roadbuzz

To be released just in time for The Tour.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori.../89817/1/.html

oxologic

Well, maybe this thread should be put in the General section because it will really invoke lots of discussion and this part of the forum is rarely visited, at least for me.

Maybe people are just jealous of Lance, maybe it is so true!! We never know... imagine the whole world of fans being devastated, he was an icon of hope and whatever not, I can hardly believe it if he does indeed uses drug. I am not in the realm of professional sports, so I do not know the pressures on athletes, but I for one do not and will not use drugs. If I do do racing, I'll still never take drugs, because I feel it is wrong and harmful to the body.

Let us hope he never did take any of those drugs. If he did, what would happen to his 5 Tour de France titles? Then Ullrich would have won several Tour de France, 3? Cycling would be totally destroyed, I really wonder and I hope the true truth will come to light. We just never know.... nothing is certain.

roadwarrior

Let's see...
between his daily test while racing and the numerous unannounced tests that he is subjected to on a regular basis (you all do realize that he cannot go ANYWHERE without checking in with the doping people so they can test him wherever and whenever they please, correct? If he misses a test when they show up, that's as bad as a positive and he gets suspended...you know, for example that doping control showed up the morning when his ex-wife went into labor for Luke and SHE had to wait for the doping control folks to finish with Lance) he has been tested more than any other athlete in the world the past six years. The corticosteroid (it was a cortisone cream, actually) was for a saddle sore for which he had a prescription and UCI was aware...good grief. Talk about stretching the facts...

Yet a couple of guys trying to make a name for themselves by writing a book of BS know better....

This is as bad as watching Dan Rather on TV each night.

What a freakin' joke.

Anybody who would read this garbage thinks Survivor is great theater.

The lawsuit here should be interesting....and expensive for these guys.

Walter

These allegations have been around a long time and there has been zero substantiation. It is getting old.

I'm not a huge LA fan but I'm tired of these attempts to discredit him w/o proof. These guys had better have something substantial and corroborated or LA's lawyers (he can afford good ones nowadays) will make their lives miserable, as well they should.

With the TdF coming up, the ever-present BALCO story and the concerted effort to "get" Marion Jones (another frequently tested athlete with no positive results) the timing of the book is right on for making max $.

brent_dube

So you suggest that the solution is to move even more topics away from this forum of the correct subject, so there is even less traffic here?

It is active enough here.
And it gets confusing when there are two threads on the same subject in two different forums.

That is the question. Because there are some cases where a drug might potentially be healthier for the body. Then there is the debate on proper recovery vs doping. ("what is doping, and what isnt?")
In 2001, I'm pretty sure Armstrong said something like 'you cant win the Tour de France without getting a needle every day'. Reference to getting hydration on Tour evenings.

The primary concern that I have is of cycling having a drug problem that is big enough to make things dangerous for the health of the riders. And whether or not he uses anything illegal, Armstrong is one of the cyclists that relieves me by the way he talks of the sport. I don't think he would love the sport like he does if he had to harm his body with drugs.

lotek 

Is the O'Reilly woman a new spin on this? I haven't seen any mention of
her previously.
One of her allegations sounds suspiciously like the bag of syringes etc.
that caused the furor 2 years ago.
Agree with Roadwarrior, LA is probably the most tested man in the peloton,
however I'm sure the french will see fit to open yet another investigation.

Marty

Dipper

Let's all be honest here. We can't discount that it may be a possibility that LA has used drugs. I'm a huge LA fan and will still be whether he has or hasn't used drugs, but I'm not going to pretend that he is squeaky clean when the sport he is in is one that has had this drug problem for most of its history. The history of cycling is such that the athletes have always tried to find something that makes them stronger and able to handle the pain/abuse they put their bodies through. With all the millions of dollars in the sport nowadays, the stakes are much higher resulting in the "need" for performance enhancement (it's that syndrome of if one guy is doing it, the others almost have to as well in order to keep up). Honestly, I can't believe that LA would be able to turn away from such pressure.

Now I know you all are going to say that he is always being tested and I know we all have read his book that documents all this, but the fact is that the tests are always behind the methods to beat them. I don't believe it is that hard to beat these drugs tests otherwise, this would not be a problem in this (or any) sport (i.e. wouldn't most everybody get caught if they took drugs). Even now, the test for EPO is not a foolproof test, but using EPO is guarenteed to enhance performance. When the difference between first and last is a few seconds, every little bit of performance enhancement help. If the chances of getting caught are less than the chances of improvement, I bet the majority of elite athletes would take them.

Unfortunately, when talking about elite level athletes, it is not as cut and dry as saying he is a cheater for taking drugs. I personally don't believe it is right, but I think that if one person is cheating and winning and getting all the $$$, how is that fair to the other "clean" athletes. It isn't, so the choice is quit and keep your morals, or join in and put food on the table. I'm not saying LA is or isn't taking drugs, but until there is a fool proof method for drug tests or until more stories like this one come out where it leads to substantial proof and/or LA admits that he has taken them, it will always be a source of suspicion. You do need to ask yourself why would someone just make this stuff up? Especially a former team mate. Also, why the meeting with Dr. Ferrari? Is Chris C. the expert on "advanced training methods" as LA claims the reason for the visit. Sadly, this type of speculation is the price you pay for being an elite athelete in a sport where drugs are a major problem. Personally, I don't care whether LA has taken drugs or not. I will still hold him in the highest regards and still think all his accomplishments are still as valid and as amazing. I guess I just would not be surprised if he has taken them.

brent_dube

Have any of you read that supposed conversation between Armstrong and Lemond? (in French)

I cannot really read French, so I have no idea how logical the sources are. But I'm pretty sure that Armstrong accuses Lemond of EPO use, and then says that everyone uses EPO... blah

DVDaze

"at the Tour de France in 1999 he failed a test for the corticosteroid triamcinolone - a banned substance which is found in some medicines and creams - although cycling's ruling body the UCI did not sanction him for the offence."

He didn't fail that test in 1999. They found a trace amount of corticosteroid triamcinolone, which was way below the amount that would be considered a problem - and he had permission to use the cream from the race organizers because of saddle sores. If the Frogs could have nailed him in 1999 they would have done so in a heart-beat.

I'll be the first one to come down on Armstrong if he were found to be using drugs but this wreaks of bad journalism.

Grampy™

Lies and the Lying Liars that tell them....... Al Franken needs another chapter in his book.

P. B. Walker

I just read an article that stated that according to Lance this Emma O'Reilly was actually fired from US Postal over some "inappropriate" issues that arose.

don d.

The conversation between Lance and Lemond is recounted in english here

You have to dig through a few crappy posts to get to it later in the thread.

don d.

Where did you read this article?

Walter

Finally found a translation. Neither person comes off looking good if the story is true about LA and LeMond. I know the 2 apparently don't get along and while I consider that unfortunate, I don't know either of these people personally either so, fundamentally, it's not my concern.

I'm old enough to have "real-time" memories of LeMond and he'll always be the first and in many ways the best to me. I'd like to see him and his successor (and, yes, a better rider) get along but if they don't they don't.

The book itself still seems to be hearsay and crap.

Walter

I heard Lance say the comments about O'Reilly while being interviewed in DC after the Discovery Channel press conference. Said that whatever happened, happened after the TdF and that he wasn't there. Also said he and O'Reilly always got along personally. Imagine if they had argued....

P. B. Walker

Yahoo Sports News... which comes from AP.

Went back and found the article:

https://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylc...v=ap&type=lgns

...jeff

Co-author Walsh offered an explanation of the book in an interview with the International Herald Tribune.

``It's all circumstantial evidence,'' Walsh said. ``We don't actually prove anything. We just set out the facts and let the reader decide for himself who's telling the truth. But we do give names for every accusation.''

Well, there you have it!