ThaStig

Hey there's an idea, I think Lance "accidentally" and repeatedly fell onto the syringes of EPO/HGH/Testosterone left lying around by his team-mates thereby accidentally ingesting the banned substances . The only reason hasn't put this forward in his defense is that no-one would believe him.

Firstly; my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased cyclist and I felt sick to the pit of my stomach whenI heard the news. being a cyclist who often trains, commutes and drives that route to work everyday and having lost a cyclist friend to an alleged drunk driver, near Glencairn station. I would like to make some observations. This incident has come about through the desensitising of drivers to the right of a cyclist/cyclists to be on the road. There are a number of factors leading to this and 'we' as cyclist are also to blame for this. You will not believe how many times I have to field the anger of drivers at my work-place for "our" behavior on that stretch of road, this has worsened since the road has re-opened and it appears that it has been narrowed slightly. There have been complaints leveled of a certain large bunch of cyclist/tri-athletes dressed in black and white who train on that stretch almost every day. There are some guys/gals in this bunch who are not a good advert for what we want to achieve, by riding 2/3 abreast (not just on the Kalkbay stretch) like they own the road and are very arrogant/aggressive when hooted at. This is no excuse for what happened in this case, but I just mention this as a contributing factor. If we demand respect for our rights on the road then "we" (collectively) have to display respect for the other road users rights as well and not give them any reason to diminish our rights like those of a pest. Make no mistake, I have had my fair share of run-ins with drivers too, who have either not seen me or deliberately did not care as the one fool (who works around the corner from me) said; "I pay R500 license fees and you don't, so you don't belong on the road"???. Let me ask this question: how many of us respect taxi-drivers? Why don't we? There is the perception that all taxi drivers are law-breaking, disrespectful thugs who do not deserve to be on the road and should not be given an inch on the road. While this might not be true of all taxi drivers that is the perception and their collective rights have been diminished as a result. We should guard against this happening to 'us'(cyclists) as an indirect result of "our" actions.

Don't be so touchy, I only corrected you so that you dont suffer abuse when the nitpickers come on-line. When you use words like "never ever" then you had better make sure of your facts. Just sayin'

have you read the whole interview or only the headlines? I read the interview and am more confused as to what the guy really said,it seems more like it was badly translated and then a bunch of quotes/excerpts were thrown together for effect.

Untrue; he tested positive for ephedrine in 1996. banned for 6months had to return winnings and jerseys etc.

what anger bud? you should say what you mean. your original statement could be interpreted as you feeling that your brain is more developed than his thus indicating a possible overdeveloped ego on your side. the little devil indicates "stirring" not anger, bud.

I'm sure that "below standard brain" will whip your "overdeveloped ego's" ass on any given sunday, riding backward, on a tricycle, going up suikerbossie and only using one leg.

He really lets the MTBers down 'cos he couldnt handle his bike for ****. the chicken that is.

I agree that Mercx was the greatest, but people tend to forget that he doped too. sorry allegedly.

And Mercx didn't dope?

there you go again, making assumptions. So because I don't support all your extreme and emotional views I must be a supporter. Clever.

you are bringing logic to this discussion,big mistake

Are you crying victim now? after all the personal attacks you've been dishing out throughout this whole thread. When you dish it you must be able to eat it too.

the sand is better than where yours is right now

TNT are you possibly a jilted LA Lover? because you seem to be seriously emotionally Anti-LA, to the point that you will not hear any other side but your own; shooting down every view if it is not as strongly Anti-LA as yours. Get a life and if you are really concerned about our sport; you can do that by guiding the up and coming youngsters so that they dont make the wrong choices.

Shoo! So I can continue believing in him?

Sarcasm seems to be lost on you. I only did it because every-one else is doing it and if I didn't do it I wouldn't succeed on the hub

Whoa Tiger! I could tell you to **** Right off (oh wait....I just did)...But i will choose the high road and say... Despite your feelings of inadequacy and the need to lash out and be unnecessarily personal...I do so value your opinion

when you stated that with "this attitude. there is f**kall hope of this sport ever being clean". so then what did you mean?

WHAT!!!! Santa's not real???

That is your opinion and here on the hub we value every-one's opinion.

No, he most probably organised/paid some-one else to visit a drug dealer if he is as sly as I think he is.

You are very selective in your reading of my post; read through the whole thing and stop looking for key words. Based on the testimony of witnesses it seems that there was a doping culture at USPS/Discovery; this could be used to hang LA/JB. Whether LA doped has not been proven yet, there is no eyewitness testimony, positive test, confession etc for the period 1998-2006. There is hearsay of failed test/s (not proven); alleged conversations and cover-ups (UCi is not confessing any time soon); this will be tested if JB etc takes this case to hearings. Why is it so difficult to believe that LA could win without doping himself but doping his team to the eyeballs (this is cheating, unethical and i don't condone or agree with it); because after all it is the team who carries the GC contender to the brink of victory he just has to finish it off. EaAll Lance's main rivals had one thing in common; they did not have a team strong and dedicated enough to the "cause" to overpower the USPS/Disco's. Lance was sly in not spending the money in contesting the charges, but rather leaving it to the UCI and others to defend their "honour" while he sits back to determine the evidence against him( thus doing his dirty work for him). I've dealt with an unethical individual who operated in a similar fashion and it was only after concentrating on what he was not saying and looking at it from a twisted perspective that one discovered what was really going on.

I don't condone doping you CHOP!!!. (Name calling and shouting for effect only.) I'm merely stating my opinion/observation on how I think it may have gone down. If it is proven that he is guilty then the book and the printing press should be thrown at him.

Because I don't agree with you? I have stated my personal opinion (as have a few other hubbers) and a fact of life is that opinions vary on every topic under the sun. I could be wrong...you could be wrong...so what? Only time will tell. You seem to have a total disregard for other people's opinion if it does not tie in with yours and I suggest you grow up and mellow the **** out; life's to short for such ****.