What Annoys you about Armstrong

[Clemson Cycling]

I have a very neutral feeling towards the man, don't love him or hate him (probably the only reason I don't hate him is because he was the man that got me into cycling and did more for the sport in the states then any athlete has done for their sport). I feel that he has done a lot of good for cancer research and given millions with the disease hope and some dignity in fighting the battle (win or lose) (I know many of you make claims against that but this is my personal opinion).
Is it the fact that he is an ego maniac like many of the great athletes of the world (Tiger, Ovechkin, Roethlisberger, Ronaldo, etc.)?
Is it the fact that he dominated the sports crown jewel for so many years?
Is it the fact that he was the face of cycling during the doping decades and he did not get caught and have their reputation ruined by a drug scandal?
Is it the fact that he has stopped at nothing to save his reputation and continue his cause?
Or is it just a combination of these many factor that all spewed into one mega figure that people hate? I look at the man like I look at Barry Bonds. He was by far the best at what he did during the sport's darkest days and this is what has caused the hate. He was a product of the environment during these times and did what he could to make himself the best. In today's cycling world there seems to be a common theme. "He is a great rider but there is not way he is clean."

 

[scribe]

I think some of the simeoni-gate criticism has a lot of merit.

 

[erader]

I have a very neutral feeling towards the man, don't love him or hate him (probably the only reason I don't hate him is because he was the man that got me into cycling and did more for the sport in the states then any athlete has done for their sport). I feel that he has done a lot of good for cancer research and given millions with the disease hope and some dignity in fighting the battle (win or lose) (I know many of you make claims against that but this is my personal opinion).
Is it the fact that he is an ego maniac like many of the great athletes of the world (Tiger, Ovechkin, Roethlisberger, Ronaldo, etc.)?
Is it the fact that he dominated the sports crown jewel for so many years? Is it the fact that he was the face of cycling during the doping decades and he did not get caught and have their reputation ruined by a drug scandal?
Is it the fact that he has stopped at nothing to save his reputation and continue his cause?
Or is it just a combination of these many factor that all spewed into one mega figure that people hate? I look at the man like I look at Barry Bonds. He was by far the best at what he did during the sport's darkest days and this is what has caused the hate. He was a product of the environment during these times and did what he could to make himself the best. In today's cycling world there seems to be a common theme. "He is a great rider but there is not way he is clean."

did bonds ever do anything for anyone? hell his own team mates hated him. what i don't like about Lance is his sense of entitlement, and he's a bully. but if lance wasn't that way he would have never came back from cancer to win the TDF seven times.

i think lance's ego has finally caught up with him tho. must be hard living a lie day after day.

ed rader

 

[theswordsman]

I was a big fan of his up until this time last year. I'm angry at him, not hateful for many things he has done from the Giro stage in Milan to the Het Nieuwsblad interview around November or so. I'm angry at him for lying, for character assassination, and maligning people in the English speaking press who didn't have that resource to defend themselves.

Ditto Bruyneel on all of it, for the same reasons. It's all about the actions and words. Add in the Giro and TdF blood values for seasoning.

 

[Race Radio]

This is covered petty well in this thread....that might need some updating

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=2669

 

[Anonymous]

I think some of the simeoni-gate criticism has a lot of merit.

That truly is the point where I left the reservation. Then when he started to attack Betsy Andreau, I past the point of ever seeing him as anything but a festering boil on the taint of humanity...I hear they will back date a TUE for that.

 

[tubularglue]

what is the statute of limitations dating back to ?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

There is a disproportionate number of stupid threads started today, even considering the news. This is yet another example.

 

[santacruz]

I don't like Lance, I just want to see him and the bad men go away, and leave the Richie Porte's to take over the sport, and move into a beautiful new era of motorized doping and cybernetic limb doping at the worst. Everyone was doped up back in those days, but now it's a new day, and I think dudes like Dave Z and VdV know that and have been riding clean, I want to see the Albertos and Vino's and Levi's get off the friggin sauce already.

 

[Speedzero]

I look at the man like I look at Barry Bonds.

What a silly comparison. Did Barry Bonds devote an incredible amount of effort to ruining the professional and personal lives of his accusers? No, the worst he ever did (apart from the doping itself) was to sulk a lot.

 

[El Oso]

I look at the man like I look at Barry Bonds. He was by far the best at what he did during the sport's darkest days and this is what has caused the hate. He was a product of the environment during these times and did what he could to make himself the best. In today's cycling world there seems to be a common theme. "He is a great rider but there is not way he is clean."

An analogy to Barry Bonds is when I started to turn. I have never been a Barry Bonds fan, being raised a Dodger didn't help, but I wasn't a fan when he was a Pirate. My friend, a Giants fan, asked why I didn't like Bonds. I said it didn't have anything to do with the roids, it was that he's an a$$hole. My friend pointed out that Lance, by my own admission, is an a$$hole too, but I'm still a fan. I raised the cancer charity defense to which she replied that having a charity doesn't give you full rein to be an a$$hole.

Then his behaviour last year finished it off.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

It remains to be seen whether these (along with all the other) allegations are true, but it seems the man makes a lot of enemies. It's not because he's so successful; everyone loves a winner.

LA is changing. He's no longer an attack dog (re Simeoni) and seems to be trying to soften his image. He says he's had it with lawyers and litigation, which is a pretty big aboutface in itself. He's stated he's known about FL's allegations for years, so he's been preparing his best face for this day. He's treating the whole affair with contrived bemusement instead of trademark aggression.

The allegations couldn't come from a more disgraced and unreliable quarter: if FL's now telling the truth it means he's been lying under oath for years. Bad situation for FL. On the other hand, it's more smoke from a growing fire. Where will it all end? So much deceit and espionage for a little old working-class European sport.


This could only happen to LA. Indurain was a Ferrari client too (so OK, he's Spanish and the Spanish seem to actively encourage doping and deceit). If LA is innocent, it sucks to be him!

Back to the OP's question: my biggest gripe with LA is a lack of growth; enough with something as unimportant as winning a bike race. If you want attention, stop regressing and do something new.

 

[Old School]

It's his arrogance, his Holier than thou-ness, his self centered approach to coming back last year, the way he put down Contedor...and the fact that almost every teammate of his from back in the day has tested positive for something.

How could he have been so great against all these dopers, beaten them easily, yet be clean?

He's a liar. Be a man, which he can't seem to be.

 

[Anonymous]

lancie got a owie and had to go home... boo hoo now he can't talk to reporters about the "you know what".

 

[eljimberino]

What really grinds my gears is how he believes in everything. I believe in my team mates. I believe in myself. I believe in myself. I believe there is a cure for cancer. Etc etc. But the best one I read the other day, I believe in cycling. What? You believe in cycling? Cycling is a fact. You dont have to believe in it. It's like saying I believe in rocks. You dont have to.

 

[workingclasshero]

What really grinds my gears is how he believes in everything. I believe in my team mates. I believe in myself. I believe in myself. I believe there is a cure for cancer. Etc etc. But the best one I read the other day, I believe in cycling. What? You believe in cycling? Cycling is a fact. You dont have to believe in it. It's like saying I believe in rocks. You dont have to.

p|ss off, i believe in rocks

 

[saganftw]

i like when ppl act like they know him personaly