They're finally going to nail Lance Armstrong

[The Nal]

Hes in trouble

Very interesting (and long) article about it here

[Gre]

If he is guilty its very, very sad for cycling/sport/the human story, but not entirely unexpected

[Steve P]

Hes in trouble

Very interesting (and long) article about it here

[The Nal]

"The letter went on to detail the cyclist's testosterone-epitestosterone results from 1991 to 1998, with one missing season: 1997, the only year during that span in which Armstrong didn't compete. Three results stand out: a 9.0-to-1 ratio from a sample collected on June 23, 1993; a 7.6-to-1 from July 7, 1994; and a 6.5-to-1 from June 4, 1996. Most people have a ratio of 1-to-1. Prior to 2005, any ratio above 6.0-to-1 was considered abnormally high and evidence of doping; in 2005 that ratio was lowered to 4.0-to-1"

[Steve P]

Floyd Landis comes accross as an utter c#nt.

[The Nal]

I really really hope he's proved innocent. The story of his recovery from cancer is genuinely inspiring and he's a real hero to me.

[eFestivals]

Hes in trouble

Very interesting (and long) article about it here

I'd say that those with most interest in "nailing" him is a TV channel with its own cycling team which is being a huge financial drain on them, contrary to their expectations.

[Steve P]

I'd say that those with most interest in "nailing" him is a TV channel with its own cycling team which is being a huge financial drain on them, contrary to their expectations.

[The Nal]

I'd say that those with most interest in "nailing" him is a TV channel with its own cycling team which is being a huge financial drain on them, contrary to their expectations.

[eFestivals]

Paul Kimmage, ex Irish cyclist and journo has written/investigated on this a lot and confronted Armstrong with some difficult questions a year or so back.

While I'm a long way from knowing the ins and outs of what's gone on around Armstrong or cycling in general, I am aware that just about all of road-racing cycling has been rife with doping, and that Armstrong isn't guilty of doing anything more than just about every other cyclist of that sort of level. So any 'difficult questions' that might have been asked of Armstrong could have been asked of most of them, to the same effect.

I agree in part with what Steve P has said above, that the French cycling federation want to nail him, but if I'm remembering rightly they've been no less implicated in the doping scandal by knowing it's been going on at the very least.

The only winner I can see from going after Armstrong is going to be a new cycling team. Hmmmm .... I wonder which one that'll be, and I'm sure they wouldn't use Armstrong or other parts of their own organisation to big up the scandal to put themselves in prime position in a new world of cleaned up cycling, oh no.

[The Nal]

While I'm a long way from knowing the ins and outs of what's gone on around Armstrong or cycling in general, I am aware that just about all of road-racing cycling has been rife with doping, and that Armstrong isn't guilty of doing anything more than just about every other cyclist of that sort of level. So any 'difficult questions' that might have been asked of Armstrong could have been asked of most of them, to the same effect.

I agree in part with what Steve P has said above, that the French cycling federation want to nail him, but if I'm remembering rightly they've been no less implicated in the doping scandal by knowing it's been going on at the very least.

The only winner I can see from going after Armstrong is going to be a new cycling team. Hmmmm .... I wonder which one that'll be, and I'm sure they wouldn't use Armstrong or other parts of their own organisation to big up the scandal to put themselves in prime position in a new world of cleaned up cycling, oh no.

[eFestivals]

Fact is, hes been investigated and been covered up for years, his cancer and amazing recovery (legacy ruined or not, its amazing), has let him off the hook somewhat with them really digging. But enough time has passed now.

I'm not saying he's shouldn't be pursued, but have all of the other doped up riders been taken to task to the same amount? Have they f**k.

He's being used, because he's about the only name that a person like me who has very little interest in cycling knows from that world of cycling.

Theres a conspiracy theory thread for this sort of stuff Neil!

... I get why you're saying it, but there's very good reason to think that there IS a conspiracy of some sort. He's being targeted in a way that other riders are not.

And, like it or not, they'll be some who benefit from it. And a new team such as the Sky team will be the very obvious beneficiaries.

(It might not be the Sky team. I don't know enough about it to know if there's other teams who are similarly 'clean' like Sky is, because they didn't exist at the height of the scandal. But it certainly suits Sky, and I'm sure they'll play it for all it's worth).

[The Nal]

He's being used, because he's about the only name that a person like me who has very little interest in cycling knows from that world of cycling.

Edited January 26, 2011 by The Nal

[Steve P]

Contador's doping test results should be released on Thursday as well Contador

If he's found guilty, and there turns out to be something in the Armstrong case too, it could well put an end to professional cycling in it's current guise. The Tour De France is one of my favourite sporting events but I can see it being destroyed now.

[eFestivals]

If he's found guilty, and there turns out to be something in the Armstrong case too, it could well put an end to professional cycling in it's current guise.

this is what I was getting at when I said that a team like Sky will be who benefits - because they're new, they're untainted by it, and that gives them huge power in a revised sport of cycling.

[eFestivals]

I think his use was covered up/ignored, for the same reason as above. Check this out, and this surprised me - the list of doping cases in cycling since 1886!!

Its f**king huge!!

oh, i know. The whole sport is infected, and the likes of the French cycling federation aren't free of either.

[Steve P]

this is what I was getting at when I said that a team like Sky will be who benefits - because they're new, they're untainted by it, and that gives them huge power in a revised sport of cycling.

[eFestivals]

I know where you're coming from, but I think if both the current TdF champ and the all time best are found to have been cheating, then sponsorship for cycling will disappear almost completely. It will leave every cyclist tainted by it and will cost Sky more than they'd gain IMO.

While I can see that as a possibility, it's been known for years that they've nearly all been cheating, Armstrong included (anyone who believed his denials is surely a fool). And as the sponsorship hasn't disappeared yet, I can't see anything that's more of the same killing it either; the sport would need to kill off it's fans to kill off the sponsorship.

But it does give a proven 'clean' team the opportunity to clean up on sponsorship at the expense of other teams.

[The Nal]

But it does give a proven 'clean' team the opportunity to clean up on sponsorship at the expense of other teams.

[eFestivals]

Problem is though, a "clean" team will probably finish dead last. They've no chance!

.... perhaps you're right.

I was working from the presumption that a newer team such as the Sky one would be free of such things, but perhaps I'm being naive.

[Alcatraz]

Throughout his career, the questions came, and he never really gave a convincing argument. French cycling journalists must be partying hard tonight.

He laughed the stories from Landis off as just a result of Floyd being bitter, but every time I read them, I thought Lance, there's loads of them and they all look just terrible.

I've read his books. I used to have a Livestrong wristband. My Dad found Lance a genuine inspiration in his battle with terminal cancer. In a way I'm pleased my Dad wont see Armstrong get exposed for what he is

[Alcatraz]

Theres a conspiracy theory thread for this sort of stuff Neil!

Fact is, hes been investigated and been covered up for years, his cancer and amazing recovery (legacy ruined or not, its amazing), has let him off the hook somewhat with them really digging. But enough time has passed now.

[Kowalski]

Anybody that thinks he is innocent is quite frankly deluded. It's been a sham sport for many many years now, sadly.

[brighteyes]

It'd be a damn shame if it's all true, and even more of a shame if he is labelled a disgrace or whatever because of it - he's an inspiration to many and I don't necessarily think his reputation should be wiped out by this. Still an incredible achievement to get back to the top of his sport.

[Gre]

I think they should not ban any drugs, and see what happens.