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- Lance Armstrong to face humiliation once again.
- USA Cycling banned Armstrong from riding George Hincapie Gran Fondo.
Is Armstrong going to be punished again for what he did in the past?
It seems as if Lance Armstrong is going to miss this weekend’s George Hincapie Gran Fondo event. Cycling’s governing body in the United States, USA Cycling confirmed that this event was a sanctioned race and according to regulations Armstrong cannot take part as the Texan would be breaching the terms of his lifetime ban.
Armstrong was disgraced when he was stripped of his seven time Tour de France titles in October 2013, as the cyclist admitted he had cheated in all seven races. Armstrong was due to ride with former US Postal Service teammates George Hincapie, Kevin Livingstone, Tom Danielson, Michael Barry and Christian Vande Velde.
There was some doubt over the classification of the event and whether it constituted an officially sanctioned race. US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) expressed that it was investigating the issue and had contacted USA Cycling in this regard. The Cycling Federation stated on Thursday that it has been asked by USADA for rider eligibility.
USA Cycling has informed USADA that the George Hincapie Fondo event is a cycling activity authorized by it on the terms included in the provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code and UCI Cycling Regulations. Under these provisions a suspended athlete is barred from participating in such authorized events.
A number of current cyclists competing in the race including Tejay van Garderen, Brent Bookwalter, and Larry Warbase have been questioned over their decision to associate with former dopers. Van Garderen stated that he does not think that Armstrong is the evil guy; rather the way he is being depicted in books and movies makes him one.
Speaking about the event Hincapie stated that the Fondo is not supposed to imply any message. The event is just a celebration of cycling with old friends and fans. He said that he knows he has made mistakes in the past along with other riders but he believes in second chances for everyone. He said that he leaves it to his peers in deciding how they regard him and the event.
Source: Telegraph
