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Lance Armstrong ends fight against doping charges part deux



Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset
It's easy to forget Lance was an incredible cyclist.

I don't think his drug taking has been traced back to his pre cancer days.
Although I may be wrong, as quite frankly I'll be happen to never see or hear of him again. (easier said than done with my sport of choice)
He was World Champion, and he won a couple of classics.
He was. World champion at 21 when clean.
 




beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,014
This is the misconception, the difference in performance amongst the top athletes is minimal and improved strength/endurance are massive benefits. In the search for that extra 1% many will take whatever means necessary.

absolutly acknowledge that, i suppose my point is that in some sports the strength and endurance is of less importance than skill and technique. that 1% extra endurance becomes 0.1% over all advantage, so the cost/benefit doesnt seem worth it. especially team sports, when on the endurance front your only as good as the rest of the team really, unless everyone is at it, the benefit is lost. unless its the difference from you getting in the first team. not ruling it out, just saying it has less importance that those sports that rely heavily on pure athleticism, when 1% really does matter a great deal.

theres also a mentality aspect, the dedication that individual sportman go to, to push through to personal bests, its a different level to other sports. i can see why a cyclist or sprinter might want to go to the effort to increase thier time 1sec. i cant see many footbalers going to the effort, when that effort would be better spent on practice to improve technique. i think if it did make a tangible difference, it will be rife.
 


Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset
i think if it did make a tangible difference, it will be rife.

I think that it may do and may be!

There's a reason there was a huge wrangle over operation Puerto on Spain - the cyclists got pinged and then years and years of legal proceedings followed which eventually led to a judge bizarrely ordering the destruction of all the blood bags belonging to top football clubs.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
53,132
Goldstone
I'm sure you're not saying 'see it was only 6 of the 8'!!
All I said was 'That may be exaggerating' (which was a fair and accurate point) and Indurain took issue with it, so of course I'm pointing out that I was right.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
53,132
Goldstone
Tough one. On the one hand, I'd be genuinely fascinated to hear a completely honest account, starting with his pre-cancer era, of his entire career.

On the other, he doesn't deserve the proceeds of such a book.
Your other hand outweighs the first for me. Can't remember who said/wrote recently, how come when people commit fraud they go to prison, but and athlete like Armstrong commits fraud on a massive scale and nothing happens, he gets to keep his $millions. He should be in prison.
 




Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset
Your other hand outweighs the first for me. Can't remember who said/wrote recently, how come when people commit fraud they go to prison, but and athlete like Armstrong commits fraud on a massive scale and nothing happens, he gets to keep his $millions. He should be in prison.
It's true, they originally pursued him for defrauding federal funds (as us postal sponsored the team!).

I think Conte (Balco, marion Jones etc) went to prison but that seems the exception.

The money may be swept up by the numerous lawsuits though.
 


Lady Whistledown

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
47,628
It's easy to forget Lance was an incredible cyclist.

I don't think his drug taking has been traced back to his pre cancer days.


Isn't there some theory that a big factor in his cancer spreading so rapidly and aggressively is the PE drugs he was taking at the time? I'm pretty sure the Andreus mentioned him talking about drug use with the oncologist when he was being treated.

That certainly suggests he was taking stuff prior to illness. Though you'd hope not when he was world champion at only 21.
 


beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,014
I think that it may do and may be!

There's a reason there was a huge wrangle over operation Puerto on Spain - the cyclists got pinged and then years and years of legal proceedings followed which eventually led to a judge bizarrely ordering the destruction of all the blood bags belonging to top football clubs.

vague recollection of it.. does make you wonder.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
Isn't there some theory that a big factor in his cancer spreading so rapidly and aggressively is the PE drugs he was taking at the time? I'm pretty sure the Andreus mentioned him talking about drug use with the oncologist when he was being treated.

That certainly suggests he was taking stuff prior to illness. Though you'd hope not when he was world champion at only 21.
Ah yes good point.
There's so much stuff swilling about it's hard to keep track of it all.
Let alone having a handle on the facts.

I'm pretty sure the cancer had seriously taken hold before diagnosis.
It certainly wasn't a 'caught it early' situation.
 


Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset
Isn't there some theory that a big factor in his cancer spreading so rapidly and aggressively is the PE drugs he was taking at the time? I'm pretty sure the Andreus mentioned him talking about drug use with the oncologist when he was being treated.

That certainly suggests he was taking stuff prior to illness. Though you'd hope not when he was world champion at only 21.
Yes that's true. Betsy Andreu said she was there when he admitted to it. I was referring more to the early years around the world championship win.

Testosterone would accelerate the spread of testicular cancer potentially but not sure the link is certain in Lance.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
53,132
Goldstone
The money may be swept up by the numerous lawsuits though.
That would be nice, but I can't see it happening. He's worth $125m odd, through cheating, and he'll be hiding plenty of it. Not that I have a vendetta against Lance, I feel the same about all drug cheats.
 




Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset
That would be nice, but I can't see it happening. He's worth $125m odd, through cheating, and he'll be hiding plenty of it. Not that I have a vendetta against Lance, I feel the same about all drug cheats.
He seems someone so convinced by his own ego that he won't be bothered by all the hatred for him. Shame he's profited so much.

Also, many have pointed out that people like Hamilton are profiting greatly from their confession biographies even though the conclusion of it is "everyone was doing it and I was still one of the best".
 


Horton's halftime iceberg

Blooming Marvellous
Jan 9, 2005
16,491
Brighton
"everyone was doing it and I was still one of the best".

This is part of the modern spin/soundbite culture - as people that don't follow it so much believe this, insulting to all the Christophe Basson's who are out there and where forced out of professional racing by the cheats, and the power their money brought them
 






wakeytom

New member
Apr 14, 2011
2,718
The Hacienda
He seems someone so convinced by his own ego that he won't be bothered by all the hatred for him. Shame he's profited so much.

Also, many have pointed out that people like Hamilton are profiting greatly from their confession biographies even though the conclusion of it is "everyone was doing it and I was still one of the best".

I think people like Hamilton need to make some money though, I am sure he is worth plenty but he would have been bullied in to doing what he did, I feel a little more sorry for the riders like that
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
53,132
Goldstone
So if it wrong to post pictures of footballers who we don't know dope
It's not wrong, it just doesn't make sense for the article that's being written. It makes sense to use pictures of Froome for two reasons - one, he's currently leading the TdF and the picture above was of a 7 time winner and hugely disgraced doper, and two, the French press had been accusing him of doping. If a 100m athlete had just won/was about to win gold, and was accused of using steroids, it would make sense to post a picture of Ben Johnson, and the athlete accused. FFS, this isn't complicated.
 


Indurain's Lungs

Legend of Garry Nelson
Jun 22, 2010
2,260
Dorset
I think people like Hamilton need to make some money though, I am sure he is worth plenty but he would have been bullied in to doing what he did, I feel a little more sorry for the riders like that
His boon makes it clear he wasn't bullied into doping, he was drawn into it.
 






Horton's halftime iceberg

Blooming Marvellous
Jan 9, 2005
16,491
Brighton
Did I hear it sounds like Lance and the UCI in that its the powers at the top covering it up, and it takes leaks like these for people to see whats going on.

According to the experts, the database reveals:

A third of medals (146, including 55 golds) in endurance events at the Olympics and World Championships between 2001 and 2012 were won by athletes who have recorded suspicious tests. It is claimed none of these athletes have been stripped of their medals.

A top UK athlete is among seven Britons with suspicious blood scores.

Russia emerges as "the blood testing epicentre of the world" with more than 80% of the country's medals won by suspicious athletes, while Kenya had 18 medals won by suspicious athletes.

Stars such as Britain's Mo Farah and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt recorded no abnormal results.

Athletes are increasingly using blood transfusions and EPO micro-doses to boost the red cell count.
 




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