Lance Armstrong

[DrinkingHarp]

I have heard from an authority figure in golf that Tiger injects his golf balls with HGH so he can win and remain the #1 golfer in the world.

Prove me wrong 

[heganboy]

which balls?

[DrinkingHarp]

which balls?

HB,

I made sure I put Golf there before balls

[thebigfella]

But surely its a personal choice, he might be a hero to you but to me he is not. Sure i admire the way he recovered from his illness and the work he has done for charity since but i cant help but be sceptical of his achievement in the Tour de France.
I don't think i should be called a w**ker for having this view

Agree with the above
Dont get me started on the statistics about the increase of athletes using inhalers for asthma either or this thread could get very long 
I have my own view and suspicions on these things. Call me cynical but ScreenExile, you went a bit far.

As a person who only discovered I suffered from asthma at 22, when I was training quite heavily, I would be quite interested in these statistics. Apparently according to my doctor it's quite common and I only use the inhaler for exercise. Also I have 3 mates who were competitive athletes, all who competed nationally for their countries (subjected to random drug testing too) and they all suffer some form of asthma. Coincidentally 2 of them didn't discover till late on they suffered from it as it only caused them problems when training and thus mostly only use inhalers when exercising.

[Dinny Breen]

I hate having this debate as it makes me sick... I hate drugs cheats as much as the next man but as everyone has said here nobody has any kind of evidence to prove he was/is a drugs cheat.

As I've said before, the fact that he won his 7 tours without testing positive and then retired makes me think that if he was/is taking drugs there is no point in coming back to the sport as he would have gotten away with it. The fact is he could have retired happy with 7 tours and a clean record so why risk it all if he does take drugs to come back again??? It doesn't make sense.

As for people that argue "Well there's no proof that he did take drugs but there is also no proof that he didn't!" Well my mistake I thought we lived in a society where people are innocent until proven guilty!! I for one will be huge admirer of this man until someone can prove without any doubt that I shouldnt be!

but it strikes me as sad that the world has become so cynical when a man is being castigated throughout the world for something which people have tried to pin on him and yet come up without a shred of evidence for. As I've said our justice system is supposed to be based on the "Innocent until proven guilty" premise which seems to have gone completely out the window in this case. Year on year people try and diminish the man's achievements and try to uncover some wrongdoing yet it has NEVER happened.

In my opinion it is begrudgery plain and simple. "Well everyone he has beaten has been on drugs so he must be!" He was told he had a less than 40% chance to live through his cancer and he survived... just because every other kn**ker is on drugs doesn't necessarily mean he is. You are judging someone and his behaviour with regard to your own when you have to realise that he has proven his standards are way above many other peoples comprehension!

Two excellent posts Screenexile and sums up exactly how I feel, Armstrongs biggest problem was that he was never media friendly and to be honest as a person he is a very arrogant and not particularly likeable. He is his own man and someone I will always looks up to.

[brokencrossbar1]

The anti-Lance Armstrong BS annoys me.  Many have echoed my feelings on it and Dinny has posted two extracts that best sum it up.

The nonsense argument that there is no proof that he did not take drugs is farcical to say the least, it is like Tonto's argument in the thread about the shooting of the policeman that just because someone is found not guilty then that doesn't mean they didn't do it.  There are rules in place for all levels of examination, be it a simple school test to a murder charge.  If you pass the criteria set out in the rules to pass the test, be it getting 50%, or that a group of 12 people believe that there is no evidence to convict you, or that you have been tested for drugs and have been shown to have passed the requirements, well in each of these 3 cases you have passed the test.  In each one you are deemed either to have, as in the test in school, had the requirements to do the exam, or in the other two cases you are deemed to not be guilty of the allegation.  If you are not guilty of an allegation then natural justice dictates that you did not do it.  Ergo, as Armstrong has not been found guilty of taking EPO etc, then he did not take them and no matter how you spin it that is that.

[under the bar]

I'd heard that Joe Calazaghe achieved so many knock-outs 'cos he had a horse-shoe in his glove.....

[anportmorforjfc]

Armstrong accused again



France's anti-doping agency says they could punish seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong for violating its doping rules.

Armstrong had samples of his hair, urine and blood tested by French doctors they tested on March 17 test, after which they said they found no traces of drugs.

However, the agency, known as AFLD, said in a statement on Thursday that a doctor charged with testing Armstrong last month claimed Armstrong "did not respect the obligation to remain under the direct and permanent observation" of the tester.

The AFLD says it is can impose sanctions on the American rider, but didn't indicate what they would be.

Armstrong is set to ride in this year's Tour despite suffering a broken collarbone on the first stage of the Tour of Castilla y Leon.

The 37-year-old Texan, on his comeback to the sport after retiring, is facing a fitness race to ride in the Giro d'Italia, which starts on May 9, ahead of a return to the Tour de France.

Many critics in France have long been arguing and accusing Armstrong of using drugs during his seven wins in Le Tour, but he has never tested positive.

[Hound]

Ergo, as Armstrong has not been found guilty of taking EPO etc, then he did not take them and no matter how you spin it that is that.

Using that argument, FloJo never took drugs either.

Do you agree with Armstrong that Landis and Millar are stand up honourable guys, and were just unlucky?

[Tyrones own]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8017571.stm

Fantastic news now lets get the show on the road...fcuk but it would be great to see him win another one,
the doubting Thomas' in the media and elsewhere have been relentless in their pursuit to bring him down!

[Declan]

http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=AS+THE+CYCLIST+AND+CANCER+CRUSADER+FACES+-+01.24.11+-+SI+Vault&urlID=444906522&action=cpt&partnerID=289881&fb=Y&url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1180944/1/index.htm

Interesting article from Sports Illustrated

[Minder]

http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=AS+THE+CYCLIST+AND+CANCER+CRUSADER+FACES+-+01.24.11+-+SI+Vault&urlID=444906522&action=cpt&partnerID=289881&fb=Y&url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1180944/1/index.htm

Interesting article from Sports Illustrated

I think the source of the article, Sports Illustrated, a well respected magazine and a publication that named Armstrong "Athlete of the year" in 2002 is very interesting. The usual suspects will have their heads in the sand though.

[Tony Baloney]

http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=AS+THE+CYCLIST+AND+CANCER+CRUSADER+FACES+-+01.24.11+-+SI+Vault&urlID=444906522&action=cpt&partnerID=289881&fb=Y&url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1180944/1/index.htm

Interesting article from Sports Illustrated

Minder, where would a working man get time to read such a long article.

The case or otherwise against Armstrong is an interesting one as the public seem split into 2 camps and won't be persuaded otherwise. If the FDA clear him some will say it is because they wanted to coverup the wrongdoings of an all American hero.

[Minder]

http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=AS+THE+CYCLIST+AND+CANCER+CRUSADER+FACES+-+01.24.11+-+SI+Vault&urlID=444906522&action=cpt&partnerID=289881&fb=Y&url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1180944/1/index.htm

Interesting article from Sports Illustrated

Minder, where would a working man get time to read such a long article.

The case or otherwise against Armstrong is an interesting one as the public seem split into 2 camps and won't be persuaded otherwise. If the FDA clear him some will say it is because they wanted to coverup the wrongdoings of an all American hero.

I haven't read that article, I read the breakdown of it on Times Online earlier.

[Sandino]

Well it looks like the end game has started. Two of his main team mates (Tyler Hamilton and Goerge Hincapie) accuse him within the last 36 hours. Is this the end of the legend?