7 Tour de France victories and a cheat

[Dougs Third Go]

not trying to get a lynch mob going, but it makes you despair that Lance Armstong has finally admitted to doping charges relating to all of his Tour de France victories. A once iconic figure that battled against testicular cancer must now be the most loathed man in world sport.
Is there any way that sports people can be trusted now?

 

[Gazzer]

I find it hard to take in that people will cheat their way to the top but I guess the rewards are high.

 

[DHTiling]

It's a competitive world and the temptation to use steroids to succeed will always be there....

 

[beanz]

I think you have to have a certain mentality to get to the top in sport. And that same mentality ("anything to win") lends itself to doping.
I can't say I'm overly bothered either way, if I'm honest.

 

[strummerman]

What happens to all the prize money he as earned over the years

 

[John Benton]

There are cheats in all walks of life and people will to do whatever it takes to get to the top of their game no matter what profession or business. You've got to feel sorry for all the people who missed out on winning because of his cheating. They might now be given the titles that they lost out on, but there's nothing like the actual moment or lifting a trophy and that can never be got back.

I've got my date booked in the diary for the start of the Tour next year starting in Leeds. I used to do a lot of cycling when I was younger and the route they are taking is one that I used to do regularly up to the Dales and back.

 

[beanz]

John, what makes you think the guys in second place weren't doping too?

 

[John Benton]

Not saying they weren't but it would be difficult to prove it now I would think. There was always a lot of smoke about Armstrong but who was going to step out and say it publicly? A bit like the Jimmy Savile case, so many people must have known about it but the power he wielded kept them quiet, same with Amstrong.

 

[kilty55]

it wont be proven now but it was mentioned in a certain way by him that everyone was doing it.......doesnt make it right at all i think there is more of this goes on than we think unfortunately

 

[enduro]

Bet he has a book/film deal as we speak so he can earn loads of money!!

 

[Gazzer]

All his sponsors may have a claim for the return of their sponsorship money. It will be years before it gets sorted ..if ever.
But if the sponsors have benefited in the glory years would they have a claim ?
I think one thing is clear though that he did help with his cancer charity.

I am sure he is not the last to get caught in any sport. They seem to think its worth the risks.......I dunno.

 

[NZ_Tiler]

Not saying they weren't but it would be difficult to prove it now I would think. There was always a lot of smoke about Armstrong but who was going to step out and say it publicly? A bit like the Jimmy Savile case, so many people must have known about it but the power he wielded kept them quiet, same with Amstrong.

There were plenty of people who stepped up told what was going on, and he sued them, cost some honest people hunderds of thousands dollars in legal fees.

The guy needs locked up

 

[dave l and l]

its been proven that most of the podium finish cyclist for years have in one way or another been caught doping.,
the last winner to never be connected with drugs was greg lemond and that was in 1990.
the cyclist get caught more because the get checked more and fundamentally a massive percentage is doping so you need to , to win anything, last years race was probably mostly clean ,and you could tell because it was a bore
i imagine if they checked other sports people as much as they check cyclists we would all get a shock

 

[Time's Ran Out]

But think of all the good he did for medical research - a human rat and he's still alive to see the results.

 

[Ajax123]

With the exception of the man himself does that fact that he cheated really affect anyone else too much..... Does it really matter...