I supported Lance Armstrong until...

[clotho2]

Never really liked the guy but gave him the benefit of the doubt until the Simeone incident.

Thank you all for sharing your feelings. I'm going to try and read each of the comments, out of respect for you. I'm not sure if I can though, after reading the first one I found tears in my eyes and my nose stuffy.

It's extremely hard to love any sporting event let alone sit and watch cycling. They have no idea what they did to the fans. I wonder if they even care.

As for Simeoni... I read that after lance chided him like a two year old the peloton spat in his face unti it was a literal mesh of tears and spit. How can you love doping so much more than your fellow sportsman that you'd spit in his face? Such a low form of disgrace.

 

[hfer07]

wrote about it before: 2002 when I found about his association with Ferrari. from that moment, It when from disappointment to disgust & then as he kept on winning with impunity-the feeling became hate.

 

[oncehadhair]

Thank you all for sharing your feelings. I'm going to try and read each of the comments, out of respect for you. I'm not sure if I can though, after reading the first one I found tears in my eyes and my nose stuffy.

It's extremely hard to love any sporting event let alone sit and watch cycling. They have no idea what they did to the fans. I wonder if they even care.

As for Simeoni... I read that after lance chided him like a two year old the peloton spat in his face unti it was a literal mesh of tears and spit. How can you love doping so much more than your fellow sportsman that you'd spit in his face? Such a low form of disgrace.

You did a great job with your story but some of us are more cycnical.

His performances with one testicle just weren't consistent with his performances with two. The fact that he had to put out there this idea that he had lung volume, VO2 max etc that helped him when among the peloton he was just average for those.

And the simeoni incident.

But the biggest reason for never believing he was clean was the margin of his wins. Against riders, many of whom had admitted or been caught doping. His ego allowed him to think that people would believe that it was possible for him to be that much better than everyone else.

Sad the way he has cheated so many cyclists out of their time on the podium. No retrospective award of a race win will make up for that.

Sad the way that as the world caves in around him he continues to deny, while others discredited are man enough to admit their cheating.

And truly sad how some can still say he's on ok guy. Feel sorry for him but he's proven himself one of the biggest cheats and a...holes in sport. Period.

 

[ontheroad]

As a person, I never warmed to him at all, all brashness and a lack of humility.

Once the link with Ferrari became firmly established I began to really dislike him and all that he stood for. The cancer story and Livestrong was used first and foremost by Lance as a veil of protection. Subconsciously I wonder was that his way of paying back the guilt that he felt from the serial doping. I doubt it, from what we know of his character it was more likely used as a vehicle to increase his power, popularity and control. Deep down though it must be eating away at him every day that he will have to live with his decisions for the rest of his life. I for one have no sympathy for him.

 

[Parker]

I was always more of an Ullrich fan - which is hardly an 'I told you so' stance

I never particularly warmed to Armstrong - but I really had nothing to hold against him at his 2005 win. From then on it was drip drip.

It's similar to God. I was trained at school to believe - I got confirmed - yet the more I read the less I believed until it all became ludicrous to me.

 

[Zweistein]

A very believable rumor circulating back in 1983 was that every one of America's top cyclists was paid to do an extremely efficient new performance enhancing pharmaceutical. Low and behold (in hindsight) EPO was in trials the same year. What better (and obscure) group of athletes to tout this wonder drug on than cyclists?
I won't mention names so not to spoil the scapegoating of Armstrong for all of cycling's woes.

Nice gem. Have any proof? Shouldn't be hard to find because academic journals are accessibly at any university.

If anyone doesn't believe that some people are here to do PR jobs I invite you to read the posting history of some of the people here. Almost all of this guy's post come from the playbook. Here are some of Guilder's gems:

The proof Lemond cheated by virtue of the USADA's kangaroo system is Lemond must prove his innocence. He cannot do that therefore he is guilty.
Doesn't Lemond still hold a TT record of beating all known dopers for the past 30 years riding a cast iron boat with gimmicky aero bars no less?
As long as Lemond and Hinault wash each others hands under the protection of France he can confidently attest to never failing
(Downhill timetrial)

Speaking of taxes, what a waste of taxpayer money this witch hunt is.
(I think the same thing when I pull over by the cops)

al fat? Cuz that would make two things in common with Lemond. Both claim they didn't see anything.
(Lemond never claimed to not see anything. Quite the opposite.)

I'd love to see SCA lose another chunk those slimey fcks.
(Who is slimey? Really?)


Lemond's selective recall = omerta
(I don't know what to even say to this.)

Lemond is crackers.

He could have used his personal equity intelligently and been a hero to all.
(This was posted in 2010 no less. So, I don't know what excuse you have)

Floyd gets offered a few bucks to talk about himself.
Then he gets offered 100 times that to talk about LA.

The "bike for drugs" story sounds like something FL would do.
(WWLND, What would Lance Not Do? I can't think of anything)

Greg would be the one to ask. I'm sure he was not only howling but rolling on the ground when he shot himself in the foot.
(The Greg hate is strong with this one)

Add to that SCA, the sweetest payday of all. Flaunt it LA. You deserve it.
(Oh really?)

 

[Lukenwolf]

He's a Seventh Win Apologist obviously...

 

[Yingge]

I had my suspicions following his return after the Cancer treatment, and they grew with the years that followed. His public humiliation of Simeoni was they day that he lost any respect that I had left, which wasn't a lot by then either.

There was a story that I read some years back that concerned the hounding that some Journalists received too. This one mentioned that during a TdF stage, a few journos stopped off for a coffee somewhere along the drive between the start and finish, only to have a couple of LA's 'minders' arrive shortly after and give them a rather blunt and threatening dressing down for something that had been written in the previous few days.

Lots of people have shut up due to fear of the consequences, lets hope they can overcome that now.

 

[superleicht]

Living in Austin, I was aware of what a jerk he is as far back as '93. Doping? There was an interesting interview in Velonews (at least I'm pretty sure it was VN) in late '95 where LA was asked about the relatively poor results of Motorola that season. Paraphrasing from memory, LA responded that the other teams had gotten a lot faster and Motorola would have to look at doing things differently.

Superleicht

 

[Parker]

A very believable rumor circulating back in 1983 was that every one of America's top cyclists was paid to do an extremely efficient new performance enhancing pharmaceutical. Low and behold (in hindsight) EPO was in trials the same year. What better (and obscure) group of athletes to tout this wonder drug on than cyclists?
I won't mention names so not to spoil the scapegoating of Armstrong for all of cycling's woes.

EPO wasn't first patented until 13th December 1983. Either you are making this up or you have your dates very wrong.

 

[compete_clean]

A very believable rumor circulating back in 1983 was that every one of America's top cyclists was paid to do an extremely efficient new performance enhancing pharmaceutical. Low and behold (in hindsight) EPO was in trials the same year. What better (and obscure) group of athletes to tout this wonder drug on than cyclists?
I won't mention names so not to spoil the scapegoating of Armstrong for all of cycling's woes.

I have never heard this rumor, and I have been around for a long time. Believable? What makes it believable?

Just pros or amateurs too? I'm going to ask a couple of people but this sounds like complete BS.

BTW - the PNAS paper on isolating the gene for EPO production and for cloning came our in 1985.

In 1985, Lin et al. isolated the human erythropoietin gene from a genomic phage library and were able to characterize it for research and production.[26] Their research demonstrated that the gene for erythropoietin encoded the production of EPO in mammalian cells that is biologically active in vitro and in vivo. The industrial production of recombinant human erythropoietin (RhEpo) for treating anemia patients would begin soon after.

The first paper reporting the results of a trial in kidney patients was in 1987.

Eschbach JW, Egrie JC, Downing MR, Browne JK, Adamson JW (January 1987). "Correction of the anemia of end-stage renal disease with recombinant human erythropoietin. Results of a combined phase I and II clinical trial". N. Engl. J. Med. 316 (2): 73–8. doi:10.1056/NEJM198701083160203. PMID 3537801.

Like I said, you are almost certainly full of sh-t.

 

[The Gnome]

Is this now the new tact?...the time article tells the wonderous story of Lance "testing the limits of Science"...bringing it outta the "19th century"...must be some sorta new strategy memo sent out to the interns...

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Where to post. Where to post. I value this man as a cyclist and cycling supporter, but it breaks my heart to read this from him:

Many people have Lance Armstrong, hung, drawn and quartered and according to everything written and said he is guilty. As a Leukeimia person I have a high regard for him and all he has done for cancer people world wide outside of cycling. I must say he is currently in a tight corner. For me whether it is Armstrong or a murderer they are entitled to proper due process and I don't believe he will or is being afforded that in the current climate.

Given the charges against him are so serious this case should be heard by a justice system not those bringing charges against him or bodies associated with those bringing the charges. A proper justice system to examine all sides, both sides. Those speaking against him should be cross examined on the serious charges they bring against him. ALSO there are riders who have stated openly that Armstrong did not dope and this should be fully expanded and investigated.

If after proper process and everyone and eve
rything is cross examined BOTH SIDES, and Armstrong is proven guilty, beyond reasonable doubt then he would deserve appropiate punishment.
Unfortunatly at present there is a lynch mob mentality out there who just want to see him hung and yet a murderer would get better treatment than Armstrong, in my view.

I was abused in an SMS message some time ago and was told I was a supporter of drug cheats and needed to wake up to myself. That abuse was hurtful but told me a lot about the sender.

Have a good week .

 

[Donkey]

I'm still his supporter

 

[gustienordic]

I supported him until he came back to the sport in 2009. That also coincided with me beginning to watch more than just the Tour.

 

[Master50]

EPO wasn't first patented until 13th December 1983. Either you are making this up or you have your dates very wrong.

A question about patent protection. If a patent granted in December might still offer protection for the application period? IE when was the patent applied for? Could it take a year for a patent to be granted? Could the patent protected drug undergo any form of testing during this time? It certainly effects the credibility of the story you are challenging?

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

He's a Seventh Win Apologist obviously...

Best term for blind fanboy ever!

 

[Zweistein]

A question about patent protection. If a patent granted in December might still offer protection for the application period? IE when was the patent applied for? Could it take a year for a patent to be granted? Could the patent protected drug undergo any form of testing during this time? It certainly effects the credibility of the story you are challenging?

No. the first reported trial on 25 kidney patients was reported in 1987. A very very small trial keep in mind. There are tons of drugs which never see the light of day. Why would anyone go through the effort to try to find something that hasn't even gone through trials when the technology to transfuse blood has been around for a long long time? The 1984 US Olympic cycling team used blood transfusions. They didn't screw around with some untrialed drug. Why on earth would you bend over to try to find something to replace a known working method?

Also, Epogen was patented in 1984. This is well before even its small trial.

Read the the guy's post history. It is all garbage

 

[Zultronova]

I've never supported the Guy. The first warning sign came after his fourth place finish at the Vuelta in 1998. The second came when he tested positive for cortisone at the 1999 Tour De France, which was swept under the carpet by the UCI. (Hein, public enemy number one. What a clown and a gangster !!) His extraterrestrial.....(way beyond his natural physiological capabilities) ......performance at the 1999 Tour made it so obvious that he was loaded with a belly full of chemicals....pardon the pun. From that moment on he reeked of chemical enhancement. And so did all the other loser junkies and vampires on wheels that filled a systematically doped peloton.

 

[Avoriaz]

Alpe d'Huez 2001.

The "look"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdMdJAdzpYQ

It was Bjarne Riis 1996 to Hautacam all over again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwHlCl2s0UM

 

[RigelKent]

Had some doubts before, but the "zip the lips" move with Simeoni settled it with me.

 

[proffate]

what I liked about him can be summed up by this clip: http://vimeo.com/1301366

wow, for a good liar he's a terrible actor

 

[Briant_Gumble]

wow, for a good liar he's a terrible actor

One of his least convincing performances.

 

[samerics]

As someone who has had a lot of cancer in my close family, and having lost both my parents at young ages through the disease, I was delighted when he won in 1999. I supported through to 2005, but after his link to Ferrari came out and he turned on my hero LeMond alarm bells rang. I refused to believe it even then, though I wanted Ullrich to beat him from 2001 onwards. As the evidence dripped out I gradually sussed it, particularly with the farce over Don Caitlin and the drugs test delay in the shower. I despise him and his arrogance, bullying and sheer hard faced lying. I read Walsh's book and got it then, but Tyler's book nailed his vile character beyond repair. I hope he gets hung out to dry now, horrible peice of work.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

As someone who has had a lot of cancer in my close family, and having lost both my parents at young ages through the disease,

It is heart breaking when friends get cancer, and more heartbreaking when they die. It is so unfair. People who never smoked, complaining of hip problems and being told it's from the cycling training they're doing. Going for a second opinion and discovering you have cancer in your hip. And your lungs. Never smoked. Dying months later. It's cruel.

Sitting at work next to a my friend / boss and every now and then the little pump thing would pfffffft another mini dose of chemo into him. Throat cancer. Never smoked. Fit as a fiddle. Bewildering.

It takes the best people from our lives. No matter how close or precious they are.

I never supported Lance Armstrong.

I don't think we need more cancer awareness.