NOOO!!!!!

http://espn.go.com/olympics/cycling/story/_/id/8298135/usada-ban-lance-armstrong-life-strip-seven-tour-de-france-titles-charges-used-performance-enhancing-drugs-cycling-career" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Say it isn't so!

sad. but not surprising.

Too good to be true. Lance was a cheat, unless you believe that he's just decided to pick up his marbles and go home

It's just really too much to believe the ONLY athlete in the sport who wasn't doping was the one who was the most dominant.



You almost have to go back 15 years to find a clean winner of the Tour. Although I think the last two might be clean.

SpiffCoug wrote:
It's just really too much to believe the ONLY athlete in the sport who wasn't doping was the one who was the most dominant.

I agree, but did he ever fail a drug test? I know that doesn't mean he wasn't cheating, in all likelihood he was, but to strip his tour wins and hand out a lifetime ban (which I doubt he cares about since he's already retired and financially set for life), you'd think they would need to have seen some failed tests.



If they do have evidence of failed drug tests, why wasn't he banned when the tests occured?

No, nothing conclusive, but there have been some B samples that came back odd.

SpiffCoug wrote:
No, nothing conclusive, but there have been some B samples that came back odd.

That and a couple of teammates who apparently were witnesses.

BroncoBot wrote:

No, nothing conclusive, but there have been some B samples that came back odd.

That and a couple of teammates who apparently were witnesses.

plus evidence consistant with blood transfusions.





I was a big armstrong fan being a cyclist (of sorts) myself (He did pick BYU to win a game on College Gameday once, not sure what the result was) Most cyclists are dirty and it is a dirty sport as far as doping goes. I always figured he was just really good at hiding it. All those guys were doing it. Does not make it right. I hope he can still have the impact on Cancer Awareness. To have any type of cancer and to win an event like the Tour De France just 4 months later is simply amazing.



I see alittle of where he is coming from as far as he can't get a fair shake with the USADA so I won't play anymore. But, he claims they have no evidence, but when given a chance to appeal and hear the evidence he walks away. There are a few more folks closer to Armstrong who are still appealing the USADA bans and more evidence tied to Armstrong could come out if those appeals go forward. Some think they will not since Armstrong will now go silent and that Armstrong will have made it benificial for those folks not to move forward.





As far as the USADA stripping him of the Tour De France wins it is a little like the NCAA telling the Giants to vacate the Super Bowl win for cheating, only the UCI can and they seem to be in his corner (for the time being).

I could care less what the USADA says at this point about his TdF wins--he beat all the other cheaters in the cheatingest sport other than weightlifting.



It shows how much it matters that this shows up in the Lounge and not the Pro Sports forum--just sayin.

If everyone is cheating, then you really gaining an advantage by cheating yourself, are you?

Mars wrote:


Lance is the ultimate scum-bag for leaving his wife who stuck with him through cancer so he could bang some fugly celebrity. Any other cheating that he did in his lifetime pales in comparison.

Scathing....



And I totally agree. The other cheating is nothing.

Lance has been fighting allegations for years. He has been going to court for years. He has answered countless questions, dispositions, media, papparazi



I think he was just sick of it. Even if it's not top of our mind, it has been top of his. I think he was just ready to do the next thing and fighting never-ending, court battles wasn't it.



I am pretty amazed at how quickly they announced him a cheat after he said he had had enough. I mean, how many court cases had he won? how many drug tests had he passed? Good for him. now perhaps we can all move along with our lives.