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Updated: Lance Armstrong can't ride Gran Fondo Hincapie, says USA Cycling

USADA had sought clarification from USA Cycling over whether event falls within its rules

UPDATED: USA Cycling says that Lance Armstrong cannot take part in this weekend's Gran Fondo Hincapie, organised by his former US Postal Service team mate George Hincapie, which several former colleagues as well as current pros including Tejay van Garderen are due to ride.

The governing body told Shane Stokes of the website Cycling Tips:"USA Cycling has been asked by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to look into the Gran Fondo Hincapie in the face of questions concerning rider eligibility."

“USA Cycling has informed USADA that the Gran Fondo Hincapie constitutes a cycling 'activity' that is 'authorized' by USA Cycling as those terms are used in the World Anti-Doping Code and in the Anti-Doping provisions of the UCI (International Cycling Union) Cycling Regulations.

“Under these provisions, an athlete’s suspension bars participation in an authorized activity such as this. The UCI has confirmed USA Cycling’s interpretation. The World Anti-Doping Code vests jurisdiction in UCI and in USADA to determine whether an athlete has violated the terms of any suspension, as well as to assess any sanctions that might accompany an adverse determination.”

USADA, whose investigation in 2012 resulted in Armstrong being banned from sport for life and stripped of results including his seven Tour de France victories, had raised the issue of Armstrong taking part in the event with USA Cycling. 

USA Cycling’s Gran Fondo Regulations require that “By entering the event, the participant agrees to respect the regulations of the UCI, USA Cycling, and the particular regulations of the event.”

Initially it had been reported that as a non-sanctioned event, Armstrong could ride it. But it is listed on USA Cycling’s website, classified F, meaning a “Fun Ride or Tour.”

Armstrong is banned “from participating in any activity or competition organized by any signatory to the Code or any member of any signatory,” and USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner confirmed it had sought clarification with the governing body.

She told Cycling Tips: “After this question was brought to our attention, we reached out to USA Cycling, and we are awaiting their determination as to whether or not this Gran Fondo qualifies as an authorised event under the rules.”

There are also implications in USA Cycling's Gran Fondo rules for current professionals planning to ride the event, including van Garderen and BMC Racing team mate Brent Bookwalter, as well as Garmin-Sharp’s Alex Howes and Tom Danielson – the latter a former team mate of Armstrong who testified against him.

The Gran Fondo Regulations say: “Riders belonging to a UCI Protour team or UCI professional continental team may not take part in Gran Fondo events without an exception granted by the UCI. However, a rider may participate without this exception in one event per year that bears his name.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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51 comments

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kcr | 9 years ago
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Hincapie chose to register the event with USA Cycling (I'm guessing this might be for insurance or liability reasons?) so it has to be run according to their regs, which already exclude Armstrong. It's not a new punishment or something invented just to annoy Armstrong. I'd be surprised if Hincapie did not already know about this and was just chancing his arm for the publicity and hoping he would get away with it.

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Liaman | 9 years ago
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Does it really matter if he rides or not?

I accept that he did a lot of bad things when he was a professional cyclist, and for that reason any role in professional cycling should be unavailable to him. Be it as a DS, coach etc (although he wouldn't be the only proven and convicted doper in one of those roles, not by a long shot).

But let's apply a bit of common sense here. It's a glorified sportive that he has no interest in winning, he's only there to ride with some friends that invited him along and chat with members of the public. Is it really the end of the world if he rides?

I understand that strictly speaking, USADA shouldn't let him ride. But it seems that they are taking it a bit far in this case, and I would wager that they're doing it just to piss him off.

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Daipink replied to Liaman | 9 years ago
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Liaman wrote:

. . . It's a glorified sportive that he has no interest in winning . . .

You can win a sportive?  7

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eschelar | 9 years ago
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It's the difference between a ban and a punishment.

A ban means: no more racing, dickwad.

A punishment means: you your cheating above and beyond, so your punishment is more than simply a ban.

The message here is: If you want to dope and have fun riding bikes that's fine. If you want to dope so you can cheat in organized races with big cash payouts, now you're playing with fire.

They should take his bike away and tell him if he wants to exercise, he has to run. OK, tricycles allowed, but they have to be kid's sized with pink tassels! And no jerseys! T-shirt and jeans for you bub!

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bigjeff | 9 years ago
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We should see if he wants to do a sportive then, the USADA won't recognise this and so, it will bring in loads for charity if he rode..

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crikey | 9 years ago
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LinusLarrabee | 9 years ago
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I hope he just turns up and rides with his mates without a number or timing chip.

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dafyddp | 9 years ago
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presumably this event is on public roads? Unless closed, I'm guessing there's nothing (in The Land Of The Free), to stop him going out for a personal ride, around the same time? I can't imagine personal scruples would be much of an issue...

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Bunn | 9 years ago
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Don't ever let him race again.

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Cyclist | 9 years ago
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I have never wished anyone dead, a rant is a little bit different to wishing people were dead.

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Colin Peyresourde | 9 years ago
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The problem is that he can't just 'turn up'. In his own words, he is 'Lance F-ING Armstrong'. If he rides then he is likely to get the event into trouble as he won't go unnoticed.

Lance made his decisions and one of them is not co-operating with USADA, and also trying to corrupt the U.S. legal system by getting the Federal case pulled.

The comments about not having ruined anyone's career is very wide of the mark considering he stymied Frankie Andreu's career, not Betsy. But I can see why she was angry with Lance. The list of people Lance screwed include his own best friend, Neal. But a lot of the comments here seem to be made by people who don't know what they are talking about.

All I can say is this couldn't happen to a better person, because a better person wouldn't have been as conceited, selfish, arrogant, vindictive and bullying as Lance. He made his decisions and now he can't even ride a sportive....them's the breaks.

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notfastenough | 9 years ago
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Well who here has turned up and ridden the route of a sportive without actually entering? He could always do that, and hope no-one recognises him!

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kcr | 9 years ago
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Armstrong broke the rules of the sport. He was prosecuted and sanctioned. He is ineligible to ride the Fondo according to the conditions of the event. Pretty simple.

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andyp | 9 years ago
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"destroyed so many careers". Well, the 'two-speed peloton" pretty much put paid to anyone who didn't want to dope with EPO; LA didn't do that all by himself. He didn't do Greg Lemond any favours, but Greg's not destitute and is on his way back into the bike business with a lovely new bike, the Washoe. Maybe Betsy Andreau, but again, not destitute and how far can you go in your career as a masseuse? ."

Nobody used the word 'destitute' until you did. Also, I'm *fairly* certain that Betsy Andreu (sp) didn't have a career as a masseuse. Sounds as though you haven't a clue what you're on about.

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manmachine | 9 years ago
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usada are a bunch of mother fucking, vindictive, hypocritical scumbags. Little mommas boys with vaginas. Hey usada...

http://youtu.be/xuXcHcA46Zs?list=UUR8LBdeRKoh1Mviji1QPfXg

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zanf replied to manmachine | 9 years ago
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.

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nnnoodle | 9 years ago
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What noether said ^^^^.

Other comments supportive of Lance are either sociopathic or do not know the facts.

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daddyELVIS replied to nnnoodle | 9 years ago
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nnnoodle wrote:

What noether said ^^^^.

Other comments supportive of Lance are either sociopathic or do not know the facts.

Hilarious!!!

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manmachine replied to nnnoodle | 9 years ago
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Sociopathic! LMAO...because you have a hard on for Lance and he has shattered your pathetic, little dick world you deem anyone supporting him as sociopathic. What a moron you are Beaker. You take muppet to a whole new level...dumbass. Go back to playing with yourself down at Fraggle Rock little boy...  21

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daddyELVIS | 9 years ago
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And if he rides what can they do - ban him some more? Pathetic!

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Fran The Man replied to daddyELVIS | 9 years ago
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daddyELVIS wrote:

And if he rides what can they do - ban him some more? Pathetic!

Quite! Either he can ride his bike for fun, but he can't compete, or he can't ride his bike at all. The guy needs a bit of fun in his life, no matter how much pain he's caused in the past. Would you refrain from telling a joke to a condemned man?

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TheSpaniard replied to daddyELVIS | 9 years ago
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daddyELVIS wrote:

And if he rides what can they do - ban him some more? Pathetic!

Like banned drivers, you mean...?

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Airzound | 9 years ago
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Poor guy, just let him ride his bike with people who want to ride their bikes with him. Maybe no one will show up meaning he'll be on his own?

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Colin Peyresourde | 9 years ago
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Can he go as Juan Pelota?

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bartsie | 9 years ago
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Could it be that the organizers themselves registered this event with USA Cycling to raise its profile? The registration fee is about $200.

I don't have a feeling that USA Cycling are watching me every time I get on a bike, even if I meet a couple of friends.

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noether | 9 years ago
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Lance destroyed so many careers in his quest for dominance of the sport. These men and women have vanished from the scene without a second chance. He was a top athlete who refined the use of drugs to such height that he became unassailable. He demanded from his team to follow his practices. He used his wealth and influence a the top of the pyramid to bribe or otherwise bully whistle blowers into silence. Not content with his succes, he staged comeback after comeback. He plunged the sport into a deep state of disrepute from which it still has to recover, banking on the misplaced culture of omerta that prevailed. He was the primus inter pares who destroyed the sport. He has no place
in it, no matter how small.

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pwake replied to noether | 9 years ago
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noether wrote:

Lance destroyed so many careers in his quest for dominance of the sport. These men and women have vanished from the scene without a second chance. He was a top athlete who refined the use of drugs to such height that he became unassailable. He demanded from his team to follow his practices. He used his wealth and influence a the top of the pyramid to bribe or otherwise bully whistle blowers into silence. Not content with his succes, he staged comeback after comeback. He plunged the sport into a deep state of disrepute from which it still has to recover, banking on the misplaced culture of omerta that prevailed. He was the primus inter pares who destroyed the sport. He has no place in it, no matter how small.

Wow! For once I find myself in agreement with daddyELVIS, "Hilarious!"
Let's see:
"destroyed so many careers". Well, the 'two-speed peloton" pretty much put paid to anyone who didn't want to dope with EPO; LA didn't do that all by himself. He didn't do Greg Lemond any favours, but Greg's not destitute and is on his way back into the bike business with a lovely new bike, the Washoe. Maybe Betsy Andreau, but again, not destitute and how far can you go in your career as a masseuse? On the flip side, David Walsh, Paul Kimmage and likely others were all dining-out on the LA story for a good few years.

"top athlete who refined the use of drugs to such height that he became unassailable". All on his own, of course, no-one else involved, just the anti-Christ Lance in his secret lab. And Jan Ullrich got damn close to him; made for some great racing!

"used his wealth and influence a the top of the pyramid to bribe or otherwise bully whistle blowers into silence". It's called 'Lobbying' here in the States!!

"he staged comeback after comeback". Well, one and another in triathlon.

"He plunged the sport into a deep state of disrepute from which it still has to recover." Pretty sure there were a handful of folks watching the Grand Depart this year; yeah, pro-cycling's in a terrible state.

"primus inter pares who destroyed the sport". A bit of Latin always sounds authoritative doesn't it? First among equals would've done for me. Anyway, "destroyed the sport"? Pretty sure I watched a load of pro-cycling this year, including the Grand Depart mentioned above, all the usual Classics, a great Giro and Vuelta, topped off with an excellent World Road Race and time trial championships. Now looking forward to a bit of destroyed Cyclocross and some destroyed Six Days.

BTW, it will probably upset you to know that Lance still rides his bike regularly. He rode through my home city of Houston last weekend on a charity ride called Pablove Across America; there was no publicity for him riding, I guess he just saw it as a good cause and a chance to get on his bike. Wouldn't you?

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daddyELVIS replied to pwake | 9 years ago
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pwake wrote:

Wow! For once I find myself in agreement with daddyELVIS

LOL - quick, I'd better think of something unpopular to say - I've got a reputation to uphold, haha.

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dcddcd replied to pwake | 9 years ago
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pwake wrote
"used his wealth and influence a the top of the pyramid to bribe or otherwise bully whistle blowers into silence". It's called 'Lobbying' here in the States!!

But it's not though, is it?
It's downright vicious self-seeking nastiness.
Call it what you like in the States...

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Quince | 9 years ago
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Well, I'm just glad I'm not banned. I can go ride my bike, and I think that's fabulous!

\(^▽^@)ノ

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