Travis Tygart hits out at Thor Hushovd over Armstrong silence
USADA boss Travis Tygart has criticised Thor Hushovd for not coming forward after Lance Armstrong admitted to him he'd doped
Recently retired Thor Hushovd is 'no hero' for keeping silent about Lance Armstrong's doping after hearing about it in 2011, says US anti-doping boss Travis Tygart.
"You're no hero when you sit still without doing something about injustice against great athletes," Tygart told Norway's VG website.
"It's a sad day when athletes are afraid to or unable to stand up for fair play and integrity in sport."
The head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) led the case against Lance Armstrong and found him guilty of doping throughout most of his career. It led to a lifetime ban for the American and the loss of his seven Tour de France wins.
The 36-year-old Nowegian and 2010 World Champion wrote in his autobiography, Thor, released on Wednesday, that Armstrong admitted to him he doped. At a 2011 lunch in Los Angeles, one year before Tygart's investigation found Armstrong guilty, Armstrong told the Norwegian, "we all did it."
Armstrong spoke with Hushovd after the Tour of California. During that time, Tyler Hamilton accused his former team-mate of doping and Armstrong called Hamilton a liar.
Instead of speaking out or telling investigators what he knew, Hushovd was quiet. "I did not realise that about him," Hushovd told TV2 in 2012 when asked about Armstrong's doping. "I chose to trust him."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"He told me confidentially," Hushovd said at a press conference for his book release last week. "Then I don't find it natural to go to anti-doping authorities with what someone said. It's not my job. My job is to ride as fast as possible. Others will take off and find out who doped."
Hushovd wrote in Thor and also said in the press conference that the Armstrong investigation and subsequent inquires were "witch hunts for old sinners." He said that the money could be better spent to improve current anti-doping tests.
"It is the kind of thing you'd expect to hear from someone who sat still and let the deception continue," Tygart explained. "Those who heard these things, however, should have said so.
"Sport will only be cleared up if those who have cheated in the past are held accountable for what they did. If you cheated before without getting caught, the chances are very good that you'll continue later. It gives little hope for all of us who love the sport."
Tygart relied on 11 team-mates in his case against Armstrong: Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie. He said that he might have missed a "great opportunity" with Hushovd.
"Doping Norway and USADA would very much like to hear from him why he did not do anything," added Tygart, "but instead sat quietly and let the lie and deception continue."
Thor Hushovd: Lance Armstrong admitted in 2011 that he doped
Thor Hushovd claims in his new Autobiography that Lance Armstrong admitted to him in 2011 that he doped
Lance Armstrong 'would have continued lying', had he not been caught
"My therapy is riding my bike, playing golf and having a beer" says a still largely unrepentant Lance Armstrong
Should Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France 'wins' be reinstated?
Opinion is split between the 25 surviving Tour de France champions on whether Lance Armstrong was winner of the Tour
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
I'm about to turn 40 - how can I keep riding fast?
Approaching a landmark birthday, Charlie Graham-Dixon explores how ageing affects cycling performance and what can be done to stay ahead of the curve
By Charlie Graham-Dixon Published
-
Life Time Grand Prix to have fewer riders and wild cards in 2025
The flagship US gravel series has confirmed the six races that will be a part of the competition next year
By Adam Becket Published
-
Bradley Wiggins joins Lance Armstrong for Tour de France podcast
The former Tour de France winner will be appearing on The Move for the next week
By Adam Becket Published
-
Anti-doping investigation reveals riders could still be manipulating the system to avoid detection
Full report from Operación Ilex reveals that lack of overnight and weekend lab testing in Spain makes performance enhancing drugs increasingly difficult to detect
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Lance Armstrong plays astronaut on reality TV show; does he have the right stuff to win?
Lance Armstrong, the disgraced pro cyclist, is one of 12 celebs competing for the title ‘brightest star in the galaxy’ on Fox' Stars on Mars
By Greg Kaplan Published
-
Eight of the best cycling films streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and iPlayer
The best cycling-related films and documentaries available to watch online
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
F1 star Valtteri Bottas spotted out riding with Lance Armstrong
Alfa Romeo driver joined controversial American for Colorado spin on Sunday
By Adam Becket Published
-
'I think doping might actually be more popular': Mixed reviews as Lance Armstrong gets into the NFT game
If there's one thing worth reading this weekend, it's the replies to Lance Armstrong's tweet about acquiring an NFT
By Jonny Long Published
-
'I was almost dead': Jan Ullrich speaks out on his recovery on Lance Armstrong's podcast
The former Tour de France winner spoke about how finding friends in Armstrong and others after re-adopting a healthy lifestyle