Lance Armstrong had to testify last November in relation to Floyd Landis’ lawsuit and Accptance Insurance. Some of that testimony is now coming out and has been reported by USA Today.
It’s being said that USPS team manager Johan Bruyneel, team owner Thomas Weisel and doctor Michele Ferrari all knew of the doping on the team. One of the big news that came out of this is that Chris Carmichael also knew. Carmichael had picked Lance for the 1996 Olympic team and knew of the doping since 1995. (But what of the other members of the team?) Chris may be in hot water himself because he’s publicly defended Armstrong on numerous occasions.
Chris Carmichael & Jim Ochowicz on the Champs Elysee 1999 TdF
“I’m convinced Lance won his Tour de France titles because he was the best athlete,” Carmichael was reported to have said.
From Velo News: “I believe he was the best trained, the most focused, the most disciplined, and the most dedicated to excellence.”
Carmichael, a former pro in his own right and member of the 1984 Olympic road team, also said, “In 20 years, I never saw him use any banned substances, and in my eyes, seeing is believing.”
He previously told Cyclingnews that the Andreus’ assertion was inaccurate.
“Hopefully they can get this stuff figured out. If people are cheating they need to be held accountable.” -he was reported to have said.
Weisel speaking at USPS 1999 Victory Party at Musee d’Orsay
USA Today reported that “Landis’ attorney filed … to compel discovery materials from Thomas Weisel, the financier of Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service cycling team.”
Mark Gorski, the USPS team general manager and a gold medalist in the individual sprint at the 1984 Olympics was also possibly implicated in this.
Mark Gorski at the 1999 Tour de France
