Lance Armstrong Banned and Stripped of TDF Titles

[philip.maree]

I will defend Froome tooth and nail, he trains harder than anyone you can think of right now.

I agree with you. I know you know him personally.

 

It's just sad that there will be doubts about his and others current performces (Wiggo, Jens, Hyjedal).

 

The current sentiment is "just cause they test clean, doesn't mean they are clean"

[SwissVan]

 

@Goya, I believe you have been labelled as stupid.

 

 

 

I like what you are saying here.

 

I was pondering on this earlier on in the week.

My first thought, the "told you so's" will all be having a heyday sitting on their moral high horse as if they brought L.A. down single handedly.

 

I am looking at the situation as such.

 

Who are the real winners here.

Usada ?

The told you so.'s ?

The sport ?

 

The only real winner to my eyes is Jan (love that dude)

 

USADA have not "won" ,arbitration might have resulted in a win.

 

But the funniest and most ironic thing to me is how old Lance becomes the one and only target to the haters now.

 

Basso also doped to the eyeballs is a tour winner now.

Contador doped to the eyeballs is such a big darling on his heroic return.

David Millar, when will his fans push for him to be knighted ?

Vino, doped to the eyeballs ,Olympic Champs retires on a high (I love him tough)

Merckx, the greatest legend or is that doper of all time.

 

So as much as I would love to sit on a moral high Durban July horse, I am no better.

 

I will finish off by saying this.

Regardless off all the accusations and whatever else Armstrong might be guilty of, it was still a phenomenal feat to be riding 7 tours as well as he did without crashing out of the tour or being too ill to get back on the bike the next day, or even worse, a saddle sore

 

The biggest loser here is the sport of cycling.

 

 

I like most of what you said here, except for the first line.

Ja the sheep will say the same about me but thats ok I would rather stand behind my beliefs than be a multi faced hypocrite (not aimed @ dangle) but rather at those other heros supporters.

 

Like him or not this witch hunt never proved anything, all its going to achieve is to make pro cycling and the various controlling bodies the laughing stock of the professional sport world.

[Capcha]

Agree with Iron on this one. Lance got all the glory standing on the podium and then raked in the endorsement $ after that. So let them come and take his trophy cabinet away. With all the cash he made, he'll fill the gap with an expensive sculpture of piece of furniture. Where's the punishment in telling a guy now that he never won 7 Tour titles? Scratch his name off the trophy, what does that achieve? We all saw him win on TV and he was idolised for it.

You want to punish the guy! Make him as poor as he would have been had he never won any of the titles they want to strip him of now. That will hurt more than taking a trophy away.

What you don't realise is Lance played the ultimate hand. By saying he won't contest it he still has not admitted guilt. Sponsors are going to demand money back for personal and livestrong. By saying his not contesting and not admiting, how far would the sponsors take it to reclaim what was theirs?

[canfan]

I will defend Froome tooth and nail, he trains harder than anyone you can think of right now.

Dangle, Don't hear what I am not saying! I really like Froome. He is an AWESOME bike rider. I reaIly hope is 100% clean. But thats the difference, we hope, we dont know. Just used him as an example. I was just agreeing with what Iron was saying. Fact is that Lance also trained harder than anyone else but here we are taking about him doping. Anyone of them can be doping right now. Some of us (Like me) would prefer to not admit that it could be the case but one never knows. One ends up wondering about every good performance. Just like the comment made earlier about the performance of the SKY train. Its cr@p, but hey thats how cycling has become.

[scotty]

Even if the titles issue goes on some sort of appeal, Usada can ban him for life from competing in any sport which recognises its authority. The Lance can "Going forward…I am going to devote myself to attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet" who can't compete… Go Tygert!

You sound almost glad

[jules1976]

+1 Look at Flo Jo. She set a world record they won't beat for a long time. But, she died young and we can pretty much work out why.

She died in her sleep as the result of an epileptic seizure in 1998 at the age of 38 . ...By now known to the world as "Flo-Jo", Griffith-Joyner was the big favorite for the titles in the sprint ..... Place of death, Mission Viejo, California, United States

Edited August 24, 2012 by jules 26er

[Christie]

I am disappointed by the stance of some hubbers on this:

There is a lot of sentiment here against usada. Are you all saying that if you lie and cheat to make a lot of money and become popular, you should be left alone? What message would that be sending to youngsters who enter the sport - its ok to dope as long as jou win?

The whole situation in pro cycling sadly reminds me of a gouvernment minester's speech to some students the other day where he said "do not get caught with your hand in the cookie jar". Should it rather not be "do not put your hand in the cookie jar", or is that something of the past?

It looks to me like the uci has given up on preventing doping, and instead now tries to hide the true state of affairs. The fact that they still try to hide it tells me that the majority of fans want to see clean riders, and consider it wrong to dope.

[liebenw]

I am disappointed by the stance of some hubbers on this:

There is a lot of sentiment here against usada. Are you all saying that if you lie and cheat to make a lot of money and become popular, you should be left alone? What message would that be sending to youngsters who enter the sport - its ok to dope as long as jou win?

The whole situation in pro cycling sadly reminds me of a gouvernment minester's speech to some students the other day where he said "do not get caught with your hand in the cookie jar". Should it rather not be "do not put your hand in the cookie jar", or is that something of the past?

It looks to me like the uci has given up on preventing doping, and instead now tries to hide the true state of affairs. The fact that they still try to hide it tells me that the majority of fans want to see clean riders, and consider it wrong to dope.

 

AMEN BROTHER

[Capcha]

Right grab your pitch forks boys and lets go find Bruyneel!!!

[Eldron]

Oh great - more soap opera and drama.

 

USADA has painted him a cheat but will never prove him a cheat.

 

So ze cherman wins 2 TdFs. Oh wait - he was also semi fingered and paritally but not quite banned. Who came third? Who cares? He probably doped/was framed for doping/was associated with known dopers or used a doctor who's hairdresser sold EPO to a vet who passed it onto an ex pros sister.

 

A while ago I decided I would just ignore the drugs and enjoy the cycling.

 

Does Froome dope? Of course not - he's partially South African - I have an emotional connection to him. Does he dope statistically? Absofrikkinlutely because he beat a whole host of known, semi known and convicted drygs cheats by coming second.

 

But do I care?

 

Not really.

 

Like Dangle said - cycling's credibility is so poked that while I love the spectacle and enjoy the feats for exactly that - feats, when someone asks me if cyclist's cheat my response is: of course.

 

The only emotion I feel for Lance/USADA/TdF/haters/Livestrong parishioners and cycling in general is sadness.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

ESPN reported that he has been stripped. Anyway, it will be a very sad day for cycling if they strip him from his titles.

 

Its also been reported on Sky as such. I think, as has been said, due to the fact he is not going to fight further, the matter will go uncontested and in all likelihood he will lose his titles. Its not a guarantee, but its almost certain.

 

I said previously it would be better for him to walk away, I honestly didnt think he would based on his previously well documented litigious nature, but age also brings a bit of a mellowing of nature and although I think he is cut to the bone right now, I think it was the best decision for him, his family, his health and his future.

[goya-goya]

@Christie: Seriously THAT is the comment you are going to make!

 

So have judged Lance already... you.. who have all the facts?... who know the case soooo well?... who knows UCI's next move?

 

I laugh at you guys who know all the facts.

 

I say pfffft!!

[Capcha]

@Christie: Seriously THAT is the comment you are going to make!

 

So have judged Lance already... you.. who have all the facts?... who know the case soooo well?... who knows UCI's next move?

 

I laugh at you guys who know all the facts.

 

I say pfffft!!

 

Popcorn...work is boring today

Edited August 24, 2012 by exclusive

[Tumbleweed]

Right grab your pitch forks boys and lets go find Bruyneel!!!

 

It was his birthday yesterday. Shares it with LA's first wife. I see Jens gave him a present.

[Capcha]

 

 

It was his birthday yesterday. Shares it with LA's first wife. I see Jens gave him a present.

What...the finger

[GrumpyOldGuy]

 

Like him or not this witch hunt never proved anything, all its going to achieve is to make pro cycling and the various controlling bodies the laughing stock of the professional sport world.

 

I dont think so Swiss, there was due process open to LA, but he decided not to follow through. In effect he put up the white flag. As I have said, I would do the same, sometimes its not worth your health and mental well being, its an enormous strain mentally and physically to field these kinds of court summonses daily, some can do it and actually thrive on it, some elect not to.

 

I personally dont have a dog in the fight here, I think he was a great athlete, but I also think he had a demon in his back garden, and he was afraid it would get out and the world would see it, either way, that issue will now probably die with him.

 

For me, I think he can now move forward, so should we.