Lance Armstrong

[HiEquity]

The UCI has stripped Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles. So ends what is the biggest and longest fall from grace that I can think of in the history of sport. Hero to millions - now a drug cheat.

So very disappointing on so many levels - the training, the achievements, the charity work.... all built on the back of cheating. A sobering lesson in how not to pursue greatness.

 

[devank]

A sobering lesson in how not to pursue greatness.

May be the trick is not to get too greedy

 

[geoffw]

Needle used to give muscle strength = lance arm strong.

Was he a user or a pedaller?

 

[Aaron_C]

Was he a user or a pedaller?

An accomplice is as guilty as the perpetrator.

 

[Dazz]

I heard one smart alec commentator say that in the world of elite cycling, everyone was on the gear....everyone.

He then went on to say that looking at it with those goggles on, perhaps it was a level playing field after all, and he still came out on top.

In a bizarre way, it sort of had a ring of truth to it.

I watched Albert Contador about 3 years ago screaming up those hills like a man possessed.....he was whizzing by others like they were standing still. Their legs simply couldn't compete. The next year I looked for him, but he was banned for 2 years for being on drugs.

Last year Cadel Evans was pushing like a man possessed and came out on top. Good for him....I hope. This year I watched it again, and he was flatter than a pancake. His junior riders who were supposed to be setting the pace for him left him for dead and he simply couldn't catch up. They had to drop back everytime just to find out how far back he was.

I'm very suspect now watching them all.

I feel sorry for all of the riders over those 7 wins Lance had who came second and never got to stand on the podium and wear the yellow jersey.....but then, I wonder if they were on the gear as well ??

Looks like Lance's entire team (and it was large in number) have all ratted him out.

As a complete outsider, it looks like it would have been quicker to ask who wasn't taking drugs.

 

[Risky Business]

I heard one smart alec commentator say that in the world of elite cycling, everyone was on the gear....everyone.

He then went on to say that looking at it with those goggles on, perhaps it was a level playing field after all, and he still came out on top.

That's how I feel. 2nd and 15th place are on the gear too.

 

[Bigtone]

I feel sorry for all of the riders over those 7 wins Lance had who came second and never got to stand on the podium and wear the yellow jersey.....but then, I wonder if they were on the gear as well ??

As a complete outsider, it looks like it would have been quicker to ask who wasn't taking drugs.

In the US investigation the findings said in the years 1999-2005 there is only one rider who finished on the podium that didn't have overwhelming evidence that they were on the gear.

I love watching the tour but this year was probably the cleanest for 40 years and it was boring. I always just assumed they were all on the gear and some of the efforts were beyond superhuman. They plod up the hills now Cadel style rather than fly up them like so many who have been busted used to. It was more entertaining when they were basically all on the stuff bar a few.

Next few years will be interesting to see if the sport can bounce back.

Cheers

 

[chindonly]

I heard one smart alec commentator say that in the world of elite cycling, everyone was on the gear....everyone.
.

Would have to agree. For many, many sports, the very top levels are rife with drugs.

If you want to read a bit about it from someone that was there, "Positive" by Werner Reiterer - gives you some of the inside info. He was an elite discus thrower from Australia and it chronicles his story as a clean athlete, and then later going onto the juice after growing sick of being beaten by drug users.

 

[Aaron_C]

So is it better to have cheated, won and then get caught - or not cheated, never won and remain clean?

 

[BayView]

I heard one smart alec commentator say that in the world of elite cycling, everyone was on the gear....everyone.

He then went on to say that looking at it with those goggles on, perhaps it was a level playing field after all, and he still came out on top.

In a bizarre way, it sort of had a ring of truth to it.

Being as cynical as I am, I have had this belief for several years.....

Add to that anything to do with speed - swimming and running and some other various athletic endeavors.

I remember seeing a heartbroken Lisa Ondieki (Australian runner) crying her heart out on a tv interview some 20 odd years ago as she announced she was giving up her sport because she just couldn't compete any longer if she was to stay "clean".

Sad that they have to resort to it.

 

[BayView]

So is it better to have cheated, won and then get caught - or not cheated, never won and remain clean?

Depends on your ability to sleep at night I guess.

 

[Mooze]

So disappointing. Not so much LA but the numbers involved. Here's hoping it does actually cleaned up. That for kids today to get there they must dope, use illegal drugs etc.

Would be interesting in seeing who outside of cycling came out of operation puoerto (sp?). 250 athletes busted, 50 were cyclists, who were the rest?

I know in age group sport it's there too - guy who won 55-59 or 50-55 age group at Hawaii ironman last year was busted and turfed (long time well known cheat). For an age grouper!

 

[redwing]

One of the guys at work (an avid cyclist) is reading Tyler Hamilton's book and has been giving me updates on the contents

Tyler Hamilton tells story of how he and Lance Armstrong became drug cheats in new book

IT took the drug- testing authorities several years and millions of dollars to develop a test to detect EPO in urine and blood. It took (Italian doctor Michele) Ferrari about five minutes to figure out how to evade it.

His solution was dazzlingly simple: instead of injecting EPO subcutaneously (which caused it to be released over a long period of time), we should inject smaller doses directly into the vein, straight into the bloodstream, where it would still boost our red blood cell counts, but leave our body quickly enough to evade detection.

Cont...

Link

 

[cimbom]

I don't know much about cycling but I definitely think they should re-award the titles to the people who got the furtherest while remaining clean, even if they were 10th place at the time. Just for the principle of it. I know that if I were in their position I'd be pretty annoyed as it's still an amazing achievement to get to that level internationally.

I get what some say about the "level playing field" but then where do you draw the line? Might as well develop some robots and watch them race.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19506621

 

[dan c]

As a complete outsider, it looks like it would have been quicker to ask who wasn't taking drugs.

I was speaking to someone semi in the know last night, and he said that the vast majority were on the gear. He reckons the last two winners are clean, but before that, you might have to go back to Miguel Indurain to find another clean winner. His last TDF win was 1995.

Interesting article from the Irish Independent

 

[attrill]

I agree that if everyone is on the gear then there is a level playing field. Look at the hi-tech swim suits that gave those with the money and sponsors an advantage to have them, and others not. Records tumbled.

Either everyone has the suits or nobody has the suits, either way there is no advantage.

Drugs has been shown to be rife in cycling, if you want to award all of Lance Armstrong's titles to someone else who would it be? Perhaps just keep going down the list until you find someone who hasn't been caught? (yet)

If sport was played just for the winning, and not multi million dollar sponsorship deals, then the temptation would be taken away, but I realise that we are way beyond that now.

Hey, maybe if the first class in grade one was called "Honesty and Integrity 101" and these were ideals that were instilled into every child by everyone that they came in contact with then the drugs in sport issue would go away?

I know, I'm just dreaming....

 

[evan1875]

Back in the 90s, spoke to someone working with the oncologist who treated Armstrong when he had cancer. The haematocrit level even when he was a cancer patient was superhuman. Physiology alone could not explain that.

I guess knowing that, would you assume someone is innocent until proven otherwise or would you stop watching the sport? I stopped watching...

 

[lizzie]

I heard one smart alec commentator say that in the world of elite cycling, everyone was on the gear....everyone.

He then went on to say that looking at it with those goggles on, perhaps it was a level playing field after all, and he still came out on top.

In a bizarre way, it sort of had a ring of truth to it.

That was exactly what I was thinking. I don't condone drug taking but one makes the assumption they are all taking it - just the others haven't been caught yet.

And, when you think about it, Lance didn't get caught from testing (he was continually tested) but rather because someone dobbed him in ... so the testing doesn't pick up the drugs anyhow

 

[dan c]

And, when you think about it, Lance didn't get caught from testing (he was continually tested) but rather because someone dobbed him in ... so the testing doesn't pick up the drugs anyhow

It didn't at the time, but it does now. The testing has caught up with the drug users. The testers have tested old samples with new tests, which show the use of EPO, which is part of the evidence against him.

 

[Aaron_C]

What I find most interesting is the blood transfusion - taking out your own blood in the off-season and then pumping it back into yourself during the race. Amazing stuff.