14max

https://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug...&type=lgns

Is it me or does this seem pretty pathetic? I'm not a fan of Armstrong nor do I really know anything about Simeoni but this seems like a 3rd grade playground fight.

Berg417448

Strange legal system where you can allegedly do something in France but be held for trial in Italy.

spinnaker

You just got to love European courts. "Pathetic" is putting it mildly.

Crazy-B

What I don't get is how he could be brought up on charges for chasing him down in a race. Isn't that the idea of a race?

garysol1 

That made 0 sense to me as well

spinnaker

The charges have nothing (directly) to do with a race:

"Armstrong famously tarnished the Italian rider a "liar" in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde in 2003 after Simeoni had given evidence in 2002 to magistrates investigating disgraced Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari".

Crazy-B

If you reread, there were two separate charges. One for the liar thing, one for the chase down. The chasedown thing was dropped.

14max

It all comes out looking like a quick appearance in a kangaroo court to me. They should've settled it with fisticuffs instead because the whole court thing smacks of really weak ego on Simeoni's part...

HolyInstantRice

+1

SDRider

This is surprising from the country that tried to hold Adrian Newey and Frank Williams personally responsible for Ayrton Senna's death in 1994?

sprcoop

There is an article in the Jan. issue of Bicycle that touches on the subject. It pretty much centered on Michele Ferrari, the center of many of the doping controversies. He interviewed both Ferrari and Simeoni. Ferrari had some interesting documentation on Simeoni's hematocrit level after he quit working with Ferrrari. It had jumped to 52, or, illegal. I didn't think that was a very strong point in Ferrari's defense. Just showed that he knows how to manipulate EPO better than Simeoni.

Enough of that soap opera. Has anyone done the Conconi Test on page 55 to find your AT? Better yet has anyone done it in less than great shape and then again when in better shape and seen it move much? For some reason I am more comfortable at a higher heart rate than ever before and I'm not not in very good shape. My lack of speed proves that.

cooker

Weak ego? Simeoni did and said nothing to hurt Armstrong. He merely testified under oath in court about his own encounters with Ferrari. It was Armstrong who, for reasons known only to him, was so threatened by that, that went on to call Simeoni a liar in an internationally distributed newspaper, and to bully other riders into quashing Simeoni's chance for a possible stage win.

HJR

Finally, a rational response. Whether you hate Simeoni or not, or love Lance or not, please remember that Lance got himself involved in this case. Secondly the "chase down" occured as it was admitted to by Lance. The case was that he was trying to intimidate a witness in an Italian Trial, that is why it mattered to the Italian court. It was dismissed for lack of evidence, just a matter of he said/he said, because their was no corroboration as to who said what. Sounds to me like the legal system worked. As for the slander case, there is written evidence and hence it is going forward. What is really pathetic is that so many people believe that other countries' legal systems are run by baboons and theirs is so above reproach, when in fact, all legal systems are faulty and corrupt at some level.

14max

I don't disagree with you there. The court system in the U.S. is just as much a mess as any country. I was just giving my interpretation of the article which really did not go into detail as to the how's and why's of the case to appear in Italian court. And I just wanted to know the facts because it wasn't represented well and came off a bit biased.

And, really, the most pathetic part is that this had to go to court at all. There was a time when things could, and would be settled without the legal system becoming involved.

patentcad

Lance should have ridden up to that little ******* and just beaten the crap out of him at the TDF last year. Period. Then let the chips fall where they may.

alanbikehouston

Golly, Simeoni, not in the fifty best riders in the Tour was OWED a free stage win? No. To win a stage, you must ride faster than the other riders. For Simeoni to win a stage, the other riders would have to take the day off.

If Armstrong thinks Simeoni lied about Ferrari, Armstrong has the right to speak up. Armstrong says Ferrari provided him with key advice during his career, none of which involving cheating. He considered Ferrari a friend. If someone is out telling lies about one of my friends, I will correct them. And, so would you.

Armstrong let Simeoni off easy. An "old school" cyclist might have sent Simeoni flying off a cliff.

CyLowe97

Armstrong should be put in front of a firing squad! He's obviously guilty as a dirty Yank can get!!!!

msheron

Defamation of character...................is this not loosely interpreted by each and everyone of us? Knowing we can sue when someone calls us a liar should not be allowed into any civil hearing. It is ridiculous to think words alone when in passing like this hurt anyone. People should be a little tougher to mere words and let it roll off the cuff with a smile!

As far as chasing down...............tell the Italian to get quicker and pedal faster!

Doggus

More evidence of why the U.S. is large and in charge. Now if we could just do something about this monkey of a president. Does Ronnie Reagan have any identical twins still alive?

msheron

Reagan...............probably the best President known to the US!

cooker

Not at all. He probably wouldn't have won, but he was in fact in a breakaway group that most of the peloton didn't bother to chase down, because they weren't perceived as a threat. By personally chasing them down and forcing them to drop Simeoni, Lance was clearly settling a personal grudge against Simeoni, within the rules and traditions of the tour.
But what exactly was that grudge? That Simeoni had the balls to testify in court about his own cheating. He said nothing about Lance. Nevertheless, Simeoni's sworn testimony was such a threat to Lance that he had to publically humiliate Simeoni. Why? The "zip the lips" gesture says it all. Omerta.

Simeoni testified under oath about his own interactions with Ferrari, which only he and Ferrari are party to. Lance has no way of knowing for sure what went on between them, so how can he call Simeoni a liar? But if he wants to speak his mind, by all means, speak it and be prepared for the consequences. If you publically call someone a liar, without evidence, the consequences are that you might get sued for defamation. Simeoni would be a wimp if he didn't defend himself.

As I said, Omerta.

1955

Are we talking about the Tour or a knitting circle here? Lance didn't need a reason to spank Simeoni and what if he did it to just be mean...IT'S RACING! When Lance did that to that wimp I was cheering him on!

Your way of thinking is the reason for the sue happy world we now live in. I guess your idea of courage is to run to the courts and ask momma mia to make him stop. You're also assuming that Simeoni is telling the truth just because he made a sworn statement in a court of law...please!

Ralph

cs1

This time it's the Italians. When will they leave Armstrong alone? https://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/15/D8EGNG8G9.html

Tim

Grasschopper

Sorry Tim had to do it There has been a thread running about this for a day or two now and it is still on the front page.

No Exit

Thats crap, how can they ORDER Lance to stand trial? If he wants to humor them, he can show up but he's not Italian, he's American. He doesn't answer to them.