Actually, Colwildcat, you're fairly reaonsable for a Lance fan, and I think your questions are valid. I don't agree with all you said, and it peeves me whenever anyone just clumps everyone together that is critical of Lance as "hater". But let me make some comments on the thread.
ProfTournesol said:
I know that he has 'donated' money to the UCI but I'm not sure if that is for anti-doping?
It was for some sort of mysterious blood machine according to Hein Verbruggen. A man I feel quite possibly the most inept and corrupt leader of any sporting organization dating back to Ford Frick (who oddly enough, has an award named after him). But Hein's flippant, defeatist attitude towards doping, and political back-slapping ways don't only apply to Armstrong. Not even close. We could start an entire thread on the Hein-Pat show, and how inept and self-serving the UCI is overall.
colwildcat said:
Noboby has answered me this question: Why on Earth would he dope right now?
To win! To win, to win, to win, to win! With winning comes glory, adulation, etc. It's a great feeling to win. You must have won something at your life, didn't you? It was a great feeling. Now, you must admit that Lance has a pretty big ego (I'm not saying he's the only one, he's one of many, but his is pretty big), winning fuels almost anyone's ego.
As to getting caught, I'd say it's almost a zero chance. I'm guessing that Lance is on a program that is lesser and more refined than Kohl, with no CERA, and the only way they caught Kohl was the CERA, and barely at that.
Also understand how testing works. Using his own blood, the only way they'll kick him out is if his hct is over 50%, as he's not on anything else illegal, or detectable, especially during racing (he and other may have microdosed other products, such as Dynepo, etc. earlier in the year). There are also schedules as to when the vampires are going to come and UCI rules on this. Not that they show up only at 1pm every Tuesday, no. But rides know that the testers will come in the morning, but rarely if ever twice. This gives a great window of opportunity, and why myself, and others, have advocated a 2nd, surprise test after the sign in, and just before the race, as it's when you're most likely to catch someone. Or, almost immediately after a stage. That would really throw a wrench in some motors and cause some bio passport numbers to jump. But the UCI won't do this, it's not in their protocol. Plus as BigB says, Lance is never going to get over 50 on a readable test anyway (various ways of doing this). They might get him at 49.5% or so, in which case he would just say he was dehydrated (he, and others have done this in the past).
Myaybe, again just maybe, during his prime he really was that good and maybe we truly witnessed greatness.
Maybe. I just doubt that's only it. What he was, was completely driven to success. And that's not an insult. Compare his confidence and drive to that of some of the riders he beat: Pantani, Ullrich, Virenque. They, and many others, weren't consistent as a human being even! Some of these guys are head cases that need to be pampered. Lance is more like a CEO.
Others disagree with me on this, but I do think that having numerous tumors in his body did slow Lance down, and once he was cancer free, he was a better rider. Combine that, with being 1000% focused on winning at all costs, put him on the best team in the sport, concentrate on one race (the Tour) and yes, refined doping from an expert doctor (Ferrari), and there you have it.
If that still makes me a "hater" in your eyes, or in the eyes of Lance fans, then I give up.
The OP's question does pertain to Lance because he's the head of the sport, and he talks a lot, in a sport riddled with doping problems. It's the same way the press hounded Barry Bonds. Though Bonds was a much more private, introverted man.
Now, to give the best possible answer I could find, here is what Lance said in about 2005 after word leaked on his "donation" to the UCI:
“I am not the type of person that likes to get up and say in the newspaper: 'Our sport is dirty, everybody is cheating.' This is the sport that I love more than anything, the sport that feeds my children. Why would I stand up and say that?” Armstrong continued. “There are other avenues to combat doping, versus trashing the sport and its players, and sponsors and spectators. It's been the road that I chose. Maybe I'm right, Maybe I'm wrong. …”
Interpret how one may, but there it is out of the man's mouth.