NIKE ACCUSED OF COVER-UP
THE Lance Armstrong scandal took a new twist yesterday with the allegation that Nike paid $500,000 to the former head of cycling’s world governing body, Hein Verbruggen, to cover up a positive drugs test.
The US sportswear giant, a long- time sponsor of Armstrong and his Livestrong charity, said last week that they were standing by him, despite the decision of the US Anti-Doping Agency to ban him for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles.
And the company issued a statement last night saying they ‘vehemently deny’ that they ‘paid former UCI president Verbruggen $500,000 to cover up a positive drug test’. It followed a report in the
New York Daily News that Kathy LeMond, wife of threetime Tour winner Greg, testified under oath in 2006 that she was told by Armstrong’s mechanic, Julien Devries, about the alleged donation in July 2000.
It is alleged the payment was made by Nike and Thom Weisel, an American financier who helped set up Armstrong’s team, and that it was paid into a Swiss bank account belonging to Verbruggen, president of the UCI from 1991-2005, and now UCI honorary president and an honorary member of the IOC. Mrs LeMond confirmed to
Sportsmail last night that her testimony in 2006 followed a conversation with Devries in July 2000. At the time, Devries was working for Armstrong, but he had worked with, and been close to, LeMond, who retired in 1994. Mrs LeMond said that Devries told her in 2000 that the payment came after Armstrong tested positive for corticosteroids at the 1999 Tour. ‘ Everything else Julien told us has turned out to be accurate,’ said Mrs LeMond.
She originally revealed her conversation with Devries during a 2006 deposition in Texas after Armstrong filed a lawsuit against SCA, an insurance company who withheld a $5million bonus because of doping allegations in the book
L.A. Confidentiel. The LeMonds — among the first high-profile people to go public with their suspicions that Armstrong doped — were called to testify by SCA. In the event, SCA paid the bonus, though they have intimated in the last week that they will seek to reclaim the money.
A UCI spokesman yesterday insisted they would say nothing about the Armstrong case until 31 October, which is the deadline for their response to USADA’s ‘Reasoned Decision’ against Armstrong and his team, US Postal. Nike’s decision to continue supporting Armstrong has drawn criticism and protests, with a former team- mate of Armstrong, Paul Willerton, yesterday leading a group of cycling fans to the company’s corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Banners brandished by protesters included a variation on Nike’s slogan: ‘Just do the right thing: sack Lance.’
Meanwhile, American rider Levi Leipheimer has been sacked by Omega PharmaQuick Step after admitting he took banned substances as part of the USADA investigation.
Leipheimer, 38, was one of 11 former team-mates of Armstrong to testify against him.
‘Quick- Step Cycling Team announces that the contract with Mr Leipheimer has been terminated, effective immediately,’ the team said in a statement yesterday.
‘We commend the rider for his open co- operation with USADA and contribution to cleaning up the sport of cycling. However, in the light of the disclosures made by Mr Leipheimer the team has decided to terminate the contract.’
Leipheimer’s best results include finishing second in the 2008 Vuelta and third in the 2007 Tour de France. He also won a road time-trial bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.