I read an interesting analysis of who, in pro cycling, is likely to talk to Jeffrey Novitzky as he investigates the doping/fraud allegations against Lance Armstrong. The analysis names many top cyclists and others who will likely cooperate including Frankie Andreu, Jonathan Vaughters, Tyler Hamilton, Lance's ex-wife, Dave Zabriskie and others. Interestingly, he says that Levi Leipheimer is likely to crack down emotionally when confronted. He also lists and discusses those he doesn't expect to talk including George Hincapie.
One of the most interesting parts of the analysis is a link to an article that documents an IM exchange between Frankie Andreu and Jonathan Vaughters as they discussed doping among the pro cyclists including Lance, Floyd Landis and others. I've extracted some of the exchange below.
Vaughters makes it sound like Lance was very heavily involved, not only with doping himself but also with encouraging others on his team to be involved in the conspiracy.
In one part of the exchange, Vaughters says that on Lance's team "you think it's normal" to dope; he then says "or at least I did." He then says "it's very complex how the avoid all the controls now, but it's not any new drug or anything, just the resources and planning to pull of a well devised plan."
Vaughters then says that the team all got dropped on stage 9 (of the Tour de France, I am guessing) because they didn't have their blood doping. Then, on the rest day they got their blood and were fully recovered.
Later, he says that "they draw the blood right after the dauphine" (a major race right before the Tour de France) and they sneak it in on a motorcycle with "refridgerated panniers." He says that Floyd (Landis) "has a photo of the thing."
If Floyd still has the photo, I'm sure Novitzky will want to take a look at it; in fact, he probably has already.
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