GENEVA — An independent panel will examine possible links between cycling’s governing body and the Lance Armstrong doping case.
Panel to eye links between
cycling body, Armstrong
GENEVA — An independent panel will examine possible links between cycling’s governing body and the Lance Armstrong doping case.
The three-member panel will meet in London from April 9-26, with a June 1 deadline to deliver its report.
The group consists of retired British judge Philip Otton, Australian lawyer Malcolm Holmes and former Paralympics star Tanni Grey-Thompson.
John Coates, president of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, was key in establishing the panel. The International Cycling Union had no say as to who would serve.
“The appointment of these three eminent figures demonstrates clearly that the UCI wants to get to the bottom of the Lance Armstrong affair and put cycling back on the right track,” UCI President Pat McQuaid said in a statement Friday. “We will listen to and act on the commission’s recommendations.”
IOC ready to take away Armstrong’s Olympic bronze
LONDON — His seven Tour de France titles erased from cycling’s record books, Lance Armstrong still holds claim to one piece of sports hardware — an Olympic medal.
But for how much longer?
The fate of Armstrong’s medal will be addressed when the International Olympic Committee executive board meets next week in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Twelve years after Armstrong won bronze in the road time trial at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the IOC wants the medal back after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s report of widespread doping by Armstrong and some teammates during his seven Tour de France victories from 1999-2005.
‘Not awkward’: Vilma, Smith, Williams face-to-face
WASHINGTON — It had been 10 months since New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith were face to face with their former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams — a span that included NFL suspensions for all three in connection with what a league investigation determined was a cash-for-hits bounty program.
For about four hours on Friday, Vilma and Smith sat and watched while their lawyers cross-examined Williams during a hearing that is part of the players’ latest appeals of their punishments.
“We got to hear what Gregg had to say,” Smith said afterward. “We wanted to make sure we were there just to hear him out.”
Smith described the hearing, the third this week in Washington overseen by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, as “peaceful” and “not awkward.”
Smith, suspended four games, and Vilma, suspended for the entire current season, have been allowed back on the field while their appeals are pending, and both flew into town after playing in the Saints’ 23-13 loss at the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Two former New Orleans players also were banned: Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita had his suspension reduced to one game, while free-agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove has not played in the NFL this season but faces a two-game suspension if he signs with a team.
Military Bowl will be
San Jose State vs. MAC
WASHINGTON — This Military Bowl will feature San Jose State and a team from the Mid-American Conference.
San Jose State has accepted an invitation, and the MAC announced Friday night that it reached an agreement with the bowl for one of its teams to be in the game Dec. 27. The Military Bowl is played at RFK Stadium. Last year, another MAC team was in it when Toledo beat Air Force 42-41.
This year’s game was supposed to be Army against an Atlantic Coast Conference team, but Army isn’t eligible, and the ACC has only six bowl-eligible teams.
By wire sources