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SCA Case Produces Doping
Allegations Against Armstrong |
Testimony in the legal dispute between SCA Promotions and Lance Armstrong “provides
some of the most serious doping allegations to date and the first on-the-record
outlines of a possible case” against him, according to an extensive investigation
by Alan Abrahamson of the L.A. TIMES. Accusations regarding Armstrong’s alleged
use of EPO contained in a hearing record include those made by anti-doping researcher
Michael Ashenden — who was retained by SCA Promotions — Italian doctor
Michele Ferrari, retired cyclist Greg LeMond, former teammates Stephen Swart and
Frankie Andreu and his wife, Betsy Andreu. But Armstrong denied all allegations,
and Dr. Craig Nichols, who supervised Armstrong’s cancer care, said in an affidavit
that he had “‘no recollection’ of any declaration of prior EPO use by Armstrong,”
as asserted by Betsy Andreu. SCA had agreed to pay a $5M bonus to Armstrong if
he won the ’04 Tour de France, but “resisted making the payment after allegations
of doping surfaced that summer.” The company in February agreed to pay the figure,
plus interest and legal costs. Before the settlement, arbitration judges ruled
that SCA “was acting as an insurer — a role that exposed it to potential
triple damages, at least $15[M], if it lost the suit” (
L.A. TIMES, 7/9).
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