Cohen, I am amazed at how worked up you get over this. It's almost like you are screaming at me. Usually those who need to resort to screaming either know they are wrong or they just lack arguments.
The internet is a incredibly poor medium for this type of discussion. Not screaming; frustration, disgust and incredulity. And not the type of disgust reserved for people who behead or blow-up innocent people, but the kind for people who feel they can libel and slander others w/o any good evidence and with questionable motivations. And if you're wrong, folks like you will have already done damage to someone's character and a 'sorry' or 'I was wrong' will never undo it. So why do it? What's the point?
Update: Phonak suspends Hamilton By Associated Press This report filed September 22, 2004 Olympic cycling champion Tyler Hamilton was suspended Wednesday by his pro team, which threatened to fire him if he can't prove he's innocent of blood doping. Hamilton could lose his time-trial gold medal from the Athens Games if backup tests confirm results from earlier tests at the Olympics and the Spanish Vuelta showing another person's blood in his system. He denied receiving a transfusion -- which can boost an athlete's performance by increasing the amount of oxygen-transporting red blood cells in his system. Under the heading ``We believe Tyler'' in a statement Wednesday, Phonak team boss Andy Rihs said: ``For the moment, we have to concentrate on the facts. These seem to speak against Tyler. But so long as we're not 100 percent certain that he's guilty of manipulation, we will believe him.'' However, immediately below Rihs's statement, Phonak said Hamilton's suspension would hold ``pending further notice'' until tests and proceedings are completed. ``If Hamilton is not able to prove his innocence, then the contract will be canceled effective immediately,'' the statement said. The team's stance is a far cry from the staunch support of Hamilton it showed Tuesday, when Rihs declared he didn't ``fire innocent people,'' adding that ``Tyler is innocent as long as no one proves the contrary.'' Hamilton said he already is losing endorsement deals, though he wouldn't say with which companies. ``Already it has ruined a lot for me -- my reputation,'' Hamilton said. ``There are personal sponsors who are pulling out. It's sad.'' He's sponsored by Nike, Oakley Eyewear and Watches, Zipp Wheels, pedal manufacturer Speedplay, Bell Helmets and energy bar maker Clif Bar. Phonak, a Swiss team, was informed by cycling's international body and the International Olympic Committee that tests at the Athens Olympics on Aug. 19 and at the Spanish Vuelta on Sept. 11 showed evidence of blood from another person. The International Cycling Union had informed cyclists at the start of the season that tests for blood doping and Human Growth Hormone were well advanced and probably would be introduced in the coming months. ``I am 100 percent innocent,'' Hamilton said Tuesday. ``The results were like a bolt of lightning out of the blue for me. I have no idea what has happened. It must be some kind of manipulation.'' A record 24 athletes were caught with doping violations at the Aug. 13-29 Olympic Games. Three athletes had gold medals revoked for doping in Athens. Hamilton was the only American cyclist to win a gold medal in Athens, and he called that victory ``the highlight of my career, by far.'' If he is disqualified, the gold medal would go to Russia's Viatcheslav Ekimov, with American Bobby Julich moving up to silver and Australia's Michael Rogers to the bronze. http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/6992.0.html
I reckon until these tests are finalized and or not, "the plot thickens" Phonak claims one B test negative The Phonak Cycling Team has issued two more statements in relation to the Tyler Hamilton case, claiming that one of his B samples has turned out negative. "With regard to the Tyler Hamilton blood testing case the Phonak Cycling Team takes the liberty to announce that the blood samples examined in the B-Test under the UCI procedure are positive. The B-Test blood samples taken under IOC, however, will turn out negative." Phonak and Hamilton are continuing to cast doubt on the scientific method behind the test, and hopes to prove that there has been an error in the test in order to clear Hamilton. "Since the new method is an effort based on probability and interpretation measurements, uncertainties will remain in this examination and procedure in any case," said the team statement. "Because neither UCI nor IOC have so far disclosed data and because legal procedures may last for a long time without a clear outcome, the team management has decided to establish a scientific board in order to achieve clarity as to the medical method and reliability of these new blood testing tools. This scientific board will consist of various scientists with outstanding reputations in this field. Those scientists will be teamed up from different sources and will look into the entire method and data and report as to whether the analysis conducted at the lab in Lausanne in connection with the B-testing is reliable. In order that the scientific board can commence its work the entire files have to be released from UCI and/or IOC. This is so far not the case although requested by Tyler Hamilton. "Once the data is available the scientific board will come up with its results as soon as possible. For the time being the names of the scientists involved will not be disclosed in order to avoid that they are disturbed in their work or influenced in any way." The team added that the media will be informed once the panel of experts has reached its conclusion. "The team's goal is, and this is in the exact interest of Tyler Hamilton, that we have clarity in the end. Moreover, if there is a way to improve the new method in order to avoid future uncertainties this will also be a part of the mandate to the scientific board. With the foregoing the team management believes that it can form part of the campaign against blood doping and bring this matter up to a world-wide acceptable level." Phonak's final comment was that, "During this phase Tyler Hamilton is suspended from racing but stays with the team." Tyler Hamilton's statement Reproduced here in full is the latest statement from Tyler Hamilton: First of all I would like to discuss the recent press releases concerning my suspension from the team. This decision was taken jointly by Andy Rihs in his function as team owner and myself and communicated already during the press conference held on Tuesday evening. I am still a member of the Phonak Cycling Team and will continue to participate in the day to day decisions concerning our team. With regard to the B-test from the Olympic Games, no official information has been provided to me as of today. However, I am sure that the Gold medal that I worked so hard for will stay in my hands. I guarantee that I represented the United States of America as an honest, clean and proud athlete. As the Olympic Committee did not promptly inform me of the alleged anti-doping violation until one month after the event on August 18, 2004, it was not possible to defend myself before. Regardless of this I will prove my innocence. I will support the scientific board established by Phonak Cycling and myself, which I strongly believe will put light on the questions we have on the reliability of this new test. Hopefully with this scientific team, we can find a foolproof method to this test in order to the prevent other athletes ending up in the same situation. I believe that this is the only way to bring clarity to this matter. It is necessary that I will be released from the allegations based on a scientifically conducted correction of the testing method. It is of further essence that I can as soon as possible, together with my team, form part of a reinstated reputation with evidence that I have contributed to valid, reliable and watertight measures in the anti-doping campaign. In this sense I fully support this research and development project, and I am confident that its result will bring me back to cycling soon so I can pursue my dream of winning the Tour de France. I very much appreciate the support of my family, my friends, my team and fans. Tyler Hamilton
I guess if they find him innocent, then Lance will also be proven innocent because they used to train together and live in the same building for part of the year.
Looks like they didn't have a sufficient blood sample for the B test from the Olympics, but they do have a positive B test from the Vuelta. That's enough. If the scientific test proves to be reliable and accurate, ban him.
Official: Hamilton's Olympic B test dropped The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that Tyler Hamilton's "B sample" taken during the Olympic Games in Athens has been considered as "non-conclusive because of lack of enough intact red blood cells". This means that although his A sample was positive, the IOC will not be pursuing sanctions against the American, and that he will keep his gold medal that he won during the time trial. However, according to his Phonak team, both Hamilton's A and B samples have come back positive from the Vuelta a España, which means that it's highly likely that a disciplinary process will be started against him by the UCI. The IOC explained in a statement that, "On 22 August, the IOC was informed by the WADA accredited laboratory in Athens of a suspicious result following the analysis of Tyler Hamilton's blood sample provided on 19 August after the time-trial race that took place on 18 August in which he won the gold medal. At the request of the IOC, a group of experts examined the file and concluded on 16 September that Tyler Hamilton's A blood sample gave rise to an adverse analytical finding; "On the basis of this conclusion, the IOC decided on 16 September to launch a disciplinary procedure to be handled by Juridical Commission Chairman Thomas Bach, and Executive Board Members Denis Oswald and Sergey Bubka, and to immediately notify the National Olympic Committee and the athlete; "On 22 September, the laboratory analysis of the B sample was 'considered as non conclusive because of lack of enough intact red blood cells'; "On 23 September, the IOC informed Tyler Hamilton that, although the A sample gave rise to an adverse analytical finding on 19 August in Athens, the disciplinary procedure has had to be stopped because of the non-conclusive result of the B sample analysis. The IOC also informed him that therefore the Disciplinary Commission was being dissolved and that the IOC would not be pursuing sanctions regarding this matter. "The fact that the analysis of the B sample was not conclusive does not challenge the accuracy of the analysis of the A sample; the method used during the Olympic Games in Athens was authorized by the World Anti-Doping Agency after validation by the international scientific community in accordance with an established set of criteria." http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/sep04/sep23news4
Don't worry SJC...your boy is getting his props due.... Looks like he's ready for the World's. http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2004/sep04/sabatini04
But remember, Lemond essentially claimed that the entire peloton is doping. That would most certainly include what would the the second best rider for the past number of years.
I Can’t Believe How Good This Tour de France Is Respectful rivals Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard trade spectacular attacks into the race’s final days https://www.wsj.com/sports/cycling-...ermtrsrq9q6&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
I wonder if it was drugs that killed the sport, or if it's boring now because everybody is clean. But it doesn't seem like anybody really cares anymore.
