Doping Agency was not turning over documents it needed to finish the investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at statesman.com ...
I can't believe he's marrying Sheryl Crow.
Lance won't ride in 2006
I was looking forward to Lance winning another one and giving the one finger salute as he crossed the finish line....
^Agreed.
Maybe they were pissed?
yeah me too.
the French deserve it.
It will be great when another American wins it next year.
The consensus of some within USA Cycling about Dick Pound is that he's a bit of a whiner - at least when he was running US Cycling Federation.
She's 43 and talking about "starting a family".
Nothing wrong with that, but the fact that many women wait purely out of spite and won't acknowledge the complications of this choice.
Have you see this, nutmeg?
He just wants to soak up the sun. He no more needs a fast machine. Everyday will not longer be a winding road.
But is he strong enough to be her man or will he wind up being her favorite mistake?
I thought the guy's name was pound dick.
Dick Pound-- LOL-- I once knew a guy named Richard Holder
I think all he wants to do, is have some fun.
I guess the change will do him good if he wants to try to love again...
Nor can I. Birthdates:
Lance Armstrong: September 18, 1971
Sheryl Crow: February 11, 1962
No wonder Kerry idolizes him.
I'd tap Sheryl Crowe before I'd drop trou for Tereeeeza
OMG, is that right? She's 9 years OLDER than him? I'd've bet the other way around.
OK, I'm out of Sheryl lyrics.
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