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admin · #2 (**permalink**) 05-29-2010, 03:47 PM

In 2006, a French newspaper reported that Armstrong had admitted using performance-enhancing drugs to his physician just after brain surgery in 1996. The testimony was related to litigation between Armstrong and SCA Promotions, a Texas company attempting to withhold a $5-million bonus; this was settled out of court with SCA paying Armstrong and Tailwind Sports $7.5 million to cover the $5-million bonus plus interest and lawyers’ fees. Nevertheless, in his testimony Armstrong stated in response to the question, have you ever used any performance-enhancing drugs? “Yes.” And then he was asked, what were they? And Armstrong said, “growth hormone, cortisone, EPO, steroids and testosterone.” Armstrong suggested that the reporter may have been confused by the possible mention of his post-operative treatment which included steroids and EPO that are taken to counteract wasting and the red-blood-cell-destroying effects of intensive chemotherapy, but this is at odds with the fact that it was necessary for Armstrong to tell the doctor the list of drugs he had taken, and the use of the phrase “performance enhancing.” If the drugs were part of the post operative treatment the doctor wouldn’t be asking Lance what they were (he’d already know) and he wouldn’t be referring to them as “performance enhancing.”

In 2006, the Los Angeles Times published a story on the allegations raised in the SCA case. The report cited an analysis of the test results by an expert witness. According to the expert, “the results show Armstrong’s (hematocrite) levels rising and falling, consistent with a series of injections during the Tour.” The expert told arbitrators the results painted a “compelling picture” that the world’s most famous cyclist “used EPO in the ‘99 Tour.” The SCA trial was settled out of court, and the LA Times reported: “Though no verdict or finding of facts was rendered, Armstrong called the outcome proof that the doping allegations were baseless.

So, what do we have? We have the seemingly superhuman feat of seven Tour de France victories in a row after beating cancer. We have the general disbelief that this could even be possible without the use of performance enhancing drugs, along with a myriad of allegations and reports that Armstrong did use PEDs despite the numerous negative drug tests and patent denials. On the other hand, we have the most beneficent cancer surviving philanthropic athlete and model American on the planet filling Armstrong’s shoes. This gives us the pesky little issue of no one wanting to believe that Lance isn’t super human. Then we have a former Tour winner, a disgruntled Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his title for using PEDs, accusing Armstrong of using PEDs, along with Armstrong’s ex wife who is all too willing to cooperate in any investigation into Armstrong’s drug use. And, of course, heading the investigation, we have Jeff Novitzky, the virtual Energizer bunny of sports doping witch hunts who has the full resources of the Food and Drug Administration’s criminal investigations unit at his disposal and focused on Armstrong. Put it all together and what do we get? Nothing pretty. While BALCO did not spawn anything having to do with Armstrong, it did spawn Novitzky. And, anyone caught in Novitzky’s cross hairs is in for a rough ride because it was through Novitzky’s tenacity and devious tactics that proved throughout the BALCO case that “I didn’t do it” just makes him work harder – that doesn’t mean he’s gong to work honestly, just with more tenacity. Novitzky has proven he doesn’t mind walking right out to the edge and hanging his toes off. Lance, you better sew another jell pad into the crotch of your riding pants, you’re going to need it.

Source: RxMuscle.com