"Listen, I've said it for seven years. I've said it for longer than seven years. I have never doped. I can say it again. But I've said it for seven years. It doesn't help. But the fact of the matter is I haven't. And if you consider my situation: A guy who comes back from arguably, you know, a death sentence, why would I then enter into a sport and dope myself up and risk my life again? That's crazy. I would never do that. No. No way."
Lance Armstrong Larry King Transcript
You know, there's nothing uglier or more pathetic than people who are sore losers. Envy and maliciousness are at the root of sad, small minded people who lack confidence in their convictions. It takes a big man to stand up and say, "Oh well. Guess, I lost this time around."
So, to all the French idiots who are leading the crusade against Lance Armstrong: Grow the hell up. So you've been beaten by an American. Cry me a fucking river. How about this? You were beaten by a phenominal cyclist? He just happens to be an American! Wow! Nifty concept! Sadly, there are people can't seem to get past the entire "Nationality" issue. Disgusting behavior from individuals who claim to be so cultured and "elite" if you ask me.
To the Americans leaping onto the bandwagon because it's a great media seller to see such a national icon tumble: You make me sick. As if the US isn't plagued enough by biased, one-sided, malicous journalism...
Is there a possibility that Armstrong has doped in his career? Sure. I wouldn't be shocked. Do I think he was doping when he took the seven wins in the Tour? No.
Why?
Perhaps because he's the most tested (randomly and not) athlete in the world. In the '99 tour he was tested clean 17 times. Through-out his Tour history, he's been tested over 85 times (while participating) and never tested dirty. And of course, there's the uncounted random tests he's been subjected to over the span of his career, which brings the number of his negitive tests into the 100's, and his positives still in the 0s.
Perhaps, because he has a cause that the belives in so strongly that he knows a legit doping charge would crush him, and the people he's trying to help.
Perhaps, because unlike the cyincs of the world, I like to believe in heros. I get no joy out of seeing a person get raked through the mud. Apparently, my kind is a dying breed...
I find it extremely fishy that a paper, one that has targted Armstrong again and again (and isn't beneath digging through his trash or breaking into his hotel room), would suddenly pipe up and say, "Hey, we have papers that say EPO has been found in Armstrongs piss from seven years ago!" And of course, the samples (which were anonymous) have been destroyed. How convinent. Not to mention, I have to question the integrity of a lab that would hand over such dire reports to a newspaper, without notifying the proper people first. Oh, and I'd like to know how L'Équipe got this so called list with the "matching numbers". It's no secret that Pound isn't a friend of Armstrong.Makes me wonder about the intergity of the WADA too. Nor is the French media. Or Jean-Marie Leblanc. They'd all just LOVE to see Armstrong crumble.
I'd be disappointed if Armstrong doped in the '99 Tour. However, there are still six other Tour's where he was tested again and again and again, after the technology had become more accurate. So explain to me why a man who could win six tours clean, would need to dope in a seventh? And even so, it's still phenominal that he could come back from death, and ride in even one Tour, let alone seven. That's enough to give people all over the world courage and hope. He'd still be a hero in my opinion.
As my sister has so eloquently put it, "It is sad. We take hard working people and criticize them for success because we aren't as successful." How true. How many of us are willing to sweat blood and shed tears for our passion? How many of us have the courage to say "Fuck you" in the face of a life threatening situation? Or have the strength to pull through and make our lives even better than before?
Very few. People are lazy and weak willed by nature. Most of us spend our days wishing and dreaming about how to make our lives better, more fulfulling, more successful. And that's all we do. Dream, wish, hope, and complain. When we see someone who charges forward in persuit of their desires, regardless of the effort and impossibilities, it makes us envious. Because inside, we know that we're just wasting away, waiting for things to happen, instead of making them happen ourselves.
Posted by Zoso at August 26, 2005 07:44 PMI wondered when you were going to mention something about this. To be honest, I agree. I assumed he'd been tested probably more times than the average cyclist because of his cancer etc. Of course he probably has the will and drive to aspire to these wins - he survived cancer. It's probably changed his entire persepctive on a few things. What you said at the end is absolutely true.
Posted by: DR at August 27, 2005 02:36 AMYeah, I waited to mention it because I wanted to see what,or if, there would be more "proof". I'd be lying to say I haven't my own doubts at one time or another, but I always come back to the conclusion that Armstrong has far more to lose from doping than to gain.
I read the article from the French newspaper, as well as a few others, and it smacks of anti-americanism and jealousy. Also, this newspaper isn't exactly the most ethical or honest--they hate Lance. So does most of the French media. Pound is a Canadian, and he's not a supporter of Armstrong either (the WADA has pressed the meaning of "harrassment" when it comes to testing Armstrong).
It's a sad affair. Pathetic. The guy is retired. He won't be "disrupting" the "French's sport" anymore. So why can't they just leave him alone? I think, there are a few people carrying around mountains on their shoulders instead of chips.
Posted by: Zoso at August 27, 2005 11:25 AM