Lance Involved In Another Lawsuit Italian Set To Sue
Armstrong For Defamation
From: Justin Davis, AFP - Sunday, July 11, 2004
QUIMPER, France - Italian Filippo Simeoni, who is a key
witness in the trial of Italian sports doctor Michele
Ferrari, has confirmed his intention to take Lance Armstrong
to court for defamation here at the Tour de France.
Simeoni hopes to take the five-time Tour de France winner to
court over comments made in Le Monde in July of 2003, when
the American called the current Domina Vacanze rider a
"liar" in the French newspaper article.
The Le Monde article quoted Armstrong as saying that Simeoni
had "lied" when he told investigators it was Ferrari who
showed him (Simeoni) how to use the banned blood booster EPO
(erythropoietin) effectively.
Ferrari, who has infamously claimed that EPO was no more
harmful than orange juice, is set to go on trial in Italy
for sports fraud and the distribution of banned substances.
His trial is expected to be later this year, and the fall
out from the trial could have negative consequences for the
image of Armstrong, considered the biggest cycling champion
of the modern era.
Armstrong's revelation in 2001 that he had worked with
Ferrari came as a shock to everyone in cycling, especially
as it came in the wake of the publication, in GQ magazine,
of Simeoni's testimony to investigators.
Simeoni claimed Ferrari had showed him how to take EPO
without getting caught, although the Italian never accused
or implicated Armstrong.
Less than a year later, in March 2002 - after Armstrong's
links with Ferrari had become public knowledge - the
American went on Italian television to defend Ferrari.
In the interview he also refuted Simeoni's claims, saying
that the Italian rider, who when first interviewed by
investigators had made no claims about using EPO, could not
be believed because he had changed his story.
The issue popped up again, at the Tour de France in 2003
when Armstrong reiterated in the Le Monde article that
Simeoni was lying.
However the Italian, who picked a reduced four-month ban
by the sport's governing body the UCI for cooperating
with Ferrari investigators, said he wants to put the
record straight.
"He has tried to defend his own image vis-a-vis Ferrari, but
I've never accused Armstrong personally, I would never do
that," said Simeoni in a long interview with L'Equipe
newspaper on Sunday.
"You know, in some way I admire Armstrong for what he has
done. I haven't forgotten that he only had a 50 per cent
chance of living, before he won the Tour (for the first
time in 1999).
"But one day, in 'Le Monde', he attacked me again, calling
me a liar. So, on the advice of my lawyers I am preparing to
take him to court for defamation. I want him to publicly
recognise his mistake.
"It's not a question of money. If I'm awarded money, I'll
give it to charity."
Simeoni meanwhile said he is glad to have turned his back
on doping.
"By speaking out, it's cleared my conscience, but don't
believe that it's easy to admit to a judge, to spit it out
to your friends and your parents that you've taken certain
substances.
"I was ashamed, my parents were ashamed and I was on the
brink of depression. I was scared of everyone, what they
would say.
"But the thing that did me the most damage was the attitude
of Armstrong," added Simeoni referring to Armstrong's
appearance on Italian television.
"The meticulously prepared interview he gave to RAI
(television station) the night before the Milan-San Remo in
2002 where he accused me of modifying my accusations ... and
where he described me as someone who couldn't be believed.
"I was stunned. He arrived at Milan-San Remo and the first
thing he does is try to drown me. I was in tears. I realised
that by telling the truth I had turned my back on the most
powerful rider in the peloton."
Armstrong has never been sanctioned for any positive
doping controls.
The American, who has always denied using EPO, tested
positive for a banned corticosteroid at his comeback Tour
de France in 1999, although he was never sanctioned for
the offence.