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Lance Armstrong ends fight against doping charges







teaboy

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
1,840
My house
Teaboy and Indurain's Lungs - thank you. Fascinating stuff.
One more question - how do you guys now feel about the sport that you obviously love? As you say, it's a problem that was endemic for many years and wildely recognised by those close to the sport. But I'm guessing that there are some facts coming out that are testing even your long-held beliefs and theories. You left deflated by the whole thing or just a bit suprised it hasn't all come to a head sooner?
Are there any big suprises for you in the names of those guys who have now admitted their guilt or were they always the main suspects in the cycling community? (oops that's 3 questions - all of them pretty basic so sorry in advance)

I will continue to love the sport. Doping isn't something 'new', and for me the blinkers came off some time ago anyway. I am a bit deflated by it, but also positive - every time there's a cheat caught and banned we're winning. Facing the problem head on isn't as easy as ignoring it. No testing = no problem, as other sports seem to think. I want a clean sport, and I want a 'clean' governing body. At the moment we have neither, but we're heading in the right direction. These things take time though. I'd like to see EVERY result for anyone found to be doping asterisked. Leave the result, but make it clear for everyone that that rider cheated (even if it's later in their career).

Name-wise I'm not surprised by any because they all rode for Lance. I'm slightly disappointed in all of them, but especially George Hincapie. However, still leading the peloton up mountains aged 35+ after riding through this period rings some bells (Jens, I'm looking at you too). Domestiques will always ride for the leader. In this situation it was riding for Armstrong and everything that went with it. I'm not condoning it, just understanding it. It's a high-pressure job and there are plenty of other riders wanting your place who might be happier to put the needle in. Be good every day (however you do it) or you're out. Sad.

Of course there are current riders that I have suspicions about. My current "you better be clean" rider is Peter Sagen. Amazing talent. I was a fan of Ricco too, and love the way Contador climbs, despite hating him for what he's done to my sport. My favourite rider of all time is Marco Pantani, despite everything. I clearly pick them well.... I think the bar is set too high and always has been - 'pure' climbers tend to turn out not quite so 'pure'. It doesn't make it any less beautiful though. It's complicated....
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex


Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset












mejonaNO12 aka riskit

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2003
21,559
England
On a sub note, I actually spent my lunch break (sad, I know) reading the report and many of the supporting documents with it.

I felt proper DIRTY reading people's emails. I LOVED IT.

My favourite was Lance slagging off a fellow riders wife and then warning that "taking me down" would cause problems for everyone.

It's like a SOAP OPERA.
 










Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,292
Goldstone
the only thing that i feel is sadness.
I used to feel sad that the sport was, IMO, completely pointless. I'm now happy that cycling can become a great, drug free sport.
 






Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset
And quite where that is on the stupid-o-meter is anyones guess.

Exactly. They're actually just acting the same as always - painting armstrong as the big bad wolf, along with some team doctors, whilst down playing everyone else's role in the doping.

Armstrong was bad but he was some lone dictator controlling all if cycling. Thry need to acknowledge that the culture was wrong from the top down.
 


drew

Drew
Oct 3, 2006
23,135
Burgess Hill
Is he going to give back his BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award? (sorry if someone has already posted this but can't be arsed to search or read the whole thread).
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
David Walsh has just said, the US liability to federal fraud is 3>1.

US Postal sponsored Tailwind Sports, part owned by Lance - Lance's company, to the tune of $40 million.

Therefore for Lance to confess and reply to McQuaid, with the whole truth, it'll cost Lance $120 million before he's finished his opening sentence.
 




Cheeky Monkey

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
23,174
Will his ego ever allow him to remove his '7 Times Tour de France Winner' claim from his Twitter front page.
 




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