Lance Armstrong gets support from fellow riders in wake of USADA punishment

Lance Armstrong of the USA riding for the US Postal Service team and Fillipo Simeoni of Italy riding for the Domina Vacanze team ride side by side and talk during Stage 18 of the Tour de France between Annemasse and Le Lons Le Saunier on July 23, 2004 in Lons Le Saunier, France. / Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images

(CBS/AP) MADRID - Lance Armstrong received plenty of support from fellow riders Friday.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and banned him for life after the American decided not to fight charges that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

One former rival, Filippo Simeoni, questioned why Armstrong didn't continue to contest the charges.

"It leaves me a bit perplexed, because someone like him, with all the fame and popularity and millions of dollars he has, should fight to the end if he's innocent," Simeoni told The Associated Press from his home in Sezze, Italy, during a lunch break from operating his coffee bar. "But I guess he realized it was a useless fight and the evidence USADA had was too great."

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Simeoni welcomed the changes in cycling that have led to stricter doping rules since Armstrong won his seven titles from 1999-2005, but said more should have been done a long time ago.

"That entire decade was one big bluff," Simeoni said.

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Lance Armstrong

At the Spanish Vuelta, riders including former rival and teammate Alberto Contador joined ex-Armstrong coach Johan Bruyneel in offering support.

"I think he was a cyclist who always showed such strength, great intelligence and spectacular physical conditioning," said Contador, who edged Armstrong for his second Tour title in the first year of his comeback in 2009 and has battled his own doping charges. "We should wait and see what happens at the close before passing judgment."

Bruyneel called Armstrong a victim of an "unjust" legal case.

"I'm disappointed for Lance and for cycling in general that things have reached a stage where Lance feels that he has had enough and is no longer willing to participate in USADA's campaign against him," Bruyneel wrote on his personal website. "Lance has never withdrawn from a fair fight in his life, so his decision today underlines what an unjust process this has been."

The International Cycling Union said it was still awaiting USADA's explanation before deciding whether it would take any action against Armstrong. The organizers of the Tour de France said they would wait to see what both USADA and the UCI did before commenting.

Appearing on "CBS This Morning" Friday, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian said the original charges brought against Armstrong in June were based on "non-analytical evidence" that he used performance enhancing drugs. This evidence reportedly included testimony from several former teammates, including Tyler Hamilton who told "60 Minutes" that he frequently saw Armstrong inject "EPO," a banned naturally occurring hormone known as a blood booster.

"It's bad news for cycling. Again, it's back to the famous problem of the end of the 1990s and early 2000s. If Armstrong cheated, it's normal he should be sanctioned," two-time Tour champion Bernard Thevenet told French radio. "It's a very strong message to send cyclists and those around them who think about cheating."

If Armstrong is officially stripped of his titles, Jan Ullrich could be promoted to champion in three of those years. Ullrich was stripped of his third-place finish in the 2005 Tour and retired from racing two years later after being implicated in another doping scandal.

"If that actually becomes the case, I'll comment on that then," Ullrich said. "Until then, it's speculation."

[Samnerd]

haha! Simeoni isn't giving Armstrong support, nor would he if you look at their relationship. Simeoni shared a doctor with Armstrong, and was doping heavily, and was banned for it. Armstrong bullied him off the Tour for talking about it. Simeoni questions why Armstrong would back off if he's innocent, the implication being that he's clearly guilty.

oh, and Armstrong has failed several drug tests. Two were hushed up by the UCI (who received a rather large donation from Armstrong immediately afterwards), one was a retrospective test in 2005 which discovered 6 samples with EPO from LA's 1999 Tour. Don't believe everything, or indeed anything, Armstrong says about it.

[Noval53]

The USADA has succeeded in a grand witch hunt. Now all the foul snitches, liars, and scum can pat themselves on the back for a lynching well done. May all the vermin involved get their gold coins paid in full; just like Judas.

[sctennessee]

have i missed something or did he not pass every single drug test he ever took for every single race? does that not count? if not, then why do they go to the time and expense of performing them?

[1stlttightwad]

You know the French were not going to let an American come into "their" playground and stick it to 'em..again and again.

[moeatthebeach]

WANT TO MAKE A "STRONG" QUIET STATEMENT IN FAVOR OF LANCE ARMSTRONG? OVERWHELM THEM WITH "LIVESTRONG" BRACLETS!! BUY A LIVESTRONG BRACLET AND MAIL IT TO THE USADA in SUPPORT OF LANCE !

Mailing address:
United States Anti-Doping Agency
5555 Tech Center Drive, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919-2372 USA