Doping chief wants US decisions on Lance’s fate
Official not satisfied with International Cycling Union’s role in case.
“He [Armstrong] would have to come in just like all 11 of his teammates did and testify truthfully about all of those who were involved with him pulling off this grand heist,” USADA chief. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
NEW YORK:
American jurors and US anti-doping officials should decide Lance Armstrong’s fate rather than the International Cycling Union, said the main investigator who has chased Armstrong for years.
US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief executive Travis Tygart spoke to the CBS television network in an interview broadcast on Sunday, saying he thinks the US Justice Department should join a fraud case against Armstrong.
And Tygart also wants Armstrong to testify before USADA rather than the world cycling governing body UCI, saying USADA-gathered evidence contradicts Armstrong’s claims that UCI never assisted him in covering up a positive test.
“He exonerated, essentially, the UCI and our information, and the evidence, is different than that,” said Tygart. “I think their involvement was a lot deeper in him pulling off this heist than he was willing to admit to.”
In announcing the ‘60 Minutes’ interview on Friday, CBS said Tygart had imposed a February 6 deadline for Armstrong to testify under oath before USADA or lose any chance of having his life ban from competitions reduced.
“He would have to come in just like all 11 of his teammates did and testify truthfully about all of those who were involved with him pulling off this grand heist.”
Armstrong lawyers say the 41-year-old Texan, who was stripped of seven Tour de France titles based on USADA-gathered evidence, would not be able to meet the deadline and was likely to tell his story to the UCI, a group tainted in Tygart’s mind where Armstrong is concerned.
“The access they had to inside information – to how the tests work, what tests went in place at what time, special access to the laboratory – he was on an entirely different playing field than all the other athletes.”
Tygart wants to see Armstrong tell his story in court, specifically in a $90 million fraud case brought by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis, himself an admitted dope cheat stripped of a Tour de France title.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2013.
American jurors and US anti-doping officials should decide Lance Armstrong’s fate rather than the International Cycling Union, said the main investigator who has chased Armstrong for years.
US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief executive Travis Tygart spoke to the CBS television network in an interview broadcast on Sunday, saying he thinks the US Justice Department should join a fraud case against Armstrong.
And Tygart also wants Armstrong to testify before USADA rather than the world cycling governing body UCI, saying USADA-gathered evidence contradicts Armstrong’s claims that UCI never assisted him in covering up a positive test.
“He exonerated, essentially, the UCI and our information, and the evidence, is different than that,” said Tygart. “I think their involvement was a lot deeper in him pulling off this heist than he was willing to admit to.”
In announcing the ‘60 Minutes’ interview on Friday, CBS said Tygart had imposed a February 6 deadline for Armstrong to testify under oath before USADA or lose any chance of having his life ban from competitions reduced.
“He would have to come in just like all 11 of his teammates did and testify truthfully about all of those who were involved with him pulling off this grand heist.”
Armstrong lawyers say the 41-year-old Texan, who was stripped of seven Tour de France titles based on USADA-gathered evidence, would not be able to meet the deadline and was likely to tell his story to the UCI, a group tainted in Tygart’s mind where Armstrong is concerned.
“The access they had to inside information – to how the tests work, what tests went in place at what time, special access to the laboratory – he was on an entirely different playing field than all the other athletes.”
Tygart wants to see Armstrong tell his story in court, specifically in a $90 million fraud case brought by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis, himself an admitted dope cheat stripped of a Tour de France title.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2013.