What are your thoughts on Lance Armstrong?

Hi Lance. Thanks for starting this Lance Awareness thread.

As long as people are talking about you, you can still feel relevant.

like nobody is aware of it wrote:

A.B.C.D. wrote:

still it raised millions of dollars for cancer research, what about you?

Cancer "awareness", champ.

Correct.

For me, my feelings are complicated:

I became aware of, and started cycling, because of Lance Armstrong. An obvious plus. But then I started studying the history of cycling, became aware of training techniques and doping culture, and by 2004 I was certain he was a doper. Then you compound all the negativity he persisted in the media and in courts against other people, and he became my least like cyclist.

But then he confessed. And didn't blame anyone else. And still refuses to talk smack against current riders (who are almost assuredly still doping.

Then about a year ago I started listening to his "The Forward" podcast, and then his Stages podcast (now THEMOVE), and I found that I really like him. He's actually really good on the "radio", he knows how to talk and tell a story. He has great insights into racing (duh) and seems generally likeable.

Two things that doping didn't give him were the will to win and the ability to suffer. I appreciate those characteristics. Still, I wouldn't exactly call him trustworthy. I don't think he can ever get that back, but he can be likeable.

lancedisgrace wrote:

To me he is a complete disgrace

Like Pinochet, he did nothing wrong.

Luv2Run wrote:

Lance did "win" 7 TdFs wrote:

But he might run for Governor of Texas some day and well see if many people still hate them.

He is too liberal.

Are you sure about that? I thought he use to ride mountain bikes and hangout with George W on his ranch there in Texas?

disgrace indeed

U.S.A. Legend wrote:

Look at the situation now - you've got a guy who's sitting on a FAILED test who's just ridden a friggin' unicorn shooting over a rainbow bridge joke of a stage win in a GT.

Hey man, Chris Froome overcame kidney failure and severe asthma to win two of cycling's greatest stage races. He is an inspiration to kidney failure and severe asthma sufferers all over the world. I'm sorry for the cynics like you out there who do not believe in inspiring miracles....

Luv2Run wrote:

I want to be like those guys wrote:

The Olsen twin? (I don't know if it's actually his wife or girlfriend).

you are way behind the times...

https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/cyclist-lance-armstrong-set-to-marry-longtime-girlfriend-anna-hansen/news-story/58280091422290e86f5b27a599761b78

Wow!...Just Wow!

Bjørn Dæhlie wrote:

-Ferocious competitor

Bicyclists look like wimps, especially when pushing high gears. 100m runners look ferocious, but they don't really tire. Caster Semenya looks to be taking it easy, even when winning races. Antonio Pinto looked ferocious when racing, he was the first European to break one hour in the HM.

Worst athlete ever. Total without moral or a shred of decency.

Most people don't know about this.

NCC wrote:

He paid someone $100,000 to ensure he would win a race and $1,000,000 prize back in 1993, a criminal offense. He did what he had to do with no looking back and no regard for a fair sport/competition.

more than 100 websites have labelled him as a disgrace

lancedisgrace wrote:

more than 100 websites have labelled him as a disgrace

damn....a hundred?

that's like all of them, right?

Even though we now that Lance used ped's, it's also interesting that no runner up of his 7 TDF victories has come up and said, hey that's my trophy, I deserve the title. It's no coincidence, it just shows that everyone else was also doing it.

Some dopers have all the luck wrote:

Luv2Run wrote:

you are way behind the times...

https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/cyclist-lance-armstrong-set-to-marry-longtime-girlfriend-anna-hansen/news-story/58280091422290e86f5b27a599761b78

Wow!...Just Wow!

Hey mate you need to watch "A Good Year" there's one short scene involving French cyclists you'll love.

Dude you have hit the nail on the head with that quote:-

"I'm sorry that you can’t dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles"

The context has changed but yeah he's still damn right about that - who wouldn't want to believe in Santa Claus again if they got the chance? Even for just that little while to break the sheer monotony of every day life?

Me, I'll take believing in "that look"; i'll take believing in being buried one day, then twinkle toes dancing off into the heavens leaving EVERYONE in the dust the next; in the cyclo-cross Tour save; in the USA-postal team train; in "It's Not About The Bike" and how'd you like them apples, because it was all friggin awesome - the best we'll ever see.

You wait - 20 years from now when a bit of pragmatism in light of what cycling continues and will continue to be comes into play then you'll see who's back atop of the podium as the greatest Sports Entertainer in history... And yoy can bet your bottom dollar it won't be some idiotic asthmatic looking like big bird trying to ride a tiny clown bike.

Karl Hungus wrote:

lancedisgrace wrote:

To me he is a complete disgrace

Like Pinochet, he did nothing wrong.

+1

Oh Please wrote:

Two things that doping didn't give him were the will to win and the ability to suffer. I appreciate those characteristics.

I agree with most of your post but some PEDs most definitely increase your ability to suffer and to train harder, even if you are mentally inclined to work hard and suffer. Things like cortisone are anti-inflammatory and will reduce pain. Things like amphetamines reduce fatigue etc ..

Rich. wrote:

Even though we now that Lance used ped's, it's also interesting that no runner up of his 7 TDF victories has come up and said, hey that's my trophy, I deserve the title. It's no coincidence, it just shows that everyone else was also doing it.

True...most of the top GC guys were doping. ☝️However, Armstrong paid a million smackers for Ferrari, arguably the best doping doctor of that era, to oversee his program and have him all to himself. Armstrong didn't do his program on his own, he had the best in the business design a highly-effective program and keep him from testing positive. The other guys simply got out-doped by the Armstrong-Ferrari team.