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PAGE 8: ROAD BIKE ACTION NEWS FLASH: ASO & ARMSTRONG TRADE WORDS
Tim Maloney-European Editor
October 4, 2008
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Despite Lance Armstrong's seven consecutive Tour wins and no positive drug tests by he or his team ever in his career, new ASO head, 32 year old Jean-Etienne Amaury committed a gaffe when he told L'Equipe, the sports newspaper his family owns yesterday that "The Tour de France's position has always been very strict and that will not change in the years to come," and then referring to Armstrong, Amaury said, "We can't say that (Armstrong) has not embarrassed the Tour de France, as he has had a quite a complicated history with it." Despite his Stanford MBA and supposed sophistication, Amaury's surprising boner when referring to Armstrong was unexpected and disappointing to many who expected the young Frenchman to provide some modern, global leadership to ASO.
Lance Armstrong quickly released a response to comments made by ASO's Amaury, saying "The last time I checked I won the Tour de France seven straight years and was NEVER once found to be guilty of doping despite 7 years of intense scrutiny. Not to mention that my team of 25 riders over those 7 years was also NEVER found to be positive. We won clean and fair. Also, according to industry standards, TV ratings, worldwide media impressions, spectators along the route, and global sponsorships were at an all time high. Where's the embarrassment in that? "
"Furthermore, as I've stated clearly, my main objective in 2009 is to bring about global awareness of a disease that kills 8 million people annually worldwide. Nobody ever said that I need the Tour de France in order to try and achieve this. It comes down to an issue of distraction, while I love the event and France's people, I cannot accept this sort of grandstanding which distracts from the Livestrong message that is urgently needed, and being sought out, in many other places around the world."
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