View Single Post
  #4  
Old September 16th 04, 11:44 PM
B. Lafferty
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Gary" wrote in message
...
From the Dallas Morning News:

Lance sues to get bonus for Tour victory

12:10 AM CDT on Thursday, September 16, 2004

By TERRY MAXON / The Dallas Morning News

A Dallas-based insurance company is balking at paying cyclist Lance
Armstrong a $5 million bonus for winning the Tour de France, saying it
wants to look into allegations that Armstrong used illegal
performance-enhancing drugs.

SCA Promotions Inc. said it has paid the $5 million into a custodial
account until it determines whether "new allegations" made against
Armstrong are true. "We're just asking the questions," SCA attorney John
Bandy said Wednesday.

Armstrong and Tailwind Sports Inc. filed a lawsuit in Dallas County state
district court Tuesday seeking to make SCA pay up. As required in its
contract with SCA, they asked to send the claim to arbitration, and Bandy
said SCA supports that move.

Tailwind owns the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team and has Armstrong
as its leading member. In 2001, it promised Armstrong a series of bonuses
based on the number of consecutive Tour victories.

Before the 2001 Tour de France, Tailwind paid SCA a $420,000 insurance
premium to pay the bonuses if Armstrong earned them.

SCA paid a $1.5 million bonus in 2002 after Armstrong won his fourth Tour,
and another $3 million after he won again in in 2003. But SCA withheld the
$5 million bonus Armstrong was to receive after winning a sixth straight
Tour this summer.

Bandy said SCA learned of allegations in a newly published book, L.A.
Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong, that quoted a former team
employee saying Armstrong had used a banned blood booster and asked her to
dispose of bags of syringes.

"We believe the contract says we have to pay only if the event of a valid
claim," Mr. Bandy said.

In its suit, the plaintiffs said SCA has asked Armstrong and Tailwind to
provide all of Armstrong's medical records and other records. Bandy said
SCA will ask the arbitrator to order those records handed over.

The plaintiffs said SCA didn't have the right to question his Tour
victories, which were upheld by cycling authorities.


Interesting. According to Walsh and Ballester, one of the major sticking
points between Cofidis and Armstrong was that Armstrong refused to provide
any of his medical records to Cofidis. I'm curious to see how Armstrong's
attorney react to the demand for all medical records. Fun times ahead.


Ads
 

Home - Home - Home - Home - Home