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NLCTVWguy

NLCTVWguy

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The Lance Armstrong saga is not "new" news, but some details of the investigation are released today. As more information comes to the surface, it seems we keep learning more bad things about these heroes of the sport.

Today's article:

http://news.yahoo.com/investigators-cyclist-armstrong-doping-ringleader-032138514--spt.html

The killer for me is, one of his teammates, Tom Danielson, is the hometown guy who achieved success. He started his career sponsored by the cycling shop in our city, and has ridden with the very best in the world. Now, by association with this team, he is up to his neck in the doping ring scandal and will pay for it with a 6-month ban from professional cycling events.

This all is a shame, and I hope all the riders are able to get clean, and ride competitively again. There have not been any admissions of guilt or involvement, but most involved have stopped denials. They could be advised by lawyers to say nothing, I don't know.

I know it casts a long long shadow over a sport that's related to our hobby, even if you don't race. It's like restoring old hot rods, and hearing that a NASCAR team is being banned for cheating, when really it's more like being banned for getting caught (because everyone's cheating a little.)

In Armstrong's case, each year he won the Tour de France, the man who held second place has already been either investigated or served some sort of sentence within the sport for doping or other violations. All of the second-place winners (a few years, it's the same guy who took second.) That was reported by Bicycling magazine. The German court system that investigates some of these cases has a penalty structure where a subject of the investigation can simply pay a fine without admitting guilt, and end the action against him, and that what was done in many cases.

The whole thing makes you shake your head. It's heartbreaking, especially when you consider the personal performance aspect of the sport. Every one of these cyclists is an elite top athlete. Whether they were "enhanced" by some drug or not, they all have strength and endurance that is admirable.

I don't know how else to express what I feel: sadness, shock, sympathy, disappointment, anger, frustration? It's all mixed together.

I hope it's the end of the scandal and future wins by any of these men are not clouded by allegations of cheating. That goes for all the other top riders in the sport of cycling.

--Rob Bareiss
New London CT
 
It's like the steroid thing with baseball. All the records set of late are suspect. The sport can't recover completely from this. Most people now think they are all doping and have been for years.
 
I do some local racing and I know guys who use "substances" around here. Doping has been a part of cycling for a long time. I mean great, strip Lance of his titles and give them to the next doper. Makes perfect sense. :roll: If you are doping and racing against 100 other dopers and win, aren't you still the best of the lot?

I really don't mean to sound cynical or "accepting", but it isn't just cycling. Track and field, swimming, baseball, football, etc all have their share. Doping has been around since the minute someone realized drugs could enhance your performance.

I want to clarify that I am totally against breaking the rules and doping. I am just saying that it is far more common than people think.
 
Terry66 said:
If you are doping and racing against 100 other dopers and win, aren't you still the best of the lot?
Click to expand...

That's pretty much my point. Take away the titles, even if they go back over 10 years... fine the offenders, even ban them from the sport. But then to award the "win" to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th place guy... how far down the list do you have to go to find someone clean?

A sad day. I can't even express how much it tears me up to learn today that the scandal involved even our local hero. :x
We spent all last year following his successes- he was the fastest of the American riders on several stages, and one of the best overall.

--Rob
 
Doping is stupid, and dopers too. People will do anything to win. What does it say about a person that you would cheat that comprehensively to win a GAME. These people are held as heroes and models for children. And racers in the 20's and 30's used to die from amphetamine use while racing I don't think there has been a year there wasn't doping in cycling.
 
I certainly don't agree with the the drugging, I have been clean and sober for 24 years, But I think it is way over exargerated and I do believe most of these "heroes" would still be heroes even without the doping they supposedly did.
 
Rob I didn't know Tommy was dragged into this too. I personally am let down most by George, as I've been a fan of him since he was an 18 year old junior licensed racer (back when I was at the height of my racing). Heck I was there in '04 following The Tour for two weeks in a camping car to see Lance win it the record breaking sixth time. I painted his name on the roads.

so ya, it's a bummer. But anyone who's been following the sport probably saw it coming. In the 70s-80s the pictures of the racers on the famous climbs were of gaping mouths, excruciating pain and heroes being shelled off the back on occasion. Now, more often than not, they have pursed lips, breathe through their noses and stay seated more with seemingly endless power.

I love the sport so much, I can't give it up, and won't give it up. I'd have to become a fan of quilting to find a "sport" that isn't tainted by cheating.
 
The thing in the article that made me laugh a little was how he mentioned that some folks think just because everyone was doping that it evens the playing field and then he went on to say that it wasn't true because certain teams could afford better doctors, better drugs, etc.

I'm pretty sure this same logic would apply to these races even if nobody was doping...i.e. better training facilities, better trainers, better equipment, etc.
 
I remember that commercial. And I have that bike he's riding in the rain.
 
Ned Overend won the Norba Mountain Bike Championship several times, the last when he was 37. He was XTERRA World Champion in '98 and '99, US Champion in 2001 and 2002 and Winter Triathlon champion in 2000...all after age 40.
We still have champions. We just have to look a bit harder.
 
I dismissed the allegations until Hincapie said Armstrong used EPO. That made me face reality.
 
I may be the lone ranger on this one but if a person is dumb enough to dope they should be ready to deal with the consequences. I also believe its the norm in professional sports that have the potential of generating lots of money.

I think that doping is what has made professional sports in every arena the money maker it is today. Its what drives big sponsorships, endorsement deals and personal branding. Reality is we like to look up at the super human people for achieving what seems to be unachiavble goals. When a perceived normal man makes these achievements we find it entertaining, we pay to go watch them do what they do and buy the brands of stuff they wear because we want to think our performance would improve because the wear it. In a rare occasion will you find the companies that sponsor these guys that get accused turn their backs on them.

Its all driven by money and entertainment factor as long as we continue to make hero's of normal people, there hero's will do "what ever it takes" to make as a much money in there short lived famed as a hero. Its also what saved baseball (see home run race), has improved football, drives wrestling and MMA to name a few.

So finally, I have no problem letting idiots dope up for my personal entertainment and that's my point I enjoy watching the super human feats and if doping is what it takes well let them do it. Make it legal if that levels the playing field they are the ones that later in life have to deal with the consequences.
 
A followup on this article I heard today on NPR said, interviewing a writer from BICYCLING magazine... he stated the top 100 riders all had some allegations of doping. It was widespread, certainly in the timeframe of 1999-2005.

It's still very disappointing to learn that, even if everyone was doing it, it seems Armstrong forced his team to go along with him, self-incriminating if you will, and now they have just about all paid some price.

In my mind, it doesn't negate the achievements of winning over and over, or the whole story of coming back from fighting cancer to becoming a top athlete. But it'll cast a shadow over the whole sport and all top riders for years and years.

--Rob
 
You would think that the Festina Affair would have convinced professional racers not to dope. If not that, certainly the untimely death of Marco Pantini. No, they just kept doping.
It's a shame to see somebody put in all that work for years to become a professional cyclist, only to learn that he must dope to be competitive, or in many cases, just to keep his job.
 
looks like they (USADA and UCI) have agreed to wipe out 13 years of cycling history. They are not going to issue places to anyone since 1998. sad.
 
Cheaters never prosper...
 

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