Lance Armstrong backed Nike even with medication revelations: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

Nike are refusing to cut their ties with Lance Armstrong despite his role as ringleader in 'the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme sport has ever seen'.<br>Armstrong's myth as a cycling hero has been blown to pieces by evidence exposing the seven-time Tour de France winner.<br>Despite the mounting backlash against the one-time icon, Armstrong's main sponsor Nike continue to back him.<br>After the latest revelations emerged, Nike re-released the same statement first issued in August. It reads: 'We are saddened that Lance Armstrong may no longer be able to participate in certain competitions and his titles appear to be impacted.<br>Scroll down for video<br>Support: Lance Armstrong continues to wear the Nike swoosh on his gear<br>Disgraced: Armstrong's career achievements have been tarnished <br>USADA's reasoned decision  Click here to read the reasoned decision from the USADA <br>'Lance has stated his innocence and has been unwavering on this position. Nike plans to continue to support Lance and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a foundation that Lance created to serve cancer survivors.' <br><br>Nike, the world's biggest sportswear brand, have long sponsored Armstrong and his Livestrong charity that has raised money to help cancer survivors and research. Since 2004, Nike has helped Livestrong raise over $100million as well as creating the famous yellow wristbands that have been sold 84m times.<br>And Sporting Kansas City's stadium will continue to carry the name of Lance Armstrong's cancer charity Livestrong despite him being labelled as a serial drugs cheat.<br><br>The Major League Soccer team's home ground is known as Livestrong Sporting Park and the club's chief executive Robb Heineman, speaking at the Leaders in Football conference in London, refuted any suggestion that the name would change.<br><br>'The reason we did the partnership was for everyone affected by cancer and the 80 million members of Livestrong worldwide,' Heineman said.<br><br>'That is how we think of the relationship with the brand. The Lance information is less relevant around our partnership. It is really about the 28 million cancer survivors worldwide and what we can do to support them.<br><br>'It is more around the mission with that brand and the relationship we have with the brand. It truly is about helping those afflicted with cancer and the lifestyle they live with every day.'<br><br>Trek Bicycle Corp also sponsor Arrmstrong and the US company confirmed it is monitoring developments. Trek also sells Livestrong branded bikes.<br><br>Lying again: Armstrong has a medical test before the 2002 Tour<br>THE JOURNALISTS WHO REFUSED TO LET ARMSTRONG ESCAPETwo journalists have campaigned for a decade to expose Armstrong as a drugs cheat. Sunday Times sportswriter David Walsh led the way, with the co-author of his book, L.A. Confidentiel, Pierre Ballester, as well as the former Tour de France rider and journalist Paul Kimmage.<br>Walsh discovered Armstrong was working with Dr Michele Ferrari, an Italian coach who was suspected of administering EPO. <br>Walsh tweeted: 'In the war on doping, this is a seminal moment. An untouchable is about to be exposed, one who believed he was protected by his own sport.' <br>Kimmage, the author of Rough Ride, about his own experiences with drugs as a professional cyclist in the 1980s, confronted Armstrong at his comeback in 2009.<br>In a heated exchange between the two, Kimmage, who has also written for the Daily Mail, repeated his earlier claim that Armstrong represented 'the cancer of doping'.<br>More recently, cycling's world governing body the UCI announced that they are suing Kimmage for his claims that they are 'corrupt'. Supporters of Kimmage have raised more than $50,000 to help him. <br>On Wednesday, the US Anti-Doping Agency released a 200-page report revealing in minute detail how Armstrong:<br><br>Surrounded himself with drug  runners and doping doctors<br><br>Bullied team-mates into using his methods<br><br>Intimidated witnesses<br><br>Repeatedly lied to investigators<br><br>Pulled out of a race to avoid a test.<br>No fewer than 11 team-mates testified against him, leaving USADA with 'no doubt that Mr Armstrong's career (from 1998-2005) was fuelled from start to  finish by doping'.<br>The report says: 'Armstrong and his handlers engaged in a massive and long-running scheme to use drugs, cover their tracks, intimidate witnesses, tarnish reputations, lie to hearing panels and the press and do whatever was necessary to conceal the truth.'<br>It adds that his goal to win the Tour de France 'led him to depend on EPO, testosterone and blood transfusions but also, more ruthlessly, to expect and require that his team-mates would likewise use drugs to support his goals'.<br>The dossier, described as 'jaw-dropping' by British Cycling performance director David Brailsford, was delivered to the headquarters of cycling's world governing body, the UCI. It is based on the sworn testimony of 26 people, including 15 cyclists who were involved in, or had knowledge of, the doping conspiracy. It also uses scientific evidence and bank records.<br>But the report has also been described as 'one-sided hatchet job,' the cyclist's lawyer have said. <br><br>'We have seen the press release from USADA touting the upcoming release today of its "reasoned decision,"' Armstrong lawyer Sean Breen said.<br><br>'(The) statement confirms the alleged "reasoned decision" from USADA will be a one-sided hatchet job - a taxpayer-funded tabloid piece rehashing old, disproved, unreliable allegations based largely on axe-grinders, serial perjurers, coerced testimony, sweetheart deals and threat-induced stories,' <br><br>Breen also said the agency was 'ignoring the 500-600 tests Lance Armstrong passed, ignoring all exculpatory evidence, and trying to justify the millions of dollars USADA has spent pursuing one, single athlete for years.'<br><br>He added: 'USADA has continued its government-funded witch hunt of only Mr Armstrong, a retired cyclist, in violation of its own rules and due process, in spite of USADA�s lack of jurisdiction, in blatant violation of the statute of limitations.'<br>Armstrong led the US Postal team from 1998, when he launched a comeback after recovering from cancer, to 2005, when he retired after winning a record seventh Tour. Travis Tygart, the head of USADA, said that during this period 'Armstrong acted as a ringleader and intimidated people who spoke out about doping'.<br>It amounted, said Tygart, to a 'doping conspiracy professionally designed to groom and pressure athletes to use dangerous drugs, to evade detection, to ensure its secrecy and ultimately gain an unfair advantage.<br>Shamed: Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles<br>'The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the US Postal Service pro cycling team ran the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen.'<br>The report also alleges that Armstrong paid more than $1million (�625,000) to a Swiss bank account controlled by Dr Michele Ferrari, an Italian coach who has consistently been linked to doping and who stands accused by USADA of administering banned products<br>

'After being encouraged by the team, pressured to perform and pushed to my physical limits, I crossed a line I promised myself and others I would not: I doped. It was a decision I deeply regre<br>'

Hincapie then found out that drug [http://Captiveye-pointcorp.com/ghdstraighteners.htm testers] were waiting at their hotel. 'I texted Lance to warn him to avoid the place. As a result, Lance dropped out of the rac<br>'

It took tremendous courage for the riders on the USPS Team and others to come forward and speak truthfully. It is not easy to admit your mistakes and accept your punishment. But that is what these riders have done for the good of the sport, and for the young riders who hope to one day reach their dreams without using dangerous drugs or metho<br>.

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