Armstrong winning 2009 Nevada City Classic
Lance Armstrong has been a participant, and he won in 2009 — kick starting Nevada City’s bid for the Amgen bike race and all the fame that goes with it. (We watched Lance win the Classic in 2009.) “I love it there,” he has said about the historic foothills town.
And at least for now, he’s going to retain his 2009 Nevada City Classic title — despite a well-publicized doping admission with Oprah last week, along with being stripped of seven Tour de France titles and a bronze medal from the 2000 Olympics. Here’s why:
“I told USADA we would not be stripping Lance of his 2009 Nevada City Classic results title, until we were shown ‘proof’ that he had (or most likely had) used PED’s (performance enhancing drugs) just prior to and/or during the Nevada City Classic event – which to date has not been provided,” Race Coordinator Duane Strawser said in an email to me this week. “We haven’t even received a return phone call on this question – despite 1,000’s of pages of documentation on the Armstrong topic.”
“Last week on Oprah, Lance claimed to be ‘clean’ during his comeback (2009/2010), and since the interview several top professional racers have made statements that Lance was ‘clean’ during his comeback (which coincides with the Nevada City Classic) – many of them being racers who don’t like Lance personally,” Duane continued.
“I personally have issues with doping, as Lance placed ahead of me in the 1991 NC Classic, so who knows how I would have done (or the other clean riders) if all of us racers had been on a level playing field over our careers?
“At this point,” however, “we won’t be removing Lance’s name from the winner’s position on the 2009 Nevada City Classic’s results list.”
(Strawser first fielded some queries about this issue after Armstrong was stripped of the seven Tour de France titles last fall, he told me. He response to me came after the Oprah interview, where Armstrong said: “I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.”).
Armstrong’s win in the 2009 Nevada City Classic was the first victory of his comeback as it came before his return to the Tour de France. (Armstrong also raced in the Nevada City Classic in 1991).
After winning the Nevada City Classic bike race, Armstrong posted a message from his Twitter account: “Thank again Nevada City. You guys seriously rock. That race deserves to be around forever.”
Armstrong’s win also came before Nevada City was named a host city for the Amgen Tour of California in 2010, where he raced again. “I love it there. Starting the Amgen Tour of Cali there tho,” he responded on Twitter about Nevada City.
“I’ll leave it up to the public to decide on his legacy and fate, but since he tested ‘clean’ after winning the NC Classic, for now that result will stand until I’m told otherwise by USA Cycling and/or facts are presented showing Lance did in fact dope during his comeback of ‘09/’10,” Strawser concluded.
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I think this covers it pretty well:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=lance+armstrong+sign+in+library&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=593&tbm=isch&tbnid=4a1O8onz-APfrM:&imgrefurl=http://litreactor.com/news/lance-armstrong-books-reclassified-as-fiction-in-australian-library&docid=wNhA6bY79zbAPM&imgurl=http://litreactor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/header/images/news/201301/headers/armstrong.png&w=610&h=324&ei=lTkAUeD6BqnViwL8l4HYBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=209&vpy=317&dur=190&hovh=163&hovw=308&tx=129&ty=88&sig=105940877046399607968&page=1&tbnh=116&tbnw=219&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:0,i:133
As things stand, I support Duane’s decision. I only hope that in the weeks and months to come there is no compelling evidence to the contrary re: 2009.
Although Lance’s name will remain on the list of past winners, there’s a black cloud hovering over him right now, and using his name to market and promote the Nevada City Classic may be a challenge not worth pursuing?
Whatever happens, I think Duane made the right call on this issue –– at least insofar as January 23, 2013 is concerned. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the future.
Why do cyclists get handed the title of “doping” when other sports use terminology like “performance enhancing”, or just plain “steroid use”?
Big money in sports has made the perfect storm for this to occur. It’s also made performance at the highest levels suspect, and in the name of winning, the individual athlete (who takes this stuff), pays a heavy price on down the road with ever failing health, all in pursuit of a trophy.
Chipper, “Doping” refers to adding oxygen to blood thus getting power to ones lungs, heart and muscles. Steriods build muscle. There is a slew of PED’s out there with more being created all the time.
I find it hard to belive that Armstrong tried to “come clean” around the time of The Classic and end up doing as well as he did. just doesn’t happen that way after coming off PED’s. Duane sounds as if he wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, but then again haven’t we all up to this point?
The more I learn the less I want to know about this, other than to say I’d like to see athletes on the “natch”. Might have to start another league where you could watch the “un-enhanced” compete.
Armstrong cheated and lied about it for over a decade, and we’re supposed to believe he was “clean” in 2009-10? Here’s a tip for Stawser and other gear heads: Armstrong is lying when he moves his lips. If you believe his heart-felt comments about our little corner of paradise, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.
No sport has done less than cycling to clean up illegal drug use. Cycling officials have zero credibility when they say Armstrong tested “clean” after the NC Classic.
George,
I still advocate sugar water for you in the new year! Laugh; be happy.
What are you trying to say? That we believe Armstrong and trust cycling officials?
That’s hilarious.
Well , cycling is bad but, then there is the muscle builders and weight lifters out there. Our ex-governor was a steroid user for years and years. He was a cheat and a liar for years and years. Zero credibility? OK then.
During Arnold’s bodybuilding days steriod use was experimental and “legal” and in most cases done under supervision of a doctor. It wasn’t hidden and all the body builders were doing them and thus had an even playing field. So you can’t really lump Arnold in the “cheater” catagory…just sayin.
Pete – I’m refering to Maria Shriver, and that cheating category.
When I research steroid use, I mostly find stuff about how bad it is for you, how illegal it is, and how abused it still is-
“Since 1998, more than a third of the top finishers of the Tour de France have admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in their careers or have been officially linked to doping”. NYT 1/24/13
Chip — your NYT stat needs to be updated for the post-Oprah world. Since the end of the Indurain reign (the “Indureign”?) in 1995, there are only 3 out of 17 tours where the winner didn’t have some sort of doping connection — Sastre in ’08, and the last two, Evans & Wiggins. That’s obviously helped by Lance’s 7 straight, but it makes 14 out of 17. Wow.
Even that should be regarded with entire shakers full of salt. Given the way these things have unfolded in previous years, it should shock no one if we find out that all three of the “clean” winners in the last 17 years eventually turn up with freezers full of testosterone, refrigerators full of their own blood, and untold skeletons in closets all over Europe. It’s a messed up sport.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/24/sports/top-finishers-of-the-tour-de-france-tainted-by-doping.html
Sorry- Jan. 24 2013 is as recent as I can get from the Times, but it lays it out pretty well-
Ah, I see — that’s a great infographic…thanks for the link, Chip. I read “top finishers” as “winners”, where the proportions are far, far worse than 1/3 (more like ~80% after ’95!). Cheers…
Glad to see SacBee.com promoting this post. The internet is changing how we communicate.
Our country’s Justice system is at work here. The title for the NC race belongs to Mr. Armstrong until evidence proves him wrong.
I’d venture to say that on the whole, we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Those who were there remember that spectacular day for Nevada City and the thousands of spectators who came to see the race, and Lance Armstrong. It would be nice if we get to keep it as a treasured memory. That would be quite a distinction and one worth being just a little bit proud of.
But, we’ll see. To be continued.
Does this really make any difference to your or my life? Is this soooo important that I should spend more than 1.2 milliseconds worrying about this?
I think not, as I have really important things to do like clean the dog poop from the front yard.
With all of the “important” things happening in the world, this ranks right up there with remembering to clean the lint from my belly-button.
Brad,
I’d guess that it’s about the importance our culture places on sports, a traditional proving ground for our young boys and men. Growing up, I did not bear the same pressure to perform as an athlete that the boys did.
Integrity would certainly be an important element of sportsmanship, a valued quality in our young males. There are barres in life, as in sports, that should not be lowered. Cheating violates the principles of fair play and creates a culture of cynicism in sports. Translate that into the political and business worlds and what do we have?
Oh, it’s important alright.
Obviously..worth spending even more than 1.2 milliseconds. Enjoy your cleaning.
Sorry guys, but when our country puts as much effort into education as they do into sports, I’ll change my point of view about the importance of this subject.
As for now it’s another annoying distraction…..
There is no direct evidence that Lance Armstrong used any performance enhancing drugs immediately before the Nevada City Classic. The fact that he has admitted to using PED years and possibly months prior to the race is not really the point. Until there is direct proof of the fact that he used those substances he should keep his title and Duane made the correct decision. The issue of whether or not cycling is more drug oriented than any other sport is another topic as is why performance enhancing drugs should be banned when so many other performance enhancing technologies are not.
Maybe human powered sports need to have an open class where any “mods”, or “fuel”, is acceptable (kind of like drag racing where some classes use “gas” and, some use “fuel” (whatever that may be). Also, create other technical classes for vegans, etc.
For those who have yet to see the Oprah Interview with Lance Armstrong:
Interview Part deux (get it, French as in Tour De France for two)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSfGJA-lwcg
Here’s what I think they should do to Lance (following mantra of one of my favorite comedy duo’s). LOL!!!!
I have never cared much for the riding circuit,or Lance, one way or the other. I did a lot of bike riding and jogging in years past. I read Lance’s book and remembered he said at age of 17 or so, he believed he had greater lung capacity than most others. True? I don’t know. But I told my brother in Aspen — in fabulous shape and still active in Aspen Mt. Rescue — and 66 y.o., that I feel that most are on some enhancing substance but very few had as much performance de-enhancing drugs as Lance when subjected to chemo. And, as Judith points out, once again no trial, just conviction.
Joe Pepitone, former NY Yankee, claims he and Mickey Mantle and another smoked some pot before one game. If I remember correctly, the Mick struck out every at bat.
Just some thoughts.