Lance Explains That He Trained Hard and Doping Was Necessary

yeah right. wrote:

The entire field was doped. Has been for two decades. And you seriously expect Lance to say "oh...i am sorry. I should have gone to the gun fight with a knife"

#1 it's not life or death.

#2 Lots of athletes chose not to dope. Lots.

#3 LRC has some idea what it takes to compete at an international level. Not a hobby jogger like me, but others do, for sure.

It's fascinating how you've hung onto pure fiction though.

Lance did what anyone would have done. We just like to have a witch hunt to hide our own dubious morality.

Get off your high horses. He was a human and made a mistake. He tried to cover up that mistake. All of us have done something wrong and covered it up. He just got caught.

Have some humanity. Lance is an example of a human, not some devil spawn.

His awards should be stripped and his earnings taken, but his humanity should not be touched.

English Teacher wrote:

Lance did what anyone would have done.

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No. Every elite bicyclist, did not take PEDs just as every IAAF athlete does not take PEDs.

I had a look at LA's Strava the other week and it seems like he only runs now, and that he trains with a group in Austin. Anyone know anything about the group?

English Teacher wrote:

Lance did what anyone would have done. We just like to have a witch hunt to hide our own dubious morality.

Get off your high horses. He was a human and made a mistake. He tried to cover up that mistake. All of us have done something wrong and covered it up. He just got caught.

Have some humanity. Lance is an example of a human, not some devil spawn.

His awards should be stripped and his earnings taken, but his humanity should not be touched.

He cheated, plain and simple.

It's amazing to read the pro-Lance comments. I'm guessing most of you wouldn't have the same sympathy for Rupp if it comes out he cheated. If Lance wasn't considered so "cool" by his fans, he'd have little to no support on these boards.

And I love the comments about Lance being the "best rider ever." He was a world-class cyclist for sure, but until his relationship with Ferrari, he was a one-day classic rider and had shown no ability to ride well in grand tours.

Should Ben Johnson get his gold medal back since most were probably doping as well?

I freaking love Lance. He is EXACTLY what the best in sports is all about in the modern era: pushing your body to insane limits with the best technology possible, even pharm tech.

Long live the most inspirational endurance athlete of our time.

kjv wrote:

I freaking love Rupp. He is EXACTLY what the best in sports is all about in the modern era: pushing your body to insane limits with the best technology possible, even pharm tech.

Long live the most inspirational endurance athlete of our time.

Lance Armstrong is the poster child for narcissism. Psychology teachers everywhere should be using him as a teaching example. If you described his actions/behaviors in generic terms, I doubt anyone would believe he was a real person.

Lance didn't know when to stop. Five Tour de France's, ok. The last two were overkill.

It's hard to understand the justification of the argument: "everyone else in cycling is/was doping...so that makes it okay."

That seems to be used a lot in defense of athletes like Lance.

Lance has now entered the world of Mountain-Ultra-Trail Running, where for the most part it seems like he has been welcomed with open arms. From what I've seen the vast, vast majority of runners out there support him (I don't).

Don't get me wrong, I love the sport of cycling..I love the Tour, but I never watch it much anymore because all I can see or think about is what kind of drugs the top guys are on. I never trusted Lance from day one of his "comeback" (and I was a kid back then)...it was never a surprise he was on a cocktail of drugs.

Technically isn't he still able to be on a TUE for testosterone (I don't know...that is speculation.... I'd think he has to be maybe..?) since his cancer surgery? What limits how much testosterone you can take in a certain range on a TUE?

Ultras like the Western States 100 recently stated a policy that former convicted dopers (who have used PEDs) are not allowed to enter the race. Some seemed to think that Lance wanted to do that race eventually...there were a lot of people that were not happy about that race policy and the fact that Lance can never enter Western States now.

In closing, this is a classic video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIl5RxhLZ5U

S. Canaday wrote:

Technically isn't he still able to be on a TUE for testosterone (I don't know...that is speculation.... I'd think he has to be maybe..?) since his cancer surgery? What limits how much testosterone you can take in a certain range on a TUE?

Doesn't matter. He's life banned from all WADA signatory sports competitions. For those who don't have doping checks, no need for TUEs.

Classic clip indeed.

So here's my thought about morality in sports.

Athletes, great athletes and those who got close to touching greatness (even in their own heads) have a personal relationship with sports and typically feel betrayed by cheaters. It's personal because there's a sense that something may have been taken from you or someone like you because this person cheated.

Casual observers and the general public have a different relationship with sports. It's about entertainment. Lance transcended in entertaining. He made the American public and the world at large care more about cycling than they had in a long time if ever before.

For those of us who know the grind of elite athletics you know that great drama like we saw in those 7 tours doesn't really exist in non-enhanced sport - at least not drama that can be consumed by casual observers and the general public.

In a way that had never been done before, Lance transcended as an entertainer in sports. Because of that, many of us who are able to compartmentalize our feelings about sports can still see him as an icon of a hopefully ending era. Most casual observers and the general public probably feel this way.

Lance also transcended as a cheater, he personally attacked those who tried to out him and successfully battered down anyone who tried to shed light on the truth. He was so successful because he was so ruthless and he almost got away with it. This makes him less forgivable than the average cheater; but this also makes his story more compelling.

There are those out there who will always stay above the fray, and thank goodness for them, but most all of us (especially on this site) have a competitive streak and even if we wouldn't make the same decisions that Lance did we can empathize with his unique choices. His story is interesting and I am grateful I was able to observe it first hand.

I appreciate Lance for what he was and I also resent him for what he was, but god damnit I hope I'm wrong but I doubt we'll see another athlete who can do what he did for cycling for an endurance sport again in our lifetimes - and for that I thank Mr. Armstrong for the ride.

Imagine how it must feel for a pro runner to get on the starting line next to Rupp and Farah. What would you do if you were in their shoes?

Like sleazy said, it is impossible to be world class or win Olympic medals without being a doper. rupp, mo, radcliffe, centro, hasay, rowbury; all dopers.

I still love the guy.

I bought my first road bike in 2001 because of him ... Yes a trek! I raced for 10 fabulous years. Kicked some ass and had a ton of fun. Actually raced him on 2 occasions and it was special. Doper or not...I love the guy. Love the sport...no doubt my mile in 2016 would be different without him... He inspired me and I didn't have cancer! Thanks lance... Screw the French and srew all of the people who don't think you are rad.....

Again, screw you all that don't love the guy... The tour for those years were the best weeks ever on tv... I remember jumping on my couch... He was a rockstar... Rockstars sometimes do drugs... He entertained me and inspired me... I won because of lance... Thank you... I'm not kidding... If you raced bikes from 2004-2011 good chance I probably crushed you and I was clean but running on lance motivation... He was my drug! Seriously he was the kick-starter before it existed... Free motivation! Get over it. We asked him to entertain and to win... He made us care about cancer and cycling! We all won because of him... No one was honestly hurt... Sorry Frankie and your wife but seriously you don't lose that much... More people gained... Way more... People climbed out of cancer beds... People climbed off the couch and up mountains....so he wasn't nice... Get over it... I won because of him... No doubt about it... He didn't motivate me to dope... He motivated me to suffer and not complain..... Lemons have been dealt to all of us.... He gave me the the mojo to climb out of a few dark holes... I tapped him on the ass at cross Vegas one year and said thanks... I don't know how serious I was being... I spent a laps on his wheel that night in the race... Magical... Rockstar barely does him justice... There are way worse people in the world... I still love the guy...

I rode road bikes before 2001. It didn't take him to get me on my bike. I loved the sport before he came along.

I had a good Italian made road bike too, not a cookie cutter brand.

Has been for two decades? Much, much longer than that...