Bruyneel: ‘French want Lance’s head at any price’
Johan Bruyneel vigorously defended Lance Armstrong against accusations by French authorities that the seven-time Tour de France champion may have run afoul with anti-doping rules during an out-of-competition test last month in southern France.
The Astana general manager, who arrived at the Vuelta al País Vasco on Thursday evening, told the Spanish sports daily MARCA that Armstrong did nothing wrong and insisted that the French have it out for Armstrong.
“It’s obvious that they want Lance’s head at any price,” Bruyneel told MARCA. “It’s no surprise, because we knew that they were going to make life difficult for him, but not like this. Lance has passed 24 anti-doping controls in half the world since he announced he would come back to race; 23 have been carried without any problem, but the last one, the only one he’s done in France, is already making life complicated for us.”
Officials from the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) said Thursday that Armstrong “did not respect the obligation to stay under direct and permanent observation” of the tester during an out-of-competition test carried out March 17 along France’s Cote d’Azur.
Armstrong released a statement Tuesday saying, “I did not try to evade or delay the testing process that day.”
Bruyneel was with Armstrong when an AFLD tester arrived unannounced at the house near Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France, where Armstrong was training ahead of his European season debut at Milan-San Remo later that week.
“A person who was accredited as an inspector from AFLD showed up at Armstrong’s house in Nice,” Bruyneel explained. “And, as it’s logical, before letting him in we made some calls to know if we should or not, first, because anyone can show an accreditation, and second, because we didn’t know if the AFLD had authority to make controls on foreigners. I don’t believe it’s a crime to ask questions, is it?”
“There was nothing extraordinary. When we confirmed things, we let him in and Lance gave a control of urine, blood and hair, which all have come back negative.”
When asked if Armstrong could have manipulated his urine while the inspector was waiting, Bruyneel cut in, “And the blood and hair too? If things weren’t so serious, it would make you laugh.”
“It was 20 minutes. And they will grab onto any small detail to try to sanction him. It’s looking and looking to try to find something,” he said. “It’s obvious that someone wants a photo, with a rifle in one hand and the trophy, Lance’s head, in the other. What’s important is that the controls were negative.”
Bruyneel expressed his frustration at what he perceives as a witch-hunt against his star pupil.
“We feel powerless, because it seems they’ll do just about anything to cause him harm,” he said. “They say that Armstrong has broken the anti-doping code, but to open a disciplinary file is not synonymous with a sanction. What’s happening to Lance would be unimaginable in other sports.”
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