I find it interesting if you go to Wikipedia today... the UCI officially has no Tour de France winner recognized from 1999-2005 after they stripped Lance's titles. You'd think they just bump up the riders behind to raise their official spots.........but maybe many of those riders might fail scrutinizing their drug use as well..... so no winner is better than Lance?
Sad to see all this, as I was a USCF racer in the 1970's through mid 1980's (cat 3) but now am now just an avid cyclist in my spare time. I've followed the Tour de France for over 40 years and for this to happen is totally insane. Drug use has been going on in cycling for over half a century. Five time winner Jacques Anquetil was famous for using drugs during his tours and even bragged about it off the bike! He's been quoted as saying ""Leave me in peace; everybody takes dope". Of course this was before the modern era of wide spread steroid use and mandatory drug testing in many sports.
Stripping Lance of his titles sends a message to the competitors involved in the sport but unless the organizers are willing to scrutinize EVERY cyclist in the same manner since drug testing was first invoked, it means nothing more than being a witch hunt to crucify one man. This won't stop the on going issues of drugs in sports as participants are always trying to get that extra edge against their competition.
What a waste of money, energy and time for everyone involved. No, I'm not a Lance fan and I always thought the hype around him was overrated. He is no doubt a great athlete but to me Merckx has and always will be the greatest cyclist of our era. He was the most accomplished cyclist ever. I've met Merckx, LeMond and Lance in person several times over the past 30 years. Merckx always seemed the most humble of his accomplishments in his life of the three and I have deep respect for him. He has admitted to using drugs in his career like most other cyclist's since his retirement.
At one point in his career Merckx won almost every other race he rode. Merckx won the equivalent of a race a week for six years. He won 525 races in his career!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_Merck ... _victories
I don't see them stripping Merckx of his victories anytime soon...... admitted drug use or not.
WH
Armstrong goes down...and down......and down....and.........
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briansmith
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That last part is no different from the other prosecuted racers.WH wrote: Stripping Lance of his titles sends a message to the competitors involved in the sport but unless the organizers are willing to scrutinize EVERY cyclist in the same manner since drug testing was first invoked, it means nothing more than being a witch hunt to crucify one man. This won't stop the on going issues of drugs in sports as participants are always trying to get that extra edge against their competition.
WH
What's somewhat different is that Lance is being brokered in attempt to hit the UCI, where some stuff might really have a chance to cause change if it brings a victory.
I might agree with you about the money, energy and time being wasteful, but I'll wait until the results of said expenditures are evident. I do agree with you about Merckx. I don't know of any instance of him admitting to drug use, I don't believe that drug use throughout the sport was uncommon in Merckx's time, but it's a question that is of little value to be asked. The reality is that you don't perform these grand tour feats on pasta, bread and water.WH wrote: What a waste of money, energy and time for everyone involved. No, I'm not a Lance fan and I always thought the hype around him was overrated. He is no doubt a great athlete but to me Merckx has and always will be the greatest cyclist of our era. He was the most accomplished cyclist ever. I've met Merckx, LeMond and Lance in person several times over the past 30 years. Merckx always seemed the most humble of his accomplishments in his life of the three and I have deep respect for him. He has admitted to using drugs in his career like most other cyclist's since his retirement.
WH
It's easy to vilify the athlete, keep the same "programs" intact, then wait for the next athlete to vilify, when the problem is not generated at the athlete level. Many cyclists leave the sport professionally when they realize their options in a sport run under corrupted governance. The ones that stay make their choice and we (the big we) celebrate their performances. It has been this way for a long time.
Re: Armstrong goes down...and down......and down....and.....
I didn't know we could make the thread title that long...Duke wrote:Armstrong goes down...and down......and down....and.........
Gotta love the Cannibal.WH wrote:He is no doubt a great athlete but to me Merckx has and always will be the greatest cyclist of our era. He was the most accomplished cyclist ever.
Hey Duke, why do you hate Lance so much? Did he screw your wife or something? Does he associate with Matt Hernandez without any of the rest of us knowing about it?
Hey prickly plant. why do you love Lance so much? Did he give you a really good blow job or something? Does he associate with the village people without any of the rest of us knowing about it?Cactus wrote:Hey Duke, why do you hate Lance so much? Did he screw your wife or something? Does he associate with Matt Hernandez without any of the rest of us knowing about it?
Way to dodge the question, bro. At least I'll have the ball to answer yours:
Considering I used to be an avid cyclist, he brought TV coverage of a sport I appreciate to my house. He's got a pretty awesome cancer foundation. He's far from the most accomplished cyclist ever to have lived, but he's not exactly an also-ran. Sure he's not the best role model in sports, but at least he hasn't run out of money shortly after retirement like many pro sports stars. So far as I know, he doesn't run a dogfighting ring.
Considering I used to be an avid cyclist, he brought TV coverage of a sport I appreciate to my house. He's got a pretty awesome cancer foundation. He's far from the most accomplished cyclist ever to have lived, but he's not exactly an also-ran. Sure he's not the best role model in sports, but at least he hasn't run out of money shortly after retirement like many pro sports stars. So far as I know, he doesn't run a dogfighting ring.
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unt0uchable
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Was it really necessary to dredge this old horse from the depths to beat it some more?-
Mark 88/M5 Houston
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Mark 88/M5 Houston
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