# Big George comes clean



## givethepigeye (Aug 23, 2009)

georgehincapie.com/news/statement

George Hincapie: Statement from George Hincapie


----------



## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

And so it begins. . .


----------



## 3rensho (Aug 26, 2003)

(pasted GH statement below)


----------



## 3rensho (Aug 26, 2003)

Sorry, too impatient.

STATEMENT FROM GEORGE HINCAPIE
Posted on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
For over 30 years I have dedicated my life to cycling. I have always been determined to compete at the highest level, in one of the most physically demanding sports. With hard work and success have come great blessings from the sport I love.

Teammates have become dear friends and I have worked hard to earn the respect of my competitors. I have been associated with managers and team officials whose professionalism is unparalleled. Wonderful fans have supported my family and me since I began this great journey. For all of this and more, I am truly grateful and proud.

Because of my love for the sport, the contributions I feel I have made to it, and the amount the sport of cycling has given to me over the years, it is extremely difficult today to acknowledge that during a part of my career I used banned substances. Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level without them. I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates and fans.

Quietly, and in the way I know best, I have been trying to rectify that decision. I have competed clean and have not used any performance enhancing drugs or processes for the past six years. Since 2006, I have been working hard within the sport of cycling to rid it of banned substances. During this time, I continued to successfully compete at the highest level of cycling while mentoring young professional riders on the right choices to make to ensure that the culture of cycling had changed.

About two years ago, I was approached by US Federal investigators, and more recently by USADA, and asked to tell of my personal experience in these matters. I would have been much more comfortable talking only about myself, but understood that I was obligated to tell the truth about everything I knew. So that is what I did.

Cycling has made remarkable gains over the past several years and can serve as a good example for other sports. Thankfully, the use of performance enhancing drugs is no longer embedded in the culture of our sport, and younger riders are not faced with the same choice we had.

I am proud to be part of the cycling community, and believe we continue to make positive changes to our sport. I applaud the extraordinary achievements of my fellow riders on and off the bike. Cycling is an incredible sport that not only requires unbelievable physical ability to ride hundreds of miles a day for many days on end; it also requires a certain type of dedication, ambition and character. I have been fortunate to compete with teammates whose commitment and talent will be hard to match. As a rider I have dedicated a large part of my career to helping those teammates succeed. As I begin the next chapter in my cycling life, I look forward to playing a significant part in developing, encouraging and helping young riders to compete and win with the best in the world.


----------



## brentley (Jul 20, 2008)

While I don't condone his use of PED in anyway, his statement is a good indicator of what is coming and shows some class. 

He must feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of him and he is free.


----------



## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

Thanks for posting


----------



## givethepigeye (Aug 23, 2009)

Interesting that the article in Velonews - says a bunch of current riders have been suspended 3rd paragraph:

USADA outlines Armstrong evidence in case file


----------



## Mr. Scary (Dec 7, 2005)

But Lance was clean right?


----------



## brentley (Jul 20, 2008)

Mr. Scary said:


> But Lance was clean right?


"The most tested athlete ever" and "never failed a drug test".

Yep. He was clean. 

(the preceeding was sarcasm and does not represent my real belief).:thumbsup:


----------



## Lazy Spinner (Aug 30, 2009)

"All of those guys are serial perjurers with ties to Big Tobacco and I never failed a drug test while being the most tested athlete in the history of the universe blah..blah..blah...LIVESTRONG!!!"

I could not care less about Armstrong at this point but, I hope this lights a huge cleansing fire under the UCI.


----------



## Mr. Scary (Dec 7, 2005)

Armstrong now looks like the biggest moronic liar ever, his dignity has to be gone just like Duprees was when he got caught whacking it in the living room in "You, me, and Dupree".


----------



## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Does anyone else have a problem with the USADA continually using the term "riders came forward"? I would be willing to be my bikes that not one active rider "came forward". I am most interested in what Garmin's and Quick Step's rosters will look like with some of their star riders sitting on the side-lines.


----------



## thighmaster (Feb 2, 2006)

Thankfully in his best Paris Roubaix he slid into a ditch and a clean Belgian won that year


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

3rensho said:


> (pasted GH statement below)



Wow, wow, wow  .


Thanks for poasting.


----------



## covenant (May 21, 2002)

Kudos to George, I always liked him. Too bad about the PEDs, glad he went clean.


----------



## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

_Cycling has made remarkable gains over the past several years and can serve as a good example for other sports. Thankfully, the use of performance enhancing drugs is no longer embedded in the culture of our sport, and younger riders are not faced with the same choice we had._

Cycling is finally clean


----------



## Solopc (Sep 9, 2008)

Local Hero said:


> Cycling is finally clean


As clean as my chamois after a 100mile ride?


----------



## YamaDan (Aug 28, 2012)

Good post.


----------



## Solopc (Sep 9, 2008)

A serious question, if one knows the answer... What do the active riders who 'cooperated' with the investigation get hit with, suspension wise? Barry, Hincapie, just retired so no biggie for them...


----------



## adimiro (Jun 28, 2007)

[_George Hincapie:
"Cycling has made remarkable gains over the past several years and can serve as a good example for other sports. Thankfully, the use of performance enhancing drugs is no longer embedded in the culture of our sport, and younger riders are not faced with the same choice we had"._

_
Local Hero responds:
Cycling is finally clean [/_QUOTE]


Interesting Local Hero, your comment is nowhere is the post, but it betrays that your bias regardless of how objective and neutral you try to portray yourself.

Yes, bringing down an organized doping ring is a good example and yes, many are trying to change the doping culture, and yes, riders today probably have more choice than the USPS riders had at the time. Thanks George!!!


----------



## bmxhacksaw (Mar 26, 2008)

My take on all this... Did a bunch of guys that ride bikes for a living take PEDs? Yup. Do I care? Not really. I mean I love cycling (more specifically, road racing). I love watching guys go fast, suffer like pigs, etc. But in the grand scheme of things there are WAY more important things to worry about than whether professional road racing is clean. But what does concern me about all this is that our world is so driven by success at any cost. The fact that otherwise decent, honest people are forced to lie and cheat is a problem. Also, I can forgive guys that come clean, George, Floyd, Tyler, et al. You made a mistake, it's done and over, get on with your life. But I REALLY, REALLY have grief with Armstrong. IMHO he is an arrogant liar and what really gets me is that (I perceive that) he believes he is above reproach because of what he has done for the fight against cancer. The fact that (I perceive that) he hides behind what he has done for that fight makes his transgression that much more vile. It is sad that I don't want to have anything to do with his foundations no matter how just the cause because of his arrogance.


----------



## givethepigeye (Aug 23, 2009)

Solopc said:


> A serious question, if one knows the answer... What do the active riders who 'cooperated' with the investigation get hit with, suspension wise? Barry, Hincapie, just retired so no biggie for them...


From Velonews article:

"USADA for the first time made public the 11 U.S. Postal riders that provided testimony in the investigation. Those riders are: Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie. Tygart confirmed that each of the active riders had been suspended and called on the UCI to pursue a truth and reconciliation program for riders willing to come forward with information regarding their previous doping activities."


----------



## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

Where are the "landis & Hamilton are liars and can't be believed" crew now?

Len


----------



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

bmxhacksaw said:


> My take on all this... Did a bunch of guys that ride bikes for a living take PEDs? Yup. Do I care? Not really. I mean I love cycling (more specifically, road racing). I love watching guys go fast, suffer like pigs, etc. But in the grand scheme of things there are WAY more important things to worry about than whether professional road racing is clean. But what does concern me about all this is that our world is so driven by success at any cost. The fact that otherwise decent, honest people are forced to lie and cheat is a problem. Also, I can forgive guys that come clean, George, Floyd, Tyler, et al. You made a mistake, it's done and over, get on with your life. But I REALLY, REALLY have grief with Armstrong. IMHO he is an arrogant liar and what really gets me is that (I perceive that) he believes he is above reproach because of what he has done for the fight against cancer. The fact that (I perceive that) he hides behind what he has done for that fight makes his transgression that much more vile. It is sad that I don't want to have anything to do with his foundations no matter how just the cause because of his arrogance.


yes you cared so little you had to rush in and let us know. So thanks :thumbsup:


----------



## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Len J said:


> Where are the "landis & Hamilton are liars and can't be believed" crew now?
> 
> Len


Waiting for the next set of talking points? :wink:

26 serial perjurers in an investigation funded by Big Tobacco. 

Hey, if you're gonna swing for the fences down 0-2 in the count, with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, maybe some of it will stick. :lol:


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

givethepigeye said:


> From Velonews article:
> 
> "USADA for the first time made public the 11 U.S. Postal riders that provided testimony in the investigation. Those riders are: Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie.* Tygart confirmed that each of the active riders had been suspended *and called on the UCI to pursue a truth and reconciliation program for riders willing to come forward with information regarding their previous doping activities."


They have  ???


Unless I missed something, I see three names that should be active riders.


----------



## stiffee 69er (Nov 15, 2008)

Does anyone _really_ believe that Hincapie & Barrie stopped doping after 2006?

C'mon, puuurlease.


----------



## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

cda 455 said:


> They have  ???
> 
> 
> Unless I missed something, I see three names that should be active riders.


Four active riders on that list: Danielson, Leipheimer, VandeVelde, Zabriskie. They're counting Barry and Hincapie to get 6 since their retirements weren't officially until the end of the year.

And one active DS: Vaughters

Edited to add that apparently no one has actually been suspended yet:

_“In every previous doping case, USA Cycling has been informed by USADA and asked to suspend those riders. We are the body that would suspend riders, as they are licensees. They would tell us the terms of the suspension, as well as in the cases of riders with international licenses, they would also tell the UCI,” Petty told VeloNews. All I can tell you is that we also read USADA’s statement that the riders have been suspended, and at this point we have not been informed about any riders involved in this other than Lance Armstrong.”_

Considering the mountain of evidence Tygert is sitting on, it's strange he hasn't followed standard protocols.


----------



## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

Don't get me wrong, I've always like Hincapie's understated approach and demeanor. But his statement strikes me as a cop out. He's basically saying that when he started, PEDs were everywhere, but rather than blowing the whistle then, naming names and racing clean, he joined the party. Now that he's finished his career (and made his fortune), he's coming clean.

I get that my respect doesn't mean a thing to him... but he just lost my respect.


----------



## centurionomega (Jan 12, 2005)

I wonder if this means Hincapie won't get to keep his 17 TdF completions record either.


----------



## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Opus51569 said:


> Don't get me wrong, I've always like Hincapie's understated approach and demeanor. But his statement strikes me as a cop out. He's basically saying that when he started, PEDs were everywhere, but rather than blowing the whistle then, naming names and racing clean, he joined the party. Now that he's finished his career (and made his fortune), he's coming clean.
> 
> I get that my respect doesn't mean a thing to him... but he just lost my respect.


Same thing Hamilton said. 'If I wanted to be a pro, I *had* to dope.' I respect the guys that hung up their bikes or were back-of-the-peloton members more.

And I'm with stiffee 69er that I don't believe they just stopped doping cold turkey until 2006. I'm sure Hincapie rode clean in 2006 when he was Disco's supposed GC guy and in 2007 when he shepherded Contador to victory. Uh-huh.


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

jorgy said:


> Four active riders on that list: Danielson, Leipheimer, VandeVelde, Zabriskie. They're counting Barry and Hincapie to get 6 since their retirements weren't officially until the end of the year.
> 
> And one active DS: Vaughters
> 
> ...


Oops; Forgot Zabriskie. 


So, yes; Four names that are currently active.



Thanks for the update!


----------



## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

*mea culpa > everyone else was doing it*



3rensho said:


> Because of my love for the sport, the contributions I feel I have made to it, and the amount the sport of cycling has given to me over the years, it is extremely difficult today to acknowledge that during a part of my career I used banned substances. Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level without them. I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates and fans.


I appreciate this statement and it is no doubt true. 

I only wish riders would take more personal accountability. "It would be easy to shift blame to the widespread use of PEDs in cycling and cycling culture, or to pressure from competition or even peer pressure from teammates. But I will not. The decision was mine alone. I doped for personal gain and I have no one to blame but myself. I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates and fans." 

Maybe I'm splitting hairs here.


----------



## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

stiffee 69er said:


> Does anyone _really_ believe that Hincapie & Barrie stopped doping after 2006?
> 
> C'mon, puuurlease.


Well, I didn't see Big George leading too many team trains up the biggest climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees like he did when he was riding for Lance.


----------



## Chaz955i (Mar 13, 2006)

Opus51569 said:


> Don't get me wrong, I've always like Hincapie's understated approach and demeanor. But his statement strikes me as a cop out. He's basically saying that when he started, PEDs were everywhere, but rather than blowing the whistle then, naming names and racing clean, he joined the party. Now that he's finished his career (and made his fortune), he's coming clean.
> 
> I get that my respect doesn't mean a thing to him... but he just lost my respect.


yes, maybe George and the rest can relieve their moral burden by giving back the money they gained by being on all those winning tour teams. I make little distinction between him or Lance. Both grown men who were presented a choice, thought about what would best benefit themselves and made the decision to cheat someone else. Don't like it, pick another occupation. It isn't impossible, people do it every day.


----------



## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

adimiro said:


> Interesting Local Hero, your comment is nowhere is the post,


My comment includes a direct quote from Hincapie's statement. 

And then I mock what he said. You can tell that I am joking in my "cycling is finally clean" comment because I ended with a winky face: 





> it betrays that your bias regardless of how objective and neutral you try to portray yourself.


This feels like a personal attack, albeit a completely absurd strawman. I will freely admit that I am not _trying to portray myself as objective and neutral_. Let it be known that I am biased and that I have opinions. If you can't handle this, feel free to ignore me and stop responding to my posts.


----------



## rydbyk (Feb 17, 2010)

stiffee 69er said:


> Does anyone _really_ believe that Hincapie & Barrie stopped doping after 2006?
> 
> C'mon, puuurlease.


agreed. i guess george really never needed to dope eh? i want to believe him, but i am having a hard time with this one...

older rider no longer doping, yet still competitive with dopers (yes...fewer of them perhaps, but....)


----------



## aliensporebomb (Jul 2, 2002)

One has to wonder - was it a really level playing field?

Were well concealed mega-doping programs an exclusive club that only the best funded teams had access to?

Were the only clean guys the Lantern Rouges from the last ten tours or so who must have thought "I must be out of shape, I can't keep up"? 

It's pretty obvious now that this was part and parcel of the tour life of a rider for the past decade or more and some had access to better stuff than others.

But was it all just a placebo?

Drugs didn't pedal a bike 2000+ miles, the riders did. 

Did it really give them a faster advantage at recovery and speed?

What if all these riders rode clean at the same race in the same timeframe? What would it have been like.

Bums me out about George. I'd like to think he really has been racing clean since '06.

Heroes fall I guess.

Oh one other what if: What if everyone else was doping and Lance was the only guy who was clean?


----------



## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

aliensporebomb said:


> But was it all just a placebo?


In USADA's reasoned decision, around page 30, it is said that Armstrong demanded cortisone and there was none in the car. So a quick thinking driver whittled down an aspirin and wrapped it in tin foil. 

So yes, SOME of it was an unwittingly hilarious placebo. 



> Did it really give them a faster advantage at recovery and speed?


Yes.


----------



## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

Why did George fess up only after he got caught? It's human nature to believe you will get away with it. Looks like George about did get away with it. He is retired. Frankly, I like it that he owned this fraud. But, If USADA had not gotten aggressive, he would still be acting in his "own quiet way." We'd have never heard this confession. I do not believe he, or any of the rest of them, deserves a medal for owning up to it when he has been exposed by USADA. That's like a thief confessing after he is arrested - caught red-handed.


----------



## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

David Loving said:


> Why did George fess up only after he got caught? It's human nature to believe you will get away with it. Looks like George about did get away with it. He is retired. Frankly, I like it that he owned this fraud. But, If USADA had not gotten aggressive, he would still be acting in his "own quiet way." We'd have never heard this confession. I do not believe he, or any of the rest of them, deserves a medal for owning up to it when he has been exposed by USADA. That's like a thief confessing after he is arrested.


Exactly! GH is a RAT and yes, LA is a fraud in every sense.


----------



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

DIRT BOY said:


> Exactly! GH is a RAT and yes, LA is a fraud in a sense.


edited to reflect edit.


----------



## kiwisimon (Oct 30, 2002)

David Loving said:


> I do not believe he, or any of the rest of them, deserves a medal for owning up to it when he has been exposed by USADA. That's like a thief confessing after he is arrested.


happens everyday in criminal cases, lighter sentence for a quick guilty plea. But you're right GH is a cheater


----------



## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

I'm a big George H. fan! Always have been and always will be. He was certainly smart enough not to commit perjury.
It's really entertaining to listen to the "purists" who seem offended by professional athletes doing what they do. In the cycling world, all professional riders and others involved knew what was going on and lived with it. If you got caught, you paid the penalty. If you didn't get caught you carried on.
The serious problem is Pro Cycling is much more than PED's. It's the entire UCI and related way the sport functions. They need franchises, a league (per se), ONE oversight organization, plus a rider's union. Then they can work on the issues among themselves.
The years that USPS and Discovery were winning the TDF made great TV watching for me and I don't regret watching a minute of it.
I think Lance was the best athlete, cyclist in the tour, trained the hardest, had the best team and team director, and was also the best at not getting caught. 
I certainly never put him on a pedestal and have issues with his personal choices. I never even wanted a Trek. 
But really, is this "news" to anyone?


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

MerlinAma said:


> I'm a big George H. fan! Always have been and always will be. He was certainly smart enough not to commit perjury.
> It's really entertaining to listen to the "purists" who seem offended by professional athletes doing what they do. In the cycling world, all professional riders and others involved knew what was going on and lived with it. If you got caught, you paid the penalty. If you didn't get caught you carried on.
> The serious problem is Pro Cycling is much more than PED's. It's the entire UCI and related way the sport functions. They need franchises, a league (per se), ONE oversight organization, plus a rider's union. Then they can work on the issues among themselves.
> The years that USPS and Discovery were winning the TDF made great TV watching for me and I don't regret watching a minute of it.
> ...



Too bad you're not a fan of paragraphs  .


----------



## Rolando (Jan 13, 2005)

George was forced to rat out his friends. His statement tries hard to give it all a positive spin.

They all doped. It was either that or forget about racing in Europe with the elites.

I hope Lance never comes clean.....never caves to the pressure. Long live the Boss! Lance really is a "Gansta".


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Chris-X said:


> No apologies to Doctor Falsetti?



The forum will probably become really quiet for a long time now  .


----------



## covenant (May 21, 2002)

Chris-X said:


> No apologies to Doctor Falsetti?


 Oh, welcome back :thumbsup:


----------



## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

MerlinAma said:


> I never even wanted a Trek.


Whoa there! Say what you will about Armstrong. But can you honestly say that you have never wanted a Trek?

Specialized sponsors my team. I race on an s-works tarmac -- and I am about to get another s-works tarmac for next season. That said, Trek has some cool bikes. I would be happy to race on a Madone 7.9, with the fancy aero tubing shapes, light frame, and integrated brakes. And their TT bikes are tits.


----------



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Chris-X said:


> No apologies to Doctor Falsetti?


awe c'mon dude was that necessary?!

Most guys who were/are debating with the Doc will now simply make a quite exit from the Doping Forum, and orderly head to the General Cycling form.. or the Specialized, Trek, Cdale, Cervelo, Colnago..forums.. and pretend they never set foot in this forum!


----------



## covenant (May 21, 2002)

I never doubted the truth behind what Doctor was saying. I was just skeptical of his date predictions. You say "soon" and a "couple of weeks" or "a couple of months" often enough I start to lose interest. And to be honest, those kind of nebulous predictions have been going on for two years. Two Years!


----------



## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

den bakker said:


> so that's the way out? "in a sense" funny sh!t.


Sorry, edited.


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

Local Hero said:


> Whoa there! Say what you will about Armstrong. But can you honestly say that you have never wanted a Trek?
> 
> Specialized sponsors my team. I race on an s-works tarmac -- and I am about to get another s-works tarmac for next season. That said, Trek has some cool bikes. I would be happy to race on a Madone 7.9, with the fancy aero tubing shapes, light frame, and integrated brakes. And their TT bikes are tits.



The only reason I wouldn't/couldn't ride that beauty (Madone 7.9) is it's seatmast height for the frame size I need. I would ride the 62cm or 64cm frame but the seat minimum height is 770/800. My seat height is 738  .

yep; Short legs and looooong torso.


----------



## covenant (May 21, 2002)

Chris-X said:


> Seeing that he's known Armstrong since they were Juniors, and has intimate knowledge of the sport, I'm going to safely say he called bs around 1990 if not before.. No kidding.
> 
> He's been posting his predictions on the internets in various guises since the beginning of Armstrong's phony reign. Maybe before.


how would an average joe, like me, know that? All I know him by is the pseudonym he uses here.


----------



## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

cda 455 said:


> Too bad you're not a fan of paragraphs  .


I DONT ALWAYES SPEEL TO GOOD NEETHER.


----------



## bmxhacksaw (Mar 26, 2008)

den bakker said:


> yes you cared so little you had to rush in and let us know. So thanks :thumbsup:


Help me out, bro. This is the internet and all so I can't tell if you're actually being a [email protected] or not. Could you please clarify? Also. please note that I waited two hours to reply. One really hates being accused of "rushing in" you know.


----------



## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

So...essentially nothing everybody didn't already know.

Half of cycling fans care that it happened, the other half don't. This isn't news, it's a weak attempt at an apology (I agree that he could have taken more personal responsiblity) and it continues the "Everybody did it, so I did to" line of defense.

Personally...I don't care about any of it other than it makes for some interesting reading and fits into my profession a little (I try and help drug addicts recover from their addictions). 

The simple fact is this though...If you enjoy professional sports, any professional sport...you are watching and condoning doping. Simple as that...By watching it, you are condoning it. If you really wanted to make your point, stop watching pro sports (and college sports as well...and most of your amature fields as there are dopers in there also), if they lose enough advertising dollars, things will change...and even then, it will only be a minor change.


----------



## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Chris-X said:


> Seeing that he's known Armstrong since they were Juniors, and has intimate knowledge of the sport, I'm going to safely say he called bs around 1990 if not before.. No kidding.
> 
> He's been posting his predictions on the internets in various guises since the beginning of Armstrong's phony reign. Maybe before.


Don't know anything about him, but in the short time that I've been on RBR (just about a year now) you'd have to be blind not to see that he was plugged in, somehow.


----------



## crossracer (Jun 21, 2004)

Here is my problem with what hincapy said. 



Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level without them. 

The very next paragraph he completely revereses his statement. 

have competed clean and have not used any performance enhancing drugs or processes for the past six years. Since 2006, I have been working hard within the sport of cycling to rid it of banned substances. During this time, I continued to successfully compete at the highest level of cycling.

SO what he is saying is that He could have competed clean, he had the talent, however when things got tough he ran to drugs before he even really tried to train harder. He says that at the end of his career, when his body was slowing down he was competing without drugs. I wonder what he would have done had he just tried and trained harder. Instead we will never know because he took the easy way out and used drugs. Then he excuses it saying, "well everyone else is doing it". But that reasoning i should just go get a gunand steal that new tv i want, cause everyone else is doing it. These people are all frauds, i will not buy their products and will urge others to boycott them also. 

WHen the going got tough, the tough got drugs cause they couldnt handle working hard to earn what we all do every day. 

Its called life george, try maning up, and getting one.


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

MerlinAma said:


> I DONT ALWAYES SPEEL TO GOOD NEETHER.



:lol:


Awesome response!


----------



## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

You mean the Big George didn't win Pla d'Adet, a queen mtn stage, on water alone? I'm shocked!

I love how the guy says the absolute minimum he can. If you're going to admit, spill all the ****!


----------



## rensho (Aug 5, 2003)

Stay strong Lance. You started that Foundation and everything. The truth shall prevail...


----------



## YamaDan (Aug 28, 2012)

The former teammates press releases are flying!


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

rensho said:


> Stay strong Lance. You started that Foundation and everything. The truth shall prevail...


It's been thirteen years.



When will the truth be unveiled?


----------



## YamaDan (Aug 28, 2012)

Barry’s statement:

“Cycling has always been a part of my life. As a boy my dream was to become a professional cyclist who raced at the highest level in Europe. I achieved my goal when I first signed a contract with the United States Postal Service Cycling team in 2002. Soon after I realized reality was not what I had dreamed. Doping had become an epidemic problem in professional cycling.”

“Recently, I was contacted by United States Anti-Doping Agency to testify in their investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs on the United States Postal Service Team. I agreed to participate as it allowed me to explain my experiences, which I believe will help improve the sport for today’s youth who aspire to be tomorrow’s champions.”

“After being encouraged by the team, pressured to perform and pushed to my physical limits I crossed a line I promised myself and others I would not: I doped. It was a decision I deeply regret. It caused me sleepless nights, took the fun out of cycling and racing, and tainted the success I achieved at the time. This was not how I wanted to live or race.”

“In the summer of 2006, I never doped again and became a proponent of clean cycling through my writing and interviews.”

“From 2006 until the end of my career in 2012, I chose to race for teams that took a strong stance against doping. Although I never confessed to my past, I wrote and spoke about the need for change. Cycling is now a cleaner sport, many teams have adopted anti-doping policies and most importantly I know a clean rider can now win at the highest level.”

“I apologize to those I deceived. I will accept my suspension and any other consequences. I will work hard to regain people’s trust.”

“The lessons I learned through my experiences have been valuable. My goal now is to help turn the sport into a place where riders are not tempted to dope, have coaches who they can trust, race on teams that nurture talent and have doctors who are concerned for their health. From direct experience, I know there are already teams doing this but it needs to be universal throughout cycling.”

“Progressive change is occurring. My hope is that this case will further that evolution.”


----------



## YamaDan (Aug 28, 2012)

cda 455 said:


> It's been thirteen years.
> 
> 
> 
> When will the true be unveiled?


We'll never really know. All the rider's comming forward, all say they have been clean since 2006.. but really.. do you beleive them now?


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

YamaDan said:


> We'll never really know. All the rider's comming forward, all say they have been clean since 2006.. but really.. do you beleive them now?



Yeah, good point.


----------



## SteveCnj (Oct 6, 2003)

crossracer said:


> Here is my problem with what hincapy said.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What he was actually saying, was: "later in my career, after I had all the money that I didn't have to give back, then I "stopped" using PED's."


----------



## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

aliensporebomb said:


> Oh one other what if: What if everyone else was doping and Lance was the only guy who was clean?


Keep dreamin'.


----------



## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

davidka said:


> Does anyone else have a problem with the USADA continually using the term "riders came forward"? I would be willing to be my bikes that not one active rider "came forward". I am most interested in what Garmin's and Quick Step's rosters will look like with some of their star riders sitting on the side-lines.


RIGHT!!! Especially considering George says HE WAS APPROACHED by the USADA. 

This not news. This is all bullshit. Like I stated in another thread, get out of jail free cards were handed out yet Tygart spews crap like

"no matter how famous or anonymous, we will treat each alleged offender the same"

GIVE ME A BREAK ... I will say again, sorry but that statement is almost laughable. If it was even close to being true there wouldn't be get out of jail cards ... a.k.a. "granting immunity or delayed sentencing to admitted dopers".

Again, I guess many believe the rentless pursuit of LA was in the name of justice and cleaning up the sport? Regardless of deals made and who may have rode the tour this year just as guilty it's ok just as long as they get LA?

Valverde is right.


----------



## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

davidka said:


> Does anyone else have a problem with the USADA continually using the term "riders came forward"? I would be willing to be my bikes that not one active rider "came forward". I am most interested in what Garmin's and Quick Step's rosters will look like with some of their star riders sitting on the side-lines.





Rokh On said:


> RIGHT!!! Especially considering George says HE WAS APPROACHED by the USADA.
> 
> This not news. This is all bullshit. Like I stated in another thread, get out of jail free cards were handed out yet Tygart spews crap like
> 
> ...



You both are assuming they're using *your* definition of the term, 'came forward'.


----------



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

I think some of you are being a little disingenuous about these past team mates coming forward, and not giving them enough credential. 

Yes they all cheated, and in an ideal world, they would have come out and fess up a long time ago, while they were still cheating. But do you think most would risk ending their careers and in many cases livelihood to confess up to something that we all today now would be view as noble? Hell no. You just don't confess if you knew you could get away with it.

But, they finally fess up. Sure it's a little late, sure it's not the most noble of ways to confess, but it's better than keep on lying, keep on hiding, pretend nothing happened. If any thing, these guys are showing us that they are somewhat remorseful, and therefore still have a sense of right-and-wrong in them. 

Armstrong, on the other hand, is a pathological and unremorseful liar. Armstrong belongs with the likes of Madoff and Sandusky, unregretful of their actions to the grave. I have no doubt history will relegate LA to the dust bin, right next to Ben Johnson.. yeah, the Johnson that ran an incredible 9.79 in the 100m at the 1988 Olympics. Both Johnson and LA did incredible feats... juiced to the gills.


----------



## goloso (Feb 4, 2004)

Rokh On said:


> RIGHT!!! Especially considering George says HE WAS APPROACHED by the USADA.
> 
> This not news. This is all bullshit. Like I stated in another thread, get out of jail free cards were handed out yet Tygart spews crap like
> 
> ...


Except Lance was offered the same deal and turned it down.


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

davidka said:


> Does anyone else have a problem with the USADA continually using the term "riders came forward"? I would be willing to be my bikes that not one active rider "came forward". I am most interested in what Garmin's and Quick Step's rosters will look like with some of their star riders sitting on the side-lines.



I think it should be acknowledged that from this group, there was one rider who "came forward" on his own accord. It was the most vilified of them all: Floyd Landis. Yes, Floyd was caught a long time ago but his suspension was served and he was riding on a professional team when he came forward, and he retired immediately. Unless I'm mistaken, in spite of his past, he may have been the one rider who voluntarily gave up everything. He owes people a lot of money now. I believe it was also his testimony that set the stage for the current wave of actually successful Armstrong accusations.


----------



## JoePAz (Jul 20, 2012)

aclinjury said:


> ...Armstrong, on the other hand, is a pathological and unremorseful liar. Armstrong belongs with the likes of Madoff and Sandusky, unregretful of their actions to the grave....



What? Lance was just a cyclist nothing more. Madoff cost people their life savings. Sandusky hurt peoples lives. What did Lance do? Take some stuff that everyone else was talking and rode a bike race. Lying is never good, but to compare Lance to those other two is just going too far.


----------



## adimiro (Jun 28, 2007)

JoePAz said:


> What? Lance was just a cyclist nothing more. Madoff cost people their life savings. Sandusky hurt peoples lives. What did Lance do? Take some stuff that everyone else was talking and rode a bike race. Lying is never good, but to compare Lance to those other two is just going too far.




The comparison is to being a pathological liar and not to the crimes committed (although based on the USADA report one can argue that Lance cost people alot of $$$ and directly/indirectly hurt many lives).


----------



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

thechriswebb said:


> I think it should be acknowledged that from this group, there was one rider who "came forward" on his own accord. It was the most vilified of them all: Floyd Landis. Yes, Floyd was caught a long time ago but his suspension was served and he was riding on a professional team when he came forward, and he retired immediately. Unless I'm mistaken, in spite of his past, he may have been the one rider who voluntarily gave up everything. He owes people a lot of money now. I believe it was also his testimony that set the stage for the current wave of actually successful Armstrong accusations.


You bring up a very good point. And let's not forget that the villification of Landis (and others) has a lot to do with the Armstrong PR machine too. But people are beginning to see the light on this whole LA saga. There's already LA ex-fanboys turned critics.


----------



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

JoePAz said:


> What? Lance was just a cyclist nothing more. Madoff cost people their life savings. Sandusky hurt peoples lives. What did Lance do? Take some stuff that everyone else was talking and rode a bike race. Lying is never good, but to compare Lance to those other two is just going too far.


poster Admiro has it right, comparison is to a pathological & unremorseful liar. Although the resulting actions of Madoff, Sandusky, and Armstrong are different, but their characters are one of the same, ie. systematic liar and manipulators.

To me he's no longer a cyclist, but a disgraced liar who at one time raced cycling.

It's a shame he had to use cancer and a bunch of cancer patients as a sort of human shield to his bad deeds. Oh yes, he cost people money, not to the extend of Madoff of course, but cost he did. He's far far from a simply cyclist cancer fighting crusador some folks are making him out to be.


----------



## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

*Georges article in the new RBA...*

They gave him a nice going away present and he spits in their face. How the editors and writers must feel. I saw the title and wanted to throw the magazine in the trash. Yeah the nicest guy in the peloton. WTF. Anyone wanna buy my Ghent Welegm dvd. 50 cents. Im pissed.......


----------



## covenant (May 21, 2002)

Chris-X said:


> George is close to lance on the witness intimidation front. He's still a big admirer of lance too.


so, I still like him,


----------

