Lance Armstrong to be charged for doping by USADA

[NC_Skins]

Former cyclist Lance Armstrong to be formally charged with doping - ESPN


It was only a matter of time before the sand ran out of Lance Armstrong's hourglass. I've always believed he was doping, but I thought that of most of the racers.I will give Lance Armstrong some credit thought, the guy was the best out of the best among a group of dopers. He just happened to have more money and better access to blood transfusions/dope than most of the riders.

It would be nice to have Lance just come clean, but I imagine he'll go the way of Roger Clemens in that he'll take it to his grave denying using.

[That Guy]

if he comes clean he's guaranteed to lose his medals or whatnot.

I don't follow cycling too closely, so i don't know how true or how much of a given it is that he/others dope, but i wish/hope it isn't true. bad ending and all.

[FRPLG]

Spoiler alert...they ALL doped. It was the way of the land at that point. Probably still is. He still won 7 times in a row over all the other dopers.

[SmootSmack]

I tend to believe many people who could have done something looked away because it was such an inspiring story to see this cancer survivor repeatedly win such a grueling competition, doping or not. And I also tend to believe maybe they should have continued to do so.

[mooby]

I pretty much believe doping was widespread in the sport at the time, and I wouldn't be suprised if Lance Armstrong was doing it, but I don't think this is necessary. The damage has already been done in the court of public opinion. If it's true it's a shame how far he's fallen.

[MTK]

Meh, I think there are plenty of people that don't care at this point. Armstrong is such a beloved athlete for what he overcame, not even something like this will tarnish him much.

[12thMan]

I agree. He's been out of competition at high level for years now and it's just not on peoples radar for the most part. They've accepted him and defined him as a champion in their own way.

Unlike the steroid scandals that rocked baseball and it's icons, most people that adore Lance Armstrong aren't cycling enthusiasts or could care less about the sport. So in this instance I think people have separate opinions of the person and the sport.

[HailGreen28]

Armstrong retired last year. I'm not convinced he was doping, would like to believe his statements like in that link:

"These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation," he said in a statement released on his website. "These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity. ... USADA's malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play.

"I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence. Any fair consideration of these allegations has and will continue to vindicate me."

[JoeRedskin]

Only time I cared about cycling is when armstrong was in the tour de france.

It seems to me that he has been consistently targeted for doping allegations and nothing is ever proven.

Not sure why it would be so ... but it seems the cycling community has it out for him. Is there something I am missing?

[That Guy]

i think the french got mad at him and started the rumors... i think. I don't really follow that whole cycling thing besides knowing he's won a LOT.

[Hog1]

Does he have the........Barry Big Head? Well, I wished he would have been innocent as I do not accept the....It's ok if everybody does it rule.....
But then, he's probably not all that concerned what I think...
Still a great story....but not as.....tainted.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by That Guy

I don't follow cycling too closely, so i don't know how true or how much of a given it is that he/others dope, but i wish/hope it isn't true. bad ending and all.

Originally Posted by HailGreen28

Armstrong retired last year. I'm not convinced he was doping, would like to believe his statements like in that link:

Originally Posted by That Guy

i think the french got mad at him and started the rumors... i think. I don't really follow that whole cycling thing besides knowing he's won a LOT.

He was doping. I'll bet my life on it. Doping has been going on with cycling and the Tour de France since the early 1900s. Back then, they used cocaine and other means. Scroll down this wikipedia article and see the winners of the tour de france and look and see how many have tested positive during their career. Even guys in the 1960s...lol Some that show "Never tested positive", you'll see on some of the notes that the actual stuff they did test positive for wasn't illegal at the time.(especially in the 90's)

(should read this though, amazing to say the least)
Doping at the Tour de France - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to mention the fact, that Lance was working with Michele Ferrari, who was a notorious blood doper in the cycling world. He was the best doper that money could buy. I would equate him to Victor Conte in the Balco fiasco.

This is what Jacques Anquetil (cyclist in 50's-60's) had to say on a national French TV show.

Anquetil took a forthright and controversial stand on the use of performance-enhancing drugs. He never hid that he took drugs and in a debate with a government minister on French television said only a fool would imagine it was possible to ride Bordeaux–Paris on just water.

He and other cyclists had to ride through "the cold, through heatwaves, in the rain and in the mountains", and they had the right to treat themselves as they wished, he said in a television interview, before adding: "Leave me in peace; everybody takes dope

Actually, he did test positive in 2002 according to some in the cycling world, and it was covered up with a bribe from the US Postal team and the UCI director.

...and this.

USATODAY.com - Story: Armstrong had six positives from 1999 tests

Originally Posted by Hog1

Does he have the........Barry Big Head? Well, I wished he would have been innocent as I do not accept the....It's ok if everybody does it rule.....
But then, he's probably not all that concerned what I think...
Still a great story....but not as.....tainted.

Their doping and other sports doping is completely different. Cyclist use something called EPO, which helps create more red blood cells which in turns carries more oxygen throughout your body. This became on the scene back in the 90's.

The bigger thing that Lance was part of was actual blood transfusions at night all throughout the Tour de France. What these guys would do is gather a bit of their blood long before the race, store it, and later do a transfusion to infuse their blood with higher oxygen levels. After a long day of riding, their blood would be depleted of oxygen, so this would pretty much make them brand new for the following day. All the guys on the US Postal team did this and acknowledged it.



Bottom line. MLB and NFL doesn't have jack shit on pro cycling when it comes to doping. :cool-smil

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Only time I cared about cycling is when armstrong was in the tour de france.

It seems to me that he has been consistently targeted for doping allegations and nothing is ever proven.

Not sure why it would be so ... but it seems the cycling community has it out for him. Is there something I am missing?

He's an American who dominated a largely European sport. Resentment is te main driver here.

Additionally the ADAs (WADA and USADA) are literally jihadists about doping. It is a crusade to them...mostly in a destructive and irrational way. Think critically about what they are. Two independent orgs charged (by who?) to oversee the sanctity of sports (which ones?) and they have literally nothing to do with any of the sports. They exist to sit around and shake their fingers at everyone with absolutely no repercussion. They don't work for anyone who can fire them for being wrong because they answer to no one.

They represent something very bad about humanity.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I tend to believe many people who could have done something looked away because it was such an inspiring story to see this cancer survivor repeatedly win such a grueling competition, doping or not. And I also tend to believe maybe they should have continued to do so.

Why do you think they should continue to cover up and lie? Especially if people were bribed to keep out positive tests just so they could keep the money train rolling.

I agree with you though, it is an inspiring story for him to win this thing 7 times in a row after having survived cancer. Him doping doesn't make it any less impressive to me because I know everybody else in the top of the order were doping as well.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by NC_Skins

Why do you think they should continue to cover up and lie? Especially if people were bribed to keep out positive tests just so they could keep the money train rolling.

I agree with you though, it is an inspiring story for him to win this thing 7 times in a row after having survived cancer. Him doping doesn't make it any less impressive to me because I know everybody else in the top of the order were doping as well.

Well...if you're going to commit to the lie then commit to the lie. I don't know if he or anyone else was doping (those that haven't been implicated that is). But let's just make the assumption they were. So anyway, as I said I believe that a lot of people looked the other way during this time because it was such a great story for not only the sports world, but the world in general.

So if you're going to spend those 7 years (or however long it was) that he was winning acting like everything was fine then what's to gain from acting all "moral and righteous" now. Who's to gain from this?