Texan’s right hand man speaks about ‘widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists’
George Hincapie, the only rider to have ridden all seven of the Tours where Lance Armstrong reached Paris in yellow, has today admitted to doping during that period of his career and also said that he provided testimony in relation to the doping of others.
“Because of my love for the sport, the contributions I feel I have made to it, and the amount the sport of cycling has given to me over the years, it is extremely difficult today to acknowledge that during a part of my career I used banned substances,” he said in a statement released at the same time as one by USADA CEO Travis Tygart, which announced his cooperation.
“Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level without them. I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates and fans.”
Hincapie was spoken of as a possible winner of the Tour de France in the year after Armstrong retired, 2006, but according to rumours at the time, he ended up riding that Tour clean due to the fallout from Operacion Puerto. Having finished fourteenth overall and won a stage in 2005 despite riding for Armstrong, he finished back in 31st and never contended again.
His performances also became quieter in the years since, with Hincapie stating today that he rode clean from that point onwards.
“I have competed clean and have not used any performance enhancing drugs or processes for the past six years,” he said. “Since 2006, I have been working hard within the sport of cycling to rid it of banned substances. During this time, I continued to successfully compete at the highest level of cycling while mentoring young professional riders on the right choices to make to ensure that the culture of cycling had changed.”
Hincapie was regarded as the rider most close to Armstrong and consequently many have stated that his testimony would be the most compelling of all, in terms of plausibility. He has joined up with ten other former US Postal Service riders, namely Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, Levi Leiphimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie in speaking about systematic doping on the team, with those plus 15 other witnesses aiding the investigation.
Hincapie states that it was difficult to speak about the doping of others, presumably referring to Armstrong and his team-mates.
“Two years ago, I was approached by US Federal investigators, and more recently by USADA, and asked to tell of my personal experience in these matters,” he said. “I would have been much more comfortable talking only about myself, but understood that I was obligated to tell the truth about everything I knew. So that is what I did.”
He retired from the sport this year, ending his time with the BMC Racing Team after the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
USADA has sent its reasoned decision today to the UCI and to WADA, with Tygart saying that over 1000 pages of evidence has been built in the case against Armstrong. More details of that evidence is expected to emerge later today, and will be carried on VeloNation.com.
Hincapie’s full statement is as follows:
For over 30 years I have dedicated my life to cycling. I have always been determined to compete at the highest level, in one of the most physically demanding sports. With hard work and success have come great blessings from the sport I love.
Teammates have become dear friends and I have worked hard to earn the respect of my competitors. I have been associated with managers and team officials whose professionalism is unparalleled. Wonderful fans have supported my family and me since I began this great journey. For all of this and more, I am truly grateful and proud.
Because of my love for the sport, the contributions I feel I have made to it, and the amount the sport of cycling has given to me over the years, it is extremely difficult today to acknowledge that during a part of my career I used banned substances. Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level without them. I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates and fans.
Quietly, and in the way I know best, I have been trying to rectify that decision. I have competed clean and have not used any performance enhancing drugs or processes for the past six years. Since 2006, I have been working hard within the sport of cycling to rid it of banned substances. During this time, I continued to successfully compete at the highest level of cycling while mentoring young professional riders on the right choices to make to ensure that the culture of cycling had changed.
Two years ago, I was approached by US Federal investigators, and more recently by USADA, and asked to tell of my personal experience in these matters. I would have been much more comfortable talking only about myself, but understood that I was obligated to tell the truth about everything I knew. So that is what I did.
Cycling has made remarkable gains over the past several years and can serve as a good example for other sports. Thankfully, the use of performance enhancing drugs is no longer embedded in the culture of our sport, and younger riders are not faced with the same choice we had.
I am proud to be part of the cycling community, and believe we continue to make positive changes to our sport. I applaud the extraordinary achievements of my fellow riders on and off the bike. Cycling is an incredible sport that not only requires unbelievable physical ability to ride hundreds of miles a day for many days on end; it also requires a certain type of dedication, ambition and character. I have been fortunate to compete with teammates whose commitment and talent will be hard to match. As a rider I have dedicated a large part of my career to helping those teammates succeed. As I begin the next chapter in my cycling life, I look forward to playing a significant part in developing, encouraging and helping young riders to compete and win with the best in the world.