AP: Armstrong won't challenge doping allegations; loses Tour titles (Lance to confess)

[endzone_dave]

I love the Tour de France. It's one of those sporting events that mark the calendar every year for me and I've watched it every year since they put in on Versus.

His battles against Ullrich were some of the best sports I've ever seen.

Literally the last athlete I genuinely respected and was in awe of for what he achieved and how he achieved it.

Stage 15 2003? When he got tripped up by a spectator on a climb and then his chain came off and he recovered not only to finish but TO WIN?!?! What a ******* champion this guy was.

7 Tours in a row? For an American? Just an amazing feat, true, true greatness.

Man, I wish this issue would go away not only to keep that achievement untarnished but also to keep the equity of charity/hope he's built up safe too.

******* hate this story.

Lance had the best chemists which allowed him to win. Congrats to him.

[Taylor703]

The amazing thing to me is all the good this man has done for cancer research, not to mention every drug test he passed, we choose to believe team members with a clear agenda. Landis only admitted to doping because he got caught, so he felt compelled to take everyone down with him? At a time when most highly paid athletes could careless about anyone but themselves we choose to actually tear down the few that have done so much for others.

[Bang]

Update!
this afternoon I thought i cared a little bit, but it turned out to only be some gas.

~burp

[DarrellsMyHero28]

I don't care.

This is a non-story to me.

His foundation has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research. If he lied and cheated, fine. He then used his fame to help people with cancer.

If he doped, he's more than made up for it.

[Willy Wonka]

For years we've talked about the jealous French and L'Equipe and how they kept trying to take down this bastion of American cycling, and he's shouted from the rooftops "I ain't done nothing wrong".

The last couple of days, however, have been frantic as multiple teammates now throw Lance right under the bus.

Tyler Hamilton called him out yesterday, and the interview will be on 60 minutes this Sunday. This is the 2nd teammate to do so, the first was Landis last year.

But what really makes it interesting is that YET ANOTHER teammate is throwing Lance under the bus.

http://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/statu...29379172028416



**** is possibly going down.

Many cyclists were tainted and it's hard to believe anyone was clean. As much as I want to believe that Armstrong was legit, everything is collapsing right now. It's not just the French anymore. It's his own team. His own country's teammates.

Again, don't care. Many athletes use PEDs. There is nothing wrong with using PEDs. People have always looked for a way to improve their bodies and always will. That is what PEDs do. They allow your body to recover faster and work out for longer periods of time. They can also increase performance or stamina. Like anything else in the world, you should be careful when taking them and know what you are putting into your body. But again, this goes with ANYTHING. Why people get all up in arms about others using them is still a mystery. Most people who complain about them aren't even directly effected by their use. Most people if not all people on this message board came here because of watching Football. Guess what, most of the people you are watching play use them. *GASP* Are you going to stop watching now? Doubt it.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

The amazing thing to me is all the good this man has done for cancer research, not to mention every drug test he passed, we choose to believe team members with a clear agenda. Landis only admitted to doping because he got caught, so he felt compelled to take everyone down with him? At a time when most highly paid athletes could careless about anyone but themselves we choose to actually tear down the few that have done so much for others.

dawg, they had a dude carrying trash 5 miles away from where they were. Dont you think thats suspicious?

I dont get why Americans wont sit here and face whats really going on with certain athletes. No one gave Bonds these liberties, yet Lance is being defended to the death even with obvious stuff being out there.

On top of that, Lance dumped Sheryl Crow when she got cancer. Dont put Armstrong on a pedastal of righteousness, he has done a lot of dirt and many have chosen to inore.

---------- Post added June-15th-2012 at 12:05 AM ----------

Again, don't care. Many athletes use PEDs. There is nothing wrong with using PEDs. People have always looked for a way to improve their bodies and always will. That is what PEDs do. They allow your body to recover faster and work out for longer periods of time. They can also increase performance or stamina. Like anything else in the world, you should be careful when taking them and know what you are putting into your body. But again, this goes with ANYTHING. Why people get all up in arms about others using them is still a mystery. Most people who complain about them aren't even directly effected by their use. Most people if not all people on this message board came here because of watching Football. Guess what, most of the people you are watching play use them. *GASP* Are you going to stop watching now? Doubt it.

while I agree with this completely, Lance was being self-righteous in his denials and was being an butthole to anyone who questioned him.

[LeesburgSkinFan]

The thing about Armstrong is that so much of his reputation, notoriety and wealth is built upon him being this "clean" athlete that was able to overcome cancer and win seven Tour De Frances. If it's not any kind of big deal whether people think he is clean or dirty, then why bother to so stridently claim innocence?

You don't think the respect from the public at large for Armstrong instantly falls off a cliff if after claiming he was clean all along, he is shown to be a phony that was just another guy cheating in a dirty sport? Obviously, no one is going to cry about one way or the other. But so much of the public adoration (and the money that goes along with it) was based on Armstrong claiming he was clean.

[zoony]

Why is the TDF impossible without PEDs?

[Rocky21]

Two great posts back to back on this page.

If he lied and cheated, fine.

There is nothing wrong with using PEDs.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Two great posts back to back on this page.

There's plenty of things wrong with cheating/using PEDs etc.

But he's more than made up for it with what he's done.

[Thiebear]

There are TDF riders that could be famous and could be on Cereal boxes and could be helping the community that have not cheated.
But again: We don't know their names because the cheaters have taken it from them and that is the reason you boot the bastards cheating and promote those that are not.

though they should be innocent until admit/proven guilty. and Lance should have 400 specimens to retest?

[UK_HOG]

Again, don't care. Many athletes use PEDs. There is nothing wrong with using PEDs. People have always looked for a way to improve their bodies and always will. That is what PEDs do. They allow your body to recover faster and work out for longer periods of time. They can also increase performance or stamina. Like anything else in the world, you should be careful when taking them and know what you are putting into your body. But again, this goes with ANYTHING. Why people get all up in arms about others using them is still a mystery. Most people who complain about them aren't even directly effected by their use. Most people if not all people on this message board came here because of watching Football. Guess what, most of the people you are watching play use them. *GASP* Are you going to stop watching now? Doubt it.

Call me old fashioned but I prefer sporting events to be won by the best athletes not by people with the best chemists.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

Call me old fashioned but I prefer sporting events to be won by the best athletes not by people with the best chemists.

it still is won by the best athletes.

[UK_HOG]

it still is won by the best athletes.

Why take the PEDS then?

[MartinC]

it still is won by the best athletes.

The problem with PEDs is we just have no idea if your statement is correct.