Lance Armstrong Doping Story Points Toward S.F. Company

By Matt Smith Tue., May 24 2011 at 7:54 AM

It's about the EPO.

CBS' 60 Minutes shook the sporting world Sunday with extraordinary doping accusations involving the seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.

According to Armstrong's former teammate Tyler Hamilton, Armstrong dosed his own teammates post-race with droppers-full of steroids, received illicit transfusions of oxygen-rich blood, and helped in the distribution of banned doping products.

But the 60 Minutes episode also included subtler details drawing potential doping culpability away from Armstrong, and toward team managers working for San Francisco financier Thomas Weisel.

The big news in Sunday evening's 60 Minutes piece was an interview with ex-Armstrong teammate Tyler Hamilton, an Olympic gold medalist now serving an eight-year ban for doping violations unrelated to Armstrong.

Last July, at about the same time news reports emerged that Hamilton had agreed to speak with federal officials, Armstrong hired a criminal defense attorney. The coincidence seemed portentious because Hamilton had long been considered a potential Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano of cycling, in which a ringleader's lieutenant is so well-placed that his information could bring down an entire organization.

Hamilton didn't disappoint, alleging Armstrong doped during at least three Tour de France wins.

But Hamilton also made statements that seemed to steer the United States Postal Service doping story away from Armstrong, and toward the Tour champion's one-time patron and business partner, Weisel.

UP NEXT: The connection between Armstrong, Weisel, and the USPS racing team.

Tags:

60 Minutes, Doping, Lance Armstrong, Thomas Weisel Partners

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michael schatzman

Matt Smith - an ex-pro who actually understands cycling - is one of the few reporters who has connected the dots between all these characters. Bravo. WWW.VELOPORK.COM

Haggie

Hamilton was very well coached by his attorneys' He was able to make alot of unverifiable, unactionable claims while garnering alot of publicity.

I assume he will be announcing a book deal shortly, if he hasn't already...

smiththelocksmith

I read someone where that you can write what ever you want in a book. I also heard writing a book is like winning the lottery. People make so much money from writing a book they can live forever and never work again.

The only rich men here are Weisel and Armstrong. The only man obsessed by publicity is Armstrong with his special brand of trademarked cancer awareness. From memory Mr. Armstrong has written some books. Full of fantasy about winning clean and teaching the French people a lesson.

Oh the irony.

DIANABOL

Virtually all pro athletes use and the smarter ones don't get caught the ony people who really care are the media and politicians.

Steve F

All I read in this article is the Thomas Weisel sponsored the team. Neither this article or the 60 Minutes interview even indicated that Weisel even knew that doping was going on. Great smear piece.

Helsingor

Well, Steve, if you had a chuck of change behind the M-B and USPS teams, wouldn't you make it your damn business to know how the team was prepping and strategizing? Oh, so Wiesel was passive? Not likely in any other area of his gangbang life. But thanks for your insight. You are so wise.