Lance Armstrong ends fight against doping charges - will be stripped of Tour de France wins

[craigwend]

Some very good posts, lets not attack each other for differing views

My reaction, sadened - like many I want to believe him & the myth...

On the balance of proability so far - guilty?

The guy has been an inspiration for so many, the worth of that should not dismissed

On the balance 'without a reasonable doubt'... not sure

Does giving up your defence equate to not guity?

YES it must do what else might it, cutting his losses surely, before he is found guilty and the cheat he really is!

NO - lifes too short, there are more important things in our finite life, we only have moments, even if (a bif if?) he won this one, there would be another one, how many has he defended already?

Other?

This will go on & on, he will be found to be the 'man on the grassy knowl' at somepoint & a 'saint' at other.

Chapeau?

 

[Pottsy]

Life was definitely too short for the young men who died in their sleep after taking EPO to try and keep up or to have a chance of winning.

 

[PaulB]

Its like banning Eric Clapton or the Rolling Stones from playing music beacause they took drugs and makes about as much sense.

You can't ban people for enjoying themselves and the drugs you are referring to here were recreational and purely because it gave them* a buzz. The drugs infecting sport are, first and foremost, dangerous. Numerous young Dutch and Belgian cyclists died at the height of the EPO era as that substance thickens the blood making it too viscous to flow to the essential organs when the pump slows down during sleep. Additionally, if drugs were essential to improve performances, the majority of parents in the world would be actively trying to stop their children getting involved in that sport.


* It should be noted that not all the Rolling Stones were dopers; Bill Wyman was a refusenik on that score.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Bill Wyman was a refusenik on that score.

I think the rest of the group made up for that though..

 

[PaulB]

I think the rest of the group made up for that though..

With gusto!

 

[Archie_tect]

With gusto!

Look good....
http://www.gustocycling.com/

 

[Doseone]

Even as I type this I'm still not quite sure what to say. To be honest my feelings are fairly well summed up by Le Jogger's excellent and eloquent post.

I have followed this subject from an arms length, with a head buried in the sand approach. I didn't want to believe that the man who inspired me to get back on the bike, whose books I found so uplifting and who gave me so many enjoyable moments in The Tour was a cheat. I guess I should have smelt the coffee a bit sooner.

Now I just feel a bit sad, empty and disappointed. I don't like dishonesty and I feel like I have been cheated.

 

[Crackle]

Even as I type this I'm still not quite sure what to say. To be honest my feelings are fairly well summed up by Le Jogger's excellent and eloquent post.

I have followed this subject from an arms length, with a head buried in the sand approach. I didn't want to believe that the man who inspired me to get back on the bike, whose books I found so uplifting and who gave me so many enjoyable moments in The Tour was a cheat. I guess I should have smelt the coffee a bit sooner.

Now I just feel a bit sad, empty and disappointed. I don't like dishonesty and I feel like I have been cheated.

If it's any consolation for you and Lejogger, I went through the same process 4 or 5 years ago. There's probably posts on here where I was still arguing for him.

 

[Doseone]

If it's any consolation for you and Lejogger, I went through the same process 4 or 5 years ago. There's probably posts on here where I was still arguing for him.

Thanks Crax.

FWIW I don't think we will be denied the evidence that LA hopes will not reach the public domain. Tyler Hamilton's book comes out in September. Should be an interesting read.

 

[mickle]

The whole affair sickens me. I used to love pro cycling and the Tour in particular. As the years have gone on and one cheat after another has been uncovered my enthusiasm has waned and waned until I can't even bring myself to watch it.

As a bollock cancer survivor I held Lance up as an inspiration (I didn't 'like' him particularly, he seems like an arrogant SoaB but) I wanted him to be clean and he stood like a last bastion of honesty in a corrupt sport. I was aware of the doubts about his cleanliness but I figured that I'd hold judgement until such time as they actually found some evidence. Guilty until proven innocent and all that...

Following this latest turn of events, I have no doubt that he's guilty. It's very disappointing. It makes a mockery of all those millions of fans love for the sport, it blights the history of the sport and it reflects badly on all of us, in the eyes of the general public it makes 'cycling' look corrupt and foolish. He, and all the other cheats before him have ruined my sport. What a ****.

 

[Doseone]

The whole affair sickens me. I used to love pro cycling and the Tour in particular. As the years have gone on and one cheat after another has been uncovered my enthusiasm has waned and waned until I can't even bring myself to watch it.

As a bollock cancer survivor I held Lance up as an inspiration (I didn't 'like' him particularly, he seems like an arrogant SoaB but) I wanted him to be clean and he stood like a last bastion of honesty in a corrupt sport. I was aware of the doubts about his cleanliness but I figured that I'd hold judgement until such time as they actually found some evidence. Guilty until proven innocent and all that...

Following this latest turn of events, I have no doubt that he's guilty. It's very disappointing. It makes a mockery of all those millions of fans love for the sport, it blights the history of the sport and it reflects badly on all of us, in the eyes of the general public it makes 'cycling' look corrupt and foolish. He, and all the other cheats before him have ruined my sport. What a ****.

Great post Mickle and I agree with all of that. However, I'm not going to let him ruin my sport and I draw great strength from this years Tour where Brad won clean, and I know we don't really know but I am comfortable that Cadel was clean last year too.

 

[WhiteWolf]

I've come to the conclusion that if they throw out all those that partook of the substances they would have to give the titles to the bloke driving the Autobus

 

[threebikesmcginty]

It should be noted that not all the Rolling Stones were dopers; Bill Wyman was a refusenik on that score.

Yeah, he preferred underage girls, the sleazy pervert.

 

[Crackle]

I've come to the conclusion that if they throw out all those that partook of the substances they would have to give the titles to the bloke driving the Autobus

I remember reading a strong argument that Boardman won it one year when you took all the dodgy riders out and he came 39th.

 

[PaulB]

Yeah, he preferred underage girls, the sleazy pervert.

You're bang on there. He is regarded as the last one under the door before it slammed shut.