WADA Says Lance Armstrong ‘Too Late’ For Reduced Ban
The director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency has remarked that Lance Armstrong, the former American professional road racing cyclist who previously held seven consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005 before being stripped of all his titles, has not done enough to get his life ban reduced.
David Howman said the latest bid for rehabilitation from Armstrong’s side is coming too late. Howman added Armstrong did not seize the he had to come forward with details of his doping past and also remarked if Lance satisfied the criteria to go forward and ask for suspension of his ban, the criteria will be carefully looked at, but so far he has not. The WADA Chief also remarked that he is not sure why Lance Armstrong has not done anything and also said that Lance certainly had plenty of opportunities, including talking to us, but he has not come forward with substantial information that might be helpful to the cycling fraternity.
Howman went on to remark that Lance should have made an appeal if he thought he had been given a harsher treatment. He added the cyclist should have sit down and explain the whole regime and what they did but he did not do it before the independent commission that was established by the UCI, he did not do it with USADA, and he has not done it with WADA.
Howman agreed with Brian Cookson, International Cycling Union President, who said plans of Lance Armstrong to ride part of the Tour de France route a day before the professional peloton this summer would be disrespectful. Howman said Cookson is the correct judge of that, and he thinks his statement reflected what was probably the position from their perspective, which is damaging and went on to add that he thinks there is probably going more attention on what he is doing than on the Tour, and that is a little bit sad.
Armstrong was approached to join the ride by former English soccer player Geoff Thomas. The former soccer star is trying to raise $1.5 million for the fight against blood cancer.
Cookson warned Armstrong not to take part in a Tour de France charity ride in July. The International Cycling Union president said Armstrong was “completely disrespectful” to the current riders, cycling authorities, and the race and remarked he is sure Geoff Thomas means well, but frankly he thinks that is completely inappropriate.
This month, Armstrong met US Anti-Doping Agency Chief Travis Tygart in hopes to get a reduction of his ban but the cyclist is yet to get in touch with the World Anti-Doping Agency. Armstrong was banned in 2012, stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, and banned for life after systematic doping was exposed within his former teams. The cyclist decided not to appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and accepted that he used banned performance enhancing drugs and methods like Testosterone, Cortisone, and Blood transfusion to gain an “unfair” advantage over other cyclists.
|
|
