Fight Back?

Another article came out about Lance Armstrong, the USA bicyclist that won seven straight Tour De Frances and countless other races, being apart of an anti-doping situation. I saw this article on ESPN entitled, “Lance Armstrong accuses USADA”, the biking legend finally decided to step up to slience his critics in a scathing lawsuit; stating…

Jeremy McDonald

June 27, 2012

2–3 minutes

Tour De France, United States of America

Another article came out about Lance Armstrong, the USA bicyclist that won seven straight Tour De Frances and countless other races, being apart of an anti-doping situation.

I saw this article on ESPN entitled, “Lance Armstrong accuses USADA”, the biking legend finally decided to step up to slience his critics in a scathing lawsuit; stating that the organization, the USADA, broke federal laws and violated its own rules during the investigation that Armstrong had taken illegal drugs.

Armstrong believes that this board doesn’t have enough evidence to support the charges against him.

Now I find this to be a desperation against the bicyclist legend. Do I deny that he possibly did something wrong and illegal? No I don’t. But here is my arugment.

We know Armstrong had testicle cancer. We know he went through the treatment and took steroids to heal. Steroids to help make his body stronger from the cancer. Then we know that about six to eight months after defeating the cancer, he competed in his first Tour De France in 1999.

Now I believe that he took steroids for about half this time in recovery of cancer and to get his body back to normal; but not to cheat as most athletes would.

I haven’t heard things on Armstrong “cheating” until around the time he won his sixth or so Tour De France. And it was just the French that were complaining about it because an American broke one of their record, in my opinion.

It wasn’t until after he retired that we started to see more and more people jumping on board on these accusations. Now it’s bad enough that we’re banning him from competing.

As Armstrong has been saying, he’s never failed a drug test, never admitted to use steroids for competition, etc. etc. Which has caused him to ask, “Where’s the proof?”

Which makes me ask the same thing.

If he has done all of these illegal drugs; where’s the evidence, where’s the beef to back it up? If there is none, sit down and be quiet; if there is, show us what he did wrong.

The only thing that is probably preventing this to happen, is Armstrong’s former teammates. Which I sort of see as proof that Armstrong is hiding something, but the thing is too; where’s the needles? I want to believe something, not this “he said, she said” stuff. You got to prove your case.

Long story short, unless we got solid proof, if he flunked a test, etc. let the guy race. I know were in a global society of “Guilty till proven innocent”, but why are we listening to the French?

3 responses to “Fight Back?”

phildangephildange

June 27, 2012 at 7:57 am

Oh boy , the French complained because here we know about these things . We know very well since very long . Plus there are many newspapers and TV “beside the race” broadcasts . You never heard in the deaf and blind USA about what was said and proved, about the special delays Armstrong’s team required and got before medical tests, for instance .
The French organizers of the TDF, a private society, did all they can to protect Armstrong’s behaviour . A lot of money you see, a lot of business and a lot of corruption . Armstrong’s henchmen even used gangsters-like methods to make the young unknown riders who were pissed off shut up .
This idea of a French jealousy against Armstrong is exactly what I expected from America of these days . Always better to bash the French than to do serious researches .

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1. jmac1989
  
  June 27, 2012 at 7:37 pm
  
  I agree with you to a point. Armstrong is this big star athlete that if you cross his way in a negative fashion, i.e. his behavior as you say, that he used these gangster-like methods to shut up those around him from this.
  But let me ask you this, why did they wait this long to say something regardless of money or gangster-like methods? I mean, in sports and out of sports, if you get caught cheating, then your in trouble right here and now regardless if you beg or plead otherwise in a appeals process and such.
  It just seems like, in conclusion, that American athletes mishaps or success’ are blown out of proportion compare to athletes from other countries like France and Spain.
  
  Reply
phildangephildange

June 27, 2012 at 11:17 pm

Contador has been deprived of one of his victories, and he’s forbidden from racing now . Vinokourov and others too knew this fate .
The French cycling fed has launched years ago a very serious campaign against doping . The TDF president of this time agreed with it . The result was many riders were sent off, riders went on strike, the TDF was loosing its interest and credibility . What ! The TDF owners got fet up with all this, they sacked the president, they forbid their journalists to speak any more about doping ( they own the main sport newpapers, the one that founded the TDF ) . After that, you only could learn real things in some investigation newspapers, not in sport newsâêrs .
Since then, the French riders are still under a strict control, because of their federation, but not the others . That’s why since the 90s no French rider does achieve anything in the Tour . And they are pissed off .
The TDF owners are like a mafia, all they want is money . Armstrong elevated traffic and business to an unheard level . He never did other Tours, nor what we call the “classiques” races, to preserve all his energy for the Tour . This also was unheard, and according to cycling fans, unfair . Because of that, he was never considered as a real cyclist in France . He wanted to win the only universally known race and boost his money -maker’s societies by any mean .
The Mafia of the Tour and Armstrong’s mafia got along very well, each one taking advantages from the association .
Here the TDF is a part of history, I mean in our genes . Not only the race, what goes around . I’m 53 and I remember the 60s, every popular French family was following the Tour on the radio .
And we know they are all doped . We’ve know that for ages . It’s impossible to be in the 10 top rankings if you’re not . Unless a real repression is organized . But this would mean the end of “le Tour” and money is the boss in this world .
Plus, the richest you are, the newest dopes you get, dopes that are not detected yet . And Armstrong labs were working in Mafia Land .
I never could like that chap . Not because he comes from America, but because he blew an arctic wind on the Tour . In the glorious beginings, the only dope was red wine . It became more sophisticated later, but Armstrong’s cold blood traffics were too much . I’m glad a US service found him guilty and not a French one .
By the way, he didn’t break a “French” record : before him, they were 4 co-recordmen of victories : Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Indurain, 5 victories each ; 2 French, a Belgian and a Spaniard .

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