Cycling Leaders Let Doping, Armstrong Flourish, Report Says

The Wall Street Journal / Associated Press ^ | March 9, 2015

[patriotspride]

If this is so egregious, why are proven and admitted drug users Marco Pantani, Bjorn Riis, Jan Ulrich and Alberto Contador still listed as champions?

---

Because Lance stuck it in their face too many times....

[oh8eleven]

I did not say he was the first or the only cheater
You called him a pacesetter - WTH is that?

He was the best, most aggressive cheater in the game in the years he was winning.
Nonsense. He won because he was a better cyclist than all the other dopers, not because he was a better doper. And it was only unfair to those who didn't dope.

[truth_seeker]

I saw a good documentary on this, recently on Netflix.

Armstrong comes across as a particularly dishonorable guy, that destroyed his fellow American TDF winner Greg LeMond, for example.

People who knew what was going on inside, with Armstrong, don’t like him or respect him. It is hard to imagine he will ever redeem himself.

The sport was harmed, but is resilient. It is after all, a great sport.

[discostu]

Oh no, he was definitely a better doper than everybody else. It’s not really an either/ or world, you’re not just either the best cyclist or the best doper, to be at the top pretty much means being both. Just look at the TDF winners that have had their wins vacated, it’s a cheating oriented sport.

[discostu]

There’s 2 really good reasons for Armstrong to be the face of the sport vs a European:
American dollars because for the first time ever Americans gave a crap about the sport en mas
European dollars because getting to root against an American increased interest over there too

There’s a lot of money to be made engaging both American and anti-American fans.

[oh8eleven]

you’re not just either the best cyclist or the best doper, to be at the top pretty much means being both.
That's exactly what I said.

[discostu]

That’s not the way I read what you said. But OK.

[Baynative]

Welcome to the FR peloton

[Baynative]

I agree that he is arrogant and abrasive. But are all killers guilty, or just the serial killers?

I can't help but feel UCI is the real culprit.

[HangThemHigh]

I don’t really like Lance ever since his statement that God had nothing to do with his wins.

That said, I think Lance would have still have won a Tour or two if he was the only one not doping, he was that good.

[Baynative]

No argument from me on either count. If GOD had not wanted more of him on earth he wouldn't have survived the cancer. He needs to learn and understand, because there might be more to his purpose on earth than what has already passed.

[babble-on]

The pacesetter is the leader. The top cheater among the cheaters in this case.

Read this one to see what a psychotic asshole the guy is:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Race-Inside-Hidden/dp/034553042X

[patriotspride]

I can’t help but feel UCI is the real culprit.

---

Agree that they played a role in “ looking the other way” when they see
the sport gain popularity in a big market like the US.

Otherwise, it’s just riders like us who are interested in the sport.

Somewhere / somehow I’m sure some major $$$ crossed some palms along the way to keep things as low profile as possible.

[oh8eleven]

Yeah, how dare he behave like (almost) every other professional athlete in all sports.

[babble-on]

Really, read the book and come back to me. He’s a sociopath.

[fireman15]

My wife and I just got back from a trip to Florida; I would have enjoyed being a part of this discussion; I always appreciate your pings.

It is very unfortunate that Lance has turned out to be such a disagreeable character. It is sad that Lance has confirmed for many that most if not all top cyclists are dishonorable people. In my experience this is just not the case.

I believe that Lance’s determination, natural abilities, training regimen and organization had far more to do with his success than his use of performance enhancing drugs and techniques. Steroids, hormones, amphetamines, and other drugs most likely are helpful to athletes in other “sports” such as baseball, football, golf, and bowling. But, I am not convinced that in an extreme endurance event such as the Tour de France that the drugs themselves are as helpful as the placebo effect that they most likely produce.

[Baynative]

As you know, I always said I think the door should be open to what ever 'assists' athletes wish to use as performers, just like all other performers do.

I think it would give way to "Pure Competitions" once people tire of the artificial performances.

[fireman15]

I agree with you. Although I am not completely convinced that in a long stage race that the “artificial performances” are actually much different than the “natural performances”. I don’t know if any studies actually confirm that even EPO truly enhances performances.

EPO may enhance the bloods oxygen carrying capacity, but it also has side effects such as thickening the blood which has negative effects. That is why there are all of these concoctions thought up by people like Dr. Ferrari which are designed to offset the negative effects of various substances. But it is all based on theory and anecdotal evidence and none of the techniques have been scientifically proven to help cyclists in stage races achieve results that are superior to a well thought our training regimen along with good nutrition.