Tyler Hamilton on Lance Armstrong

When Tyler Hamilton is asked by Scott Pelley about Lance Armstrong using performance enhancing drugs, we see Tyler give a contempt expression before answering.   He says, “He took what we all took.  I’d say there is really no difference between Lance Armstrong and the majority of the Peloton, you know. There was EPO, there was testosterone. And I did see a transfusion…a blood transfusion.”

Tyler’s expression of contempt here makes sense given the scenario.  Everyone touted Lance Armstrong as the hero and Tyler knows he wasn’t.  That breeds contempt.

Scott Pelley asks, “He was using EPO in the Tour De France in 1999?”  Tyler thinks and says, “Correct.”

Pelley says, “He was using EPO in the Tour de France in the year 2000?”  Tyler responds, “He used it before to prepare for the tour.” 

Then Scott Pelley says, “And what about the tour in 2001?”  Tyler responds, “He used it to prepare for the tour.  I can’t say that he used it during the tour.”  I believe Tyler when he says this.  I think he is clarifying the truth here.

I think Tyler is conflicted to a degree in this interview because as some of you have pointed out, he didn’t see Lance Armstrong do the performance enhancing drugs all the time (athletes don’t have doping parties), but he knew it was part of the team regimen, he knew it was going on and he knew who was taking it through talking, but he may not have witnessed a lot of it.  It makes me wonder if he embellishes some stories to become more believable, out of insecurities.

Tyler does give us a lot of shoulder shrugs and has a habit of shaking his head no a lot when he talks.  It makes him a difficult read. If you watch Tyler in the beginning of the interview when he says if he could have deleted his memory, he would have.  I believe this is a true statement, and yet, he gives us shoulder shrugs and head shakes.  It could be Tyler’s insecurities that are shining through here.  Who wouldn’t be insecure after doing something like this?

Outside of Tyler’s statements on 60 Minutes, there are many questionable elements to Lance Armstrong’s behavior that support Tyler:

1).  Lance Armstrong was affiliated with a doctor, Michele Ferrari, through 2010 after the doctor was convicted of distributing performance enhancing drugs (though I believe that conviction was overturned).

2). Several other top athletes on Armstrong’s team support Tyler’s story.  When more than one person comes out against someone, there is usually truth and merit in the story.

3). Lance Armstrong made donations to the governing body of cyclists, the UCI, which is unethical. He has contributed over $125,000 to the organization and according to 60 Minutes, no other cyclist has done this.

4).  Lance Armstrong met with the director of the Swiss lab, where there was a supposed “suspicious” test result that disappeared.

All the evidence combined tells me there is definitely credence in Tyler Hamilton’s story.