Lance Armstrong in Purgatory: The After-Life

[Joffter]

The main theme on this topic seems again like most are saying that "everyone was doing it at the time" so its fine.

 

Try this Scenario, you find out that your kid is on Drugs, and then eventually after years of deceit and lying etc, the kid admits to it and you then find out that according to your kid, "Everyone was using drugs, so to fit in they had to also take them".............I suppose then everyone who says that what lance did was OK, would be quite Happy that their kid took Drugs because "everyone else was taking them anyway"..............

 

I do not condone any cheating or taking of Drugs(cheating) in any form, nor the blood doping or any other means of cheating. What Lance did, was Lie, Cheat, Bully and Threaten anyone who even dreamed he was using drugs, and in the process, destroyed a few peoples lives and careers. People who were clean, decent people who had the guts to stand up to him. Think of him as the JR Ewing of Cycling, in that he stopped at almost nothing to keep his dirty secret, and keep his money amchine running. How would any of those who say what he did is acceptable if they were on the end of his bullying like Betsy Andreau was ?? Not many I reckon.

 

Many who were caught, or came clean had cheated, and that was that. So they took their punishment(some after a some denial of course) and moved on. Armstrong for years, threatened, and Sued people left rght and centre, and bullied the hell out of people, Betsy Andreau is just one prime example, and how did Lance drag her through the mud. How many riders to he force/persuade or threaten to get them to take the stuff as well to support him. Crying foul about your sentence after the fact when you had many opportunities to come clean. He cheated the World for years, and is in my mind the biggest Fraud the sportsworld has ever seen. We all flamed Hansie Cronje as a cheat, and he was banned from even coaching kids cricket for life. What he did was a drop in the ocean compared to what LA did.

 

Most who cheated using PED's and blood doping, did so, and that was that. They did not go on the rampage because they had the money to do so, and to sue and threaten anyone who opened their mouth. Lance was the bad/bully boy who had used his situation of having testicular cancer, as a feel sorry for lance thing at first, then to wow people as to what he came back from, Zero to Hero thing. He then had money and fame and used that to clear his way. Most of the others were small fish who didn't bully people.

 

So in my mind, he was the kingping, like an example of Escobar(drugking) from Colombia, getting the same penalty as the guy carrying a small bag of cocaine across the USA border. Different levels.....Escobar can afford very expensive lawyers, the Mexican dude carrying dope across the border can't afford anything.

 

I Still truly do not think Lance has even started to open up and come clean yet as to what he did and what went on....full disclosure type thing. Names and places, what was used and how it was used. Had he have done that in the beginning, he may have been given a lighter sentence, but he chose not to.

 

Oh, and by the way, one of the Doctors that initially treated him for cancer, was adamant that it was PED's that had caused the cancer in the first place.

[Squier]

So, here's a quick snip of a dutch article. Half of all the surviving Tour champions feels his wins should be reinstated. Interesting...

 

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/lance-armstrongs-seven-tour-de-france-wins-reinstated-130750

[scotty]

I wonder if they asked LeMond and what his answer was

[Wil6]

Just watched the newish documentary about Lance called "Stop at Nothing : The Lance Armstrong Story"

 

Must say you kinda want to hate him after watching this. It is by far the best documentary about him and the whole story I've ever seen. The detail of the interviews and the rare footage of Lances earlier racing days is incredible.

[MTB-BFK]

Great article, and about time a new angle is taken.  The continuous stream of townsfolk with pitchfork articles don't add anything to the narrative of what will be one of the most dramatic stories in sporting history, irrespective of whether you continue to revile him or take a different opinion.  The raw, dripping arrogance has been pushed down, but is by no means gone - comparing himself to Mandela?  Come on chap!  Isn't that what you need to be successful at the highest level in competitive sport though?  One thing for sure, hate him or not, he has paid one helluva price.  How long should he have to carry on paying?

[Rocket-Boy]

I always hear the same old tired line "everyone was doping so it was a level playing field"

It was not a level playing field, his doping was much more sophisticated and involved than the rest of the riders was. Even within his team he had his doping done privately and away from the others because he didnt want them having his secrets.

 

As a person he is a prized ass.

So in short Im only too happy to be seeing this happen to him.

 

If it was another rider who was actually nice and that happened then I would have a little sympathy towards them.