Suspensions for Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, David Zabriskie, Tom Danielson, Michael Barry and George Hincapie

After reading Tyler Hamilton's book, this news does not come as a shock:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/six-former-armstrong-usps-teammates...

just disappointment that these guys were involved in this.

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Permalink Reply by Eduardo on October 10, 2012 at 9:28am

I wonder if Christian Vande Velde's appearance at the Garmin store is still going on tomorrow after this announcement?

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on October 10, 2012 at 10:23am

Dopers gonna dope.

If they keep digging they are going to find that this rabbit hole is turtles all the way down...

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Permalink Reply by Crazy David 84 Furlongs on October 10, 2012 at 10:34am

All of the suspensions are garbage. The use of PED's was pervasive during this period and any "results" based on throwing out those that were caught are simply no good. All this means is that the person who ultimately "won" was either not good enough to have been tested or managed to cheat better. What they should do is reinstate ALL of the results up through this year and then announce that, going forward, they are going to be very strict and mean it.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on October 10, 2012 at 10:38am

Barn door closed...

All previous races have no winners -or just leave them be and start fresh. But they can't go back in time and fix what THEY screwed up by FAILING to test properly. The ADA's dropped the ball in an EPIC way, and up until now didn't do their job.

The folks who should be suspended are all the anti-doping agency folks who dropped the ball so badly that nobody can EVER put Humpty-Dummpty back to-freaking-gether again.

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Permalink Reply by S on October 10, 2012 at 12:14pm

James, you're a fairly intelligent person but posting banal tautologies on every thread isn't doing you any favors.

James BlackHeron said:

Dopers gonna dope.

If they keep digging they are going to find that this rabbit hole is turtles all the way down...

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Permalink Reply by Chris Hainey on October 11, 2012 at 3:02am

CVV's apology says it best:
Christian Vande Velde:
I love cycling, it is and always has been a huge part of who I am. As the son of a track cycling Olympian I was practically born on the bike and my dream, ever since I can remember, was always to be a professional cyclist. I have failed and I have succeeded in one of the most humbling sports in the world. And today is the most humbling moment of my life.   

As a young pro rider I competed drug free, not winning but holding my own and achieving decent results. Then, one day, I was presented with a choice that to me, at the time, seemed like the only way to continue to follow my dream at the highest level of the sport. I gave in and crossed the line, a decision that I deeply regret. I was wrong to think I didn’t have a choice — the fact is that I did, and I chose wrong. I won races before doping and after doping. Ironically, I never won while doping; I was more or less just treading water. This does not make it ok. I saw the line and I crossed it, myself. I am deeply sorry for the decisions I made in the past — to my family, my fans, my peers, to the sport that I love and those in and out of it, I’m sorry. I always will be.  
 
I decided to change what I was doing and started racing clean again well before Slipstream, but I chose to come to Slipstream because I believed in its unbending mission of clean sport. Today, I am proud of the steps that I and cycling have made to improve the future of the sport that I love so much. I am proud to be a part of an organization that implemented a no-needle policy. I am proud that I published my blood values for all of the world to see after almost reaching the podium at the 2008 Tour de France; showing first and foremost myself that it was possible to and then, confirming it for the rest of the world. I continue to be proud of the strides the sport has taken to clean itself up, and the actions our organization has taken to help shape the sport that I love.    

We’re in a good place now, young riders of the new generation have not had to face the choices that I did, and this needs to continue. By looking at the mistakes of cycling’s history, we have an opportunity to continue to shape its future.
 
I’m very sorry for the mistakes I made in my past and I know that forgiveness is a lot to ask for. I know that I have to earn it and I will try, every day, to deserve it — as I have, every day, since making the choice to compete clean. I will never give up on this sport, and I will never stop fighting for its future.

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Permalink Reply by Eduardo on October 11, 2012 at 4:59am

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Permalink Reply by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on October 11, 2012 at 6:18am

After reading the affidavits the USADA utilized from the six riders, I'm just saddened about the state of cycling during these years. The affidavits from each of these riders make clear that doping was not what they wanted to do, but what they believed they had to do to succeed. Yeah, they had choices. But the choices they have today are much different than the choices they had then.

I'm hopeful that these revelations will lead to an increased lack of tolerance for doping so that my son, if he were ever to be an elite level cyclist, will never face the kinds of pressure these guys faced.

Kudos to these riders for coming forward.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 11, 2012 at 8:18am

+1

Joe Studer said:

After reading the affidavits the USADA utilized from the six riders, I'm just saddened about the state of cycling during these years. The affidavits from each of these riders make clear that doping was not what they wanted to do, but what they believed they had to do to succeed. Yeah, they had choices. But the choices they have today are much different than the choices they had then.

I'm hopeful that these revelations will lead to an increased lack of tolerance for doping so that my son, if he were ever to be an elite level cyclist, will never face the kinds of pressure these guys faced.

Kudos to these riders for coming forward.