Lance Armstrong to be stripped of Tour de France titles and banned for life

[Dante Lavelli]

You should celebrate that America is possibly the only country in the world that would (rightly) bring down a sporting star of such worldwide fame for systematic cheating. I'm struggling to think of any other country which would do the same.

This is the same America that covered up Carl Lewis's drug taking according to the BBC documentary before the Olympics. 

[RunRickyRun]

You should celebrate that America is possibly the only country in the world that would (rightly) bring down a sporting star of such worldwide fame for systematic cheating. I'm struggling to think of any other country which would do the same.

This is the same America that covered up Carl Lewis's drug taking according to the BBC documentary before the Olympics. 

That was before National Anti Doping Organisations (such as USADA) and WADA existed (I did say in an earlier post that it would not have happened at a different time).

Political pressure tried to make the case go away (ref Armstrong) but the truth still came out largely thanks to the efforts of these independent bodies.

[N'Rexy]

Short interview with the woman who began the whole thing.

http://www.bicycling.com/news/pro-cycling/5-questions-betsy-andreu

A brave woman. Betsy Andreu.

[N'Rexy]

Documentary on 5Live now. Its going to be good.

[Jon Crofts]

Can we have one of those word filter thingies so that Armstrong becomes Pharmstrong?

[N'Rexy]

Or Dopestrong?  Either way he is a cheating fcuker.

[paul_e]

My favourite so far is liestrong

livewrong is pretty good as well.

[bertlambshank]

Why did Lance give the UCI $100,000?

[Dave Cooper please]

Why did Lance give the UCI $100,000?

Officially? To help them in the fight against doping.

Really? To keep them onside.

[RunRickyRun]

Why did Lance give the UCI $100,000?

More pertinent is the question - why (the hell) did the UCI accept $100,000 from Lance?

[paul_e]

Why did Lance give the UCI $100,000?

As I understand it this is made a lot more shady by the fact that a large portion of that money was used to give a specific lab in Switzerland free access to a blood testing machine.  A lab that was, at the time, conducting tests on samples from Lance Armstrong.

That Landis and Hamilton have both said under oath (as it's under oath and part of a federal investigation you'd have to suggest that they weren't aware that the other had said anything, yet they both mentioned the same dates) that Armstrong then boasted about getting away with a positive test just adds to the perception that something very dodgy went on with that, and is a big part of the reason why a lot of people have questioned how much UCI were aware of and decided to ignore in favour of profiting from the cancer-survivor to champion marketing dream.

Until he chooses to actually defend himself I take it as he was a serial doper who encouraged others to follow suit and was willing to pay backhanders to officials and was far too quick starting litigation proceedings against anyone who questioned him to suggest he had nothing to hide.  I also firmly believe that at least some senior members of UCI were fully compliant in allowing this to continue.

[N'Rexy]

If you have a spare 40 minutes watch this:
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/10/11/3608613.htm

And if you have more time then watch the full length interviews on the website with the key participents.

[Dave Cooper please]

So, and please don't take this as me gloating or being smug and all that, is there anyone who was previously either pro-Armstrong, or maybe doing a bit of fence sitting, who still thinks he wasn't a drug cheat?

[JD]

So, and please don't take this as me gloating or being smug and all that, is there anyone who was previously either pro-Armstrong, or maybe doing a bit of fence sitting, who still thinks he wasn't a drug cheat?

I think you would have to be very foolish to think that now Dave. I've always really admired Lance Armstrong and his fightback after cancer and honestly believed him when he said he didn't take performance enhancing drugs (I so wanted this to be true). I don't believe him now though. 

[Ad@m]

So, and please don't take this as me gloating or being smug and all that, is there anyone who was previously either pro-Armstrong, or maybe doing a bit of fence sitting, who still thinks he wasn't a drug cheat?

I think you would have to be very foolish to think that now Dave. I've always really admired Lance Armstrong and his fightback after cancer and honestly believed him when he said he didn't take performance enhancing drugs (I so wanted this to be true). I don't believe him now though. 

Same here.

Not sure what your point is though Dave if it's not to gloat?