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Originally Posted by Azure
Outside of the 'testimonies' from the other riders, the other 'evidence' the USADA is pretty weak.
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Azure you should read the 200 page report. I did last night. Even if you want to put aside everything else, which by it itself is overwhelming evidence and first hand accounts from
everyone around him, there is the issue of Michele Ferrari.
Armstrong has had a relationship with Ferrari since 1996 (supported by email documentation) all the way till last year. In all he paid Ferrari, either directly or through his son, $1,000,000 over the course of this time. Ferrari is a notorious doctor that was stripped of his accreditation in 2010 and has been under investigation since before 2004. Ferrari compared the use of EPO to Orange Juice and was an active promoted of using performance enhancing drugs in cycling.
Armstrong came out publicly in 2004 and said:
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I was disappointed to learn of the Italian court's judgment against Dr. Michele Ferrari. Dr. Ferrari has been a longtime friend and trusted adviser to me and the USPS team, during which time he never suggested, prescribed or provided me with any performance-enhancing drugs... However, I have always said that I have zero tolerance for anyone convicted of using or facilitating the use of performance-enhancing drugs. As a result of today's developments, the USPS team and I have suspended our professional affiliation with Dr. Ferrari as we await the release of the full verdict...
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Yet till 2011 was in contact and continued to pay Ferrari large sums of money.