It's About the Contract, Not the Doping

Josh Spivey

2012-08-29

This is a very good take on this. Not one that I had even considered.

On 8/29/12 11:04 AM, "Andy Stahl" wrote:

> When Lance voluntarily purchased a USCF-issued license to race bicycles
> internationally, he signed a contract that states, in relevant part, I agree
> to submit to drug testing and to comply with and to be bound by the UCI
> anti-doping regulations, the World Anti-Doping Code and its International
> Standards to which the UCI anti-doping regulations refer as well as the
> anti-doping regulations of other competent instances as foreseen by the UCI
> Regulations, the World Anti-Doping Code, or the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
> (USADA), provided such regulations comply with the World Anti-Doping
> Code.

Lance does not claim that USADA has violated its regulations or the
> World Anti-Doping Code, which include an arbitration process to contest
> USADA's doping ruling. Instead, he has simply walked away from the
> contract.

In other words, it's not about whether Lance doped or not. It is
> about whether he lives up to his end of a contract that he entered into
> voluntarily when he decided to work as a professional cyclist. Lance has
> chosen to unilaterally terminate that contract, rather than abide by its
> terms. Thats his prerogative. But Lance shouldn't expect the other parties to
> the contract to sit by idly and watch Lance continue to benefit from the
> awards earned under that contract while he walks away from the contract's
> penalty process.
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Andy Stahl

2012-08-29

When Lance voluntarily purchased a USCF-issued license to race bicycles internationally, he signed a contract that states, in relevant part, I agree to submit to drug testing and to comply with and to be bound by the UCI anti-doping regulations, the World Anti-Doping Code and its International Standards to which the UCI anti-doping regulations refer as well as the anti-doping regulations of other competent instances as foreseen by the UCI Regulations, the World Anti-Doping Code, or the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), provided such regulations comply with the World Anti-Doping Code.

Lance does not claim that USADA has violated its regulations or the World Anti-Doping Code, which include an arbitration process to contest USADA's doping ruling. Instead, he has simply walked away from the contract.

In other words, it's not about whether Lance doped or not. It is about whether he lives up to his end of a contract that he entered into voluntarily when he decided to work as a professional cyclist. Lance has chosen to unilaterally terminate that contract, rather than abide by its terms. Thats his prerogative. But Lance shouldn't expect the other parties to the contract to sit by idly and watch Lance continue to benefit from the awards earned under that contract while he walks away from the contract's penalty process.