I believe Tyler…

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I believe Tyler… was doped to the gills.

I recently was able to secure purchase of the domain name ibelievetyler.com. I picked up the dot net version three or four of five years ago, mostly on a whim, and subsequently made a collection of “I believe” sites. (See ibelievefloyd.com, ibelievemayo.com, ibelieverasmussen.com, ibelievethechicken.com, ibelievevino.com.) Good times.

I’ve been waiting to post something regarding the domain name purchase, and today is the day to do it. First, a little background.

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last few years, IbelieveTyler.com was the domain name that started it all. It was only a few years ago when Interbyke was awash with button proudly claiming “I Believe Tyler!” They were everywhere. It was ridiculous. Did you just find out about professional cycling last week or something? You think American cyclists were just somehow able to win across the pond, during the heavy EPO years, with mineral water, cheese sandwiches and recovery massages?

And then the domain suddenly came up for sale. Just like that. Not being used anymore for its original purpose. Whoever owned it previously just let it go. Go figure. Everything I’ve done with these stupid fucking “I Believe” sites has been in direct response to that original stupidity. It is the O.G. of “I Believe” websites. So I bought it.

Joe Lindsey has a good write up on this “Believe me?” crap called How the Great Dope Debate belittles the power of the human spirit and makes cynics out of us all.

…Prentice Steffen, former team doctor for U.S. Postal Service, alleged that Hamilton and Marty Jemison, another of the team’s riders, approached him about procuring a more aggressive medical program to help the team. Steffen says the riders’ intent was clear, even though he admits drugs were never explicitly mentioned and he is not sure whether Hamilton ever actually spoke during the encounter.

Hamilton strongly denied the issue, swearing on the life of his wife and the grave of his dog that no conversation had ever happened. That seemed all well and good until Hamilton tested positive for a ghoulish practice: injecting someone else’s blood to enhance his performance.

The phrasing of Hamilton’s denial was viscerally strong–his wife, Haven, is clearly beloved, and his dog, Tugboat, was so close to him that Tugs received nearly as much press-time as Hamilton himself. But the phrasing reminded me of Eric Ryckaert, team doctor to Festina, who swore on the heads of his children that he had no part in that team’s doping, which was later revealed to be systematic, systemic, and a recognized and supported function of team personnel, including doctors. Hamilton’s denial of blood doping–couched partly in logical terms of why it would be stupid to do such a thing–endanger his and his wife’s health, his career, etc.–was almost a blueprint of [Rafael] Palmeiro’s statement in his defense. “Why would I do this in a season when I went before Congress?” Palmeiro asked during a conference call with reporters. “It makes no sense. I’m not a crazy person. I’m not stupid.”

Palmeiro is a Tyler Hamilton of baseball.

Dude swore on the memory of his dear departed dog Tugboat that he didn’t ask Prentice Steffen for doping products. (As a quick aside, our dear Marty Jemison handles his business in an entirely different manner. Don’t tase me, bro. Don’t tease me either.)

June 26, 2006
“I was very upset to read the accusations against me and to see my name associated with the “Operacion Puerto” investigation in Spain. I have not been treated by Dr. Fuentes.”

Just as he is nearing the end of a two-year suspension for blood-doping, American Tyler Hamilton is back in the news after a Spanish newspaper charged Monday that he had worked with Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes between 2002 and 2004. In Monday’s edition of El País, the paper cited secret police and court documents alleging that Hamilton not only engaged in banned blood transfusion practices, but also used EPO, anabolic steroids, human growth hormones and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) during his collaboration with Fuentes. http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/10110.0.html.

It’s not the drugs that get me. It’s the lies about the drugs.

Notice he did not say that he hadn’t doped. Rather, he said that he never asked Stevens, “anything of the sort.”

July 27, 2004
“The claim that I, along with another teammate, approached a team doctor and asked him questions about doping products back in 1996 is absolutely false. I swear on my wife’s life and the grave of my dog that I never asked that man about anything of the sort.” http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/diaries/articles/6685.0.html.

You can still buy that inane crap protesting his “innocence” over at cafepress.com/believetyler. You know, if you’re in to that sort of thing.

His backers are true believers.

Tyler’s father, Bill, was smiling, rather than shouting, at me until a few minutes ago. I had just shown him a group photo of Tyler, me and the rest of our 1993 University of Colorado cycling team. In the picture, we’re standing in Bill and Lorna Hamilton’s living room. We’ve just won the national collegiate championships at MIT, and Bill has thrown us a celebration bash at his Marblehead, Massachusetts, home.

Bill located me in the photo, then tilted his eyebrows and asked, “Where’s Quinn?” Quinn was a member of our five-man, five-woman team. I pointed him out.

Butting his chest toward me, Bill shouted, “He is a persona. Non. Grata!”

When I asked why, Bill’s voice became louder still.

“Because he’s. Not. A. Believer!” His voice exploded and a few eyes glanced our way.

“Why not?” I said. I knew without asking that to be a Believer meant to believe that Tyler had never doped–that he’d been falsely accused and convicted.

“Because he’s jealous!” Bill said, as if stating the obvious. He explained that Quinn, along with a Boulder athlete who had called Tyler a doper in his blog, had come to their guilty verdicts via envy.

That is when I got Bill’s blood really boiling.

“Well, Bill,” I said, “I don’t know how to tell you this. But I’m not sure I’m a Believer either.” http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s-1-9-16564-1,00.html.

WTF? I’d write something along the lines of; Pour out the big frosty glasses of Kool Aid, boys. And tip them cups back. Get it while the gettin’s good. But that is the man’s father talking. I can understand and respect a parents unwavering support. It’s the rest of you jokers I think are idiots.

More links at topics.nytimes.com.

And, now, in April of 2009, this chapter in American cycling is finally over. The Man from Marblehead, whom I used to praise on this site as a hero, is quietly riding off into the sunset.

Tyler Hamilton retires following second positive doping test
American national road champion Tyler Hamilton is the subject of a new doping investigation, one which could possibly result in his life-time banishment from the sport.

The 38-year-old Hamilton, however, confirmed at a news conference this morning that he plans to retire from cycling. http://www.velonews.com/article/90740.

Don’t let the door hit you on the ass.

Trackbacks:
ibelievetyler.com.
ibelievetyler.net.

6/16/2009 Update: Hamilton gets an eight (8) year ban. Read it here: http://www.velonews.com/article/93521.

5/19/2011 Update: Tyler Hamilton tells 60 Minutes he saw Armstrong inject EPO.

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About big jonny

The man, the legend. The guy who started it all back in the Year of Our Lord Beer, 2000, with a couple of pages worth of idiotic ranting hardcoded on some random porn site that would host anything you uploaded, a book called HTML for Dummies (which was completely appropriate), a bad attitude (which hasn’t much changed), and a Dell desktop running Win95 with 64 mgs of ram and a six gig hard drive. Those were the days. Then he went to law school. Go figure. Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

58 Replies to “I believe Tyler…”

  1. I also seem to remember that when I was decrying Tyler’s doping, I was called just about every single name in the book on websites that I frequented and commented on. No way Tyler could have doped! HE IS A NICE GUY! Sure, because nice guys don’t dope. And even the assertion that he was a nice guy I questioned a lot. Just a quick story for you.

    I’ve got a friend, we’ll call him Steve, mostly because that’s his name. Anyway, he was at the Interbikes one year, and saw Tyler walking around and asked him for a signature for his girlfriend. He said he didn’t sign things unless he got paid to do it, and this wasn’t one of those times. I mean, seriously? It’s stupid that you have to pay some sports star for their signature already, and here is this one guy, a cyclist no less, and he wouldn’t even sign a simple scrap of paper unless he got paid? Then he said something rude to my buddy, which I won’t repeat here, but let’s just say, it wasn’t a nice thing about his mom. Anyway, he was a dick

  2. i was at a local cycling club meeting….years ago…when Jemison came to grace us with his presence and dazzle all the local morons with tales of the peleton in Europe. Having been around other Pros and the like, I was not really impressed with the man but was very amused when the inevitable question about doping came up. “Marty”…says local idiot…”you ever see anyone dope on Postal?”…Marty, “…no, I’ve never seen anyone dope.”. That, as they say, was that…. No one thought to see between the lines of that simple statement coming from a local “God” of sorts. just foolish.

  3. I still believe Richard Virenque!… And Jan… And Barney…Oh wait a minute… Riis admitted it… Scratch that last one…

  4. Hilarious – The guys a trier and no mistake – Probably more reason for AFLD to push the TdF not to allow LA in.

  5. I quote “We are to judge without hypocrisy. “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (Rom 2:3)

    You condemn Tyler for making a mistake and not owning up to it… you only show your true self when in criticizing Tyler for not being a strong enough person to admit to his mistake, where does it say he must repent to YOU! He has admitted that he suffers from depression and has struggled with it for many years… yet you still condemn him?

    I quote “The Sentence Of The Hypocrite – Just as the wicked will be judged by God, so too shall the hypocrite! In fact, the judgment they will face will be exactly the same!” end quote

    I am not judging you and I do not Judge Tyler Hamilton but the honest truth is YOU are a SINNER and a HYPOCRITE, this is why you have this empty judgmental life filled with hatred and cynicism. this drives you to judge those that have fallen from the mighty pedestal in which YOU have placed them… its sad, I pity you! but I do not condemn even the lowest of sinners can repent… hopefully one day you will.

  6. “I am not judging you and I do not Judge Tyler Hamilton but the honest truth is YOU are a SINNER and a HYPOCRITE, this is why you have this empty judgmental life filled with hatred and cynicism.”

    That’s the funniest thing I’ve read all day. thanks dude!

  7. The only depression that he is suffering is that he got caught a second time….It sounds like the chimera defense to me. The only way he can save a bit of credability is to roll over on Bruyneel, Lance, and Postal….

  8. Jonny – kudos for grabbing all the “i believe” url’s! I was the original owner of the ibelievefloyd.com url as I grabbed it the second it was announced he was positive (loved floyd but didn’t believe his story) and never put up a page and let the url expire as I had threatening emails the very next day due to leaked “private” registration info!

    Funny how times have changed as their ‘legal teams’ have given up as this is all such a joke, particularly with Tyler “retiring” while holding the stars and stripes jersey. :)

  9. Is there any way to filter out these religious nuts that quote the bible ? I guess we’re spared them over this side of the pond. Glad to see you posting Big Mon, keep it up, although as I’m in final year law, I’m struggling to keep up to date, and sympathise with your situation. Just waiting for the draft and the fottball season to start, we can stream live HD video of each game over here now………if I rob a bank between now and the start of the season……

    Grumskikorsakov

  10. “I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers”

    oh, wait, sorry…wrong thread

  11. In 2005, I saw Tyler in the Fort Meyers Airport. He and Haven were travelling to the beach for some down time. I introduced myself and my wife, and we spent 25 minutes or so chatting. He signed an autograph and posed for some pics, and then invited my wife and I to join them for a beer the next day. Haven gave me believe dogtag, and then they were getting ready to head to the hotel. We said thanks as they were getting ready to head to the hotel, but I had a burning question ricocheting around my head. “Tyler”, ” i said, “what are you doing next year”, inquiring delicately about the state of his blood doping case. “Racing.” he said. Hmmm, really. “So I have to ask, did you do it?” He looked at me and, with the same expression a three old uses when asked if they drew on the wall in crayon, said, “No.” His eyes screamed at me, I am lying. And I know you know I am lying. Suddenly I felt like a complete idiot- (and normally I don’t require assistance in this area). I thought to myself, you just looked me in the eyes and lied to me. Dick. So much for that. I continued to want to believe him for awhile, afterall, he was so friendly and approachable in the airport. But I always felt a little uneasy watching him race for Tinkhoff and Rock- but I supported him anyway as an American cyclist. Now, DHEA, really. For depression. Really. Where in the annals of research is it hailed as a treatment for depression? If you wanted to retire so badly, have the balls to just up and do it. Why the f*%k did you CHOOSE to go out like this and kick American cycling in the balls. What a selfish prick. Go away and stay gone. I spit in your general direction. Arrogant co#k sucking prick.

  12. What a class A fuck up. I feel bad for Rock Racing. I like their style and this is something they don’t need.

  13. Chris get’s at the brass tacks of it doesn’t he? Tyler was positive twice FOR LYING. I have little doubt that his head is a butter churn; he lived a lie up until he got caught the first time, continued it, with much verbose fanfare through his ban, and on and on. His wife bailed, his mom’s sick and his dog died. Yeah he prolly should be on mood pills. But most folks, if the shit wasn’t working, they’d go to the doc that wrote the scrip and have the dosage adjusted. After all, he already had a hall pass. Why get a herbal remedy and presumably not read the ingredients on the label, despite knowing full well that anything that isn’t cleared by cycling’s higher powers would be suspect or banned? And sure, DHEA can be used with limited results in improving mental outlook, but it’s also a performance enhancer, plain and simple. Look it up if you want. Even simpler – it’s illegal in his sport. The possibility that pure blissful ignorance led to the ‘error’ is of course balanced by the more appalling arrogance that would befit someone cocksure of their ability to beat the system. I don’t know Tyler so I can’t say if he’s dumb or cocky, but I know when I’ve been lied to and I don’t even need to look’m in the eye. Tugboat deserved better. Our sport deserves better. All those fools trumpeting I Believe along the roadsides at ToC and the isles of Interbike, yeah, your man really stood up for ya.

  14. Hey Mark…

    Grow up and act like an adult and stop preaching your jesus shit to people who are trying to have a discussion about doping in a sport we love and have high regard for. If you have something to contribute in regards to the topic at hand, then great. Leave Jeebus out of it, he’s got better things to do, I’m guessing.

  15. Make it stop.

    I do believe in spooks. I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I do, I *do* believe in spooks, er I mean Tyler.

    I’ve come back from the great beyond to settle this once and for all. Tyler is innocent. And all the people who believe in him are not morons. We are believers. In God, Tyler and Lance. In that order. Well, maybe put Lance ahead of Tyler and God.

    The French are behind this. They invented DHEA. They made Tyler unhappy which caused him to take solace in the one thing that has always been there for him. Drugs.

    Tyler IS a nice guy. I remember when no one was watching he used to pat me on the head and neck. He used to stroke my ears in a loving manner. and my tail. And my balls. Lovingly. Is it a bad thing to stroke your dog off in public? I don’t think so! No one saw anything. I swear. Except for that paparazzi who snapped the photos and subsequently posted them on those dogporn sites. I want those shots back you bastard!

    No matter what any of you say about my master, I will always believe. Always. That belief and a good sniff of my own ass will always get me through the rough spots.

    Thanks for reading.

  16. Where the fuck did churchy come from? I sure as hell didn’t see that coming! On this site anyway… I think you shoulda made that left at Albaquoiky, Mark… Holy testicle TUESDAY! This is the wrong place for that load of shit! Somebody tea bag that dude, ASAP!

  17. yeah, if that guy spent any time going through the site his head was probably spinning with the demons.

    Actually I got a pretty good kick out of that, little change of pace.

  18. I don’t know what to say other than “Damnit, not another one!” T was a likable kind of guy in that nerdy sense. I guess he really liked living the high life.

  19. You hit it right on the head, Jonny…its not the doping, its the lying about doping that makes me fucking sick.

    I can fully understand how someone, in a time of weakness, makes the decision to dope. What is sickening is the huge web of systematic deceit that subsequently gets built around the decision. Where the fuck is the moral compass of these people, for Christ fucking sake…?

    As far as Tyler’s current excuse that DHEA was in his depressant suppliment: I actually kind of believe there might be some truth to this. I’d be fucking depressed too if my whole goddamn life was a fraud. Maybe the fact that he’s depressed is a good sign…it means that maybe, somewhere deep down there he has some morals buried down there that are being tweaked. Its pretty scary are the guys out there that AREN’T depressed after cheating their way to the top.

    I hope the fucking guy gets his answer and straightens his shit out.

    Thanks,
    Burt

  20. Tyler being a nice guy has NOTHING TO DO with him doping. one can dope and be a decent human being, all-around nice guy… fuck… the guy could buy us all a round or thirty; but when it comes to doping to win (or in many cases to be competitive…) it has nothing to do with being a good guy.

    They have NOTHING to do with one another.

    NOTHING.

    It’s about his lying about doping. About taking responsibility for his own actions. He doesn’t need to accuse others, indict others… fuck none of that matters. What matters is coming out and saying “I did it. I’m guilty, and I had to in order to keep competitive. If I hadn’t I would have been dropped and my like as a ‘Pro cyclist’ would have ended there. Full stop.”

    But no… protesting your innocence while being found multiple times as guilty (positive in this case) does nothing to raise sympathy.

    This ties in nicely with the last 30 years of Conservative think-tanks telling us ‘It’s someone else’s fault, not mine.’ doesn’t it…? Personal responsibility is nice, as long as it’s someone ELSE’S.

  21. my 2 cents…like anyone cares.

    churchy needs his porn fix and uses a response on this site to validate the “visit”.

    doping in cycling….ahhhh, yeah. the way i figure it..these guys, top guys like TH and the like, are paid a shit ton of money to race and win. they’d love to stay clean to do it ’cause i’m imagining that shit doesn’t make you feel all that good, day to day, week to week, etc ad nauseam. but the sponsors don’t care..they say, “hey tyler (or floyd or lance or…”, what the fuck happened yesterday? that guy “add name here” kicked your ass! you wanna do it clean, that’s cool…but i’m not paying you $2M to get your ass kicked…i’m paying you to win so you figure it out.”. so i guess they do…

    peace out.

  22. Tyler would never have a blood transfsuion. When I was a puppy I had to have a blood transfusion and he saw what it did to me and the pain I went through. Therefore he would never do it to himself. In addition since I died he has been depressed and to get over it he needed steroids.

  23. if he is that depressed put him on suicide watch. what is the over under on finding him hanging in a motel room? Ball and the big tug boat in the sky aint the only people worried about him

    look at the roll dude is on

    Stage 1 broken collar bone in Giro. frome favorite to moral victory Game over although he rode with courage blah blah

    gets huge props for asking big red to chill out and wait after LAnce crash in tour climb. cool I guess if it is true

    Dope bust. Lie Lie Lie make shit up etc. like all that shit was for his dog

    suspension

    Dog Dies

    on again of again Olympic medal question. keeps it but who gives a fuck

    no sponsors. no job

    More Puerto questions

    Cock Racing signs him

    Wife leaves his ass

    Takes Nationals with race full of cat 1’s when real riders pull out

    VS crew won’t give him time of day at TOC

    Xanax up the ass

    just WTF is an “over the counter” antidepresion med anyway?

    All that is left is a complete outing in a detailed book co-written by Lance’s Ex. That might bring him back and put food on the table

  24. Shades of Pantani?

    If he is suffering from depression I truly feel bad for him and hope he gets that shit straight. Anyone who has known someone with these issues can vouch for how bad it can be, and the desparation that can result.

    After all the years I am still suspicious though. Same shit different day?

    Best I can hope for is that he lets it go, owns up to what he and others in his generation were (and still are) doing, and maybe can end up having some type of positive impact on the sport in the end. Maybe after he has lost everything he will feel truly free to do anything, maybe get a heavy weight off his chest?

  25. My master has instructed me to inform all you believers that TheriderformerlyknownasTylerhamilton is very depressed. So depressed in fact that he is not responsible for his actions. Ever. But he will never snitch on Lance. As long as the checks keep coming in.

    Please pray for him. And there is no truth to the rumors that he will be starring in germangayfisting porn or pulling a Marco Pantani and scarfing up mountains of coke until his heart explodes. Besides, all the really good dealers are in Europe.

    Thank you Big Jonny for buying up the domain names. It is with your help and $ that we can assure that TH will return to racing some day. And I know that is what you all want.

    Until then, maybe we can use your site for a contest to rename my master.
    I suggest TB (teabagged).

    Thanks for reading

  26. Cycling without doping is not cycling.

    Point to any great rider or great period of cycling that did not involve doping.

    It’s what makes the sport great. It’s woven into the fabric of the sport. The first time two buys tried to out do each other on two wheels, they were both on something.

    Go watch the movie “Six Day Races” one the greatest periods in cycling… doping.

    Tyler is just following in the footsteps of the great legends of the sport.

  27. It’s clear he has very little regard for himself. Maybe it’s a little easier to ride through a broken collarbone when you’ve banked blood for the last six months with a rolling transfusion program. Or, maybe you hate yourself so much you have no value if you’re not winning.

    Tyler hasn’t exactly been riding well over the last year or two. Gotta wonder what he was doing ‘staying at Michael Ball’s house.’

  28. Tyler is lying about the DHEA and the positive test for testosterone.

    The natural metabolic pathway for androgens is DHEA to Androstenedione to testosterone or estrogen. In males, predominantly test. In females, predominantly estrogen.

    Conversely and counterintuitively, in males, supplementing with Andro increases estrogen levels. In females, supplementing with Andro increases testosterone. In neither case does it enhance athletic performance to any noticeable degree, although it will masculinize females. Not quite Tammy Hamilton butch, but enough to make them sexually aggressive and grow a stache. Life is full of little tradeoffs, eh?

    Supplementation with DHEA results in higher blood levels of DHEA but does not increase levels of testosterone or estrogen above baseline. It’s too far up the metabolic pathway. By the time it is metabolized into test or estrogen, the body’s natural feedback regulation limits those levels to baseline status quo.

    So, Mark McGwire brilliantly placed a bottle of andro in his locker while he was using truly anabolic steroids. Andro was unequivocally legal at the time, and at that time andro was touted, errantly, as an effective performance enhancer/body building agent. Brilliant red herring.

    By now, Tyler should have known that the human clinicals on DHEA are in, and that never does DHEA cause an elevated level of testosterone in males.

    Tyler is attempting the McGwire red herring, and it is amusing that none of the experts has yet called him on the ruse.

    If Tyler’s testosterone was elevated, it was because he was taking something truly aggressively anabolic.

    Ironically, one known benefit of supplementing with DHEA is improved mood. If he’d pound enough DHEA, he most likely would feel better. Unfortunately, even though DHEA is not a performance enhancer, it is banned and incompatible with professional racing.

    What was Tyler really on that elevated his testosterone?

  29. Smarter ThanYou,
    The story I’ve heard is that Hamilton was not on form at the beginning of the year (getting dropped, not performing, under pressure from team) and spent some time in Mexico doing what he needed to do to make improvements.

    He got tested. He got popped. He trotted out the, as you say, red herring. And here you and I are, for probably the first time, standing in agreement.

  30. My work here is nearly finished now that you’re coming around to my way of thinking.

    Congratulations!!

    And good luck with finals. Have a clerkship lined up?

  31. Smarter than you , brilliant stuff . Thats a good angle and it really does make alot of sense . Great analogy comparing that to McGwire and his deversion tactic ……… Red Herring , Wow .

  32. Big Johnny- regarding post #33..

    That makes more sense than anything discussed to date. Hit a few pharmacias and get some long acting Test into you. Elevated testosterone levels will bind up cortisol, elevate your mood and reduce the pain in your joints. Afterall, you can walk into many pharmacies in Mexico and buy Testosterone Cypionate right off of the shelf. THEN you can say you did it with off the shelf DHEA when you get popped. Brilliant. Cheat AND fabricate credibility. Brilliant. He is not a nice guy. He is a selfish dick. Pressures of ths sport my ass, maybe in the 90’s when cycling didn’t exist under the worlds microscope did nice guys dope. Nowadays, when allegations of cycling impropiety make CNN- only a selfish, cowardly dickhead would put himself above everyone else and cheat FULLY knowing he would get caught sooner or later. I feel anyone recieving a lifetime ban should have all winnings and titles stripped, under the assumption justified by a SECOND sanction that all winnings were earned while cheating and are therefore invalid. Tyler, why don’t you go find yourself a hotel room and do us all a favor.

  33. Oakley makes the shades that transform a Tool

    The real depression will kick in about October. Dude might not make it past interbike. Someone better but a smoke alarm in the garage

  34. I knew something was wrong @ TOC when he suicide attacked of the gun on the climbing stage .

    Desperate , he was cooked in five minutes . Was the positive before this ?

    Dude was so imbalanced on his one TV spot with VS .

    Remember he said he was fightin a cold ? Then he is mysteriously scratched from races in Euro ! Lies .

    There is definately a cover up here , RR will go down with Tyler ! The sport of cycling he chose to participate was one of systematic doping ,cheating and lying . It will take some time to crack this case but there is no doubt that Tyler Hamiton was one of the most doped atheletes in cyling ever ! Period ! I dont see him at interbike in any capacity .

  35. Smarterthanyou – thanks for the great summary, puts it all together nicely.

    I think I may have an alternate theory, quite simple actually!

    Trip to Mexico…elevated testosterone…must be the TEQUILA!
    Seriously, isn’t that what caused Floyd to fail, only in his case it was a few JDs? Tyler probably drank too much while there, maybe brought a couple cases of premium reposado back, hits the bottle too much from depression…

    It is funny that he chose to go train in Mexico. Maybe he and Rasmussen got together in Cabo.

  36. Actually David, it’s

    “if you ain’t cheat’n, you ain’t try’n”

    Is it a coincidence that all you neo-con right wingers are misinformed… even when it comes to NASCAR?

    Smarter ThanYou, thanks for the breakdown on the test/est. I was reading the wiki on DHEA and you pretty much clarified my understanding of it.

    I knew his exodus was just too nonchalant with this statement:

    “What I did was wrong and yes, I did know it [DHEA] was on the list of banned substances. I also knew that USADA could have shown up any day and at any time to test me. But, I was going through a very rough moment and I was desperate. I heard about it and I thought I would try it out as an act of desperation,”

    Voluntary exposure to a positive doping control? Absurd. And with a few weeks to get the story straight. Man, an impressive red herring indeed and like you said, why aren’t they calling him on it? Perhaps they just want him to go away at this point? Regardless, what a way to go.

  37. cycling.news says it was a urine test for DHEA directly, and says he tested at 130ng/mL (the legal limit is 100 ng/mL). VeloNews says it was a carbon isotope ratio test for testosterone. They haven’t said if they also ran the test:epitest ratio test yet. Three very different tests. If they are all right, then it doesn’t bode well for Tyler. It would suggest the DHEA was used to (poorly) cover up the testoserone. I can’t believe I agree with STY… anyways, fuck Tyler.

  38. I remember shaking his hand and looking him in the eye at intebike a few weeks after his positive. He couldn’t look anyone in the eye. I stood in line to get the poster signed just to get a feel for him and his vibe. on the way out I put the poster in the trash and said. Dude is a lying motherfucker

    Fuck you and the bike you rode in on Tyler you are a tool.

    I just hope he doesnt give new discussion to our second ammendment rights now

  39. What a knob! This is the start of the downfall. First the sumo guys running around the Tour of Cali and then this. Mike Ball gets crapped on too. I say support the vendors that support our sport. I swill Sierra Nevada and rock Rockin Republic jeans and while hoping for a good Tour. I bet it is going to be a bumpy ride!

  40. Wonder how many lifetime bans loom in the future. Seems to me that a lot more doctors/coaches etc. have received the lifetime ban to date, maybe disproportionately to the number of cyclists. As the list of first time offenders (or maybe I should say first time caught) grows, I have to wonder who is next. Lot of these guys may come back two years later, two years older, and feel they need to pull out all the stops, and assuming they aren’t working with the cutting edge doctors and techniques, more CERA-esque pops would seem likely.

    Soap opera…

  41. Great post Big Jonny!

    It’s funny to me that anyone believes a word that comes out of Tyler’s mouth after his first doping charge/excuse (remember when he was caught with someone’s blood in his system, that wasn’t Tyler’s blood?),

    “Hamilton’s lawyers proposed Hamilton may be a genetic chimera or have had a ‘vanishing twin’ to explain the presence of RBCs from more than one person.”—What! he’s a fucking chimera and not a cheat, oh that makes perfect sense then—now I believe you!

    Now that’s some funny shit…how many more ex-postal riders have to get caught before we nail the big tool in the shop? LA, are you worried? Is that you in the video linked here (click on my name), riding up to Pantani on Ventoux like you don’t weigh 30 pounds more than him. I know you are good, but shit, can you defy the laws of physics while riding clean?

  42. Come on people don’t let up. Tyler needs a kick to the gut while he is down there. Perhaps a gorup bed raid with soap in a sock like full metal jacket. This motherfucker deserves an all time low and needs to saty there. Tyler you are the biggest douche bag in this sport since ever.

    Maybe Ball will let him manage an assembly line making blue jeans with child labor to finish out his contract.

  43. I never visited ibelievetyler.com because I didn’t want my “hit” to be mistaken for support.

    However, since his house of cards collapsed this month, I thought I’d have a look and see how his ‘depression’ spin was progressing.

    Your site has made my day. As a former racer who’s pro career ended almost as soon as it began because I refused to inject anything into my veins for the sake of sport, I applaud you. I understand why these guys dope and think that it’s stupid. But when they attempt to deceive their fans and carry on like tyler- that’s criminal.

    Remember the imax feature film that spent tens of millions of dollars following tyler, only to cut the cheater out and release a dismal 40 minute short film? Remember when he rode behind the 08 Tour of California peloton like Mike Ball’s faithful puppy while he was banned? Remember all the clean domestic racers who Tyler crushed while setting course records in the US?

    The guy is second only to Lance.

  44. Just tried to donate to tylers cause on that site. Got an error: “Your donation mut a positive dollar amount”

    o well

  45. I know that asking this question on your internet site might be unethical but I think my girl friend is screwing on me. U know, coming in home late from the office, going outside with the girls all the time. Rinsing the clothes as soon as she gets home. We don’t even have sex anymore Do you guys got any points as to how I could acquire the truth?