Lance Armstrong cheater?

Justice Dept chose not to pursue it. *kitten* the USADA.

Lance's official statement (I follow him on twitter, and just saw this)

Lance Armstrong Responds to USADA Allegation

AUSTIN, TX -- June 13, 2012 -- I have been notified that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars but governed only by self-written rules, intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned. These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity. Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play.

I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence.

Hard to believe he didnt when so many were but with that said, he's never been caught. Until he is, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Sure takes balls, er.. ball to face up to such sharp criticism.

No athlete in the world was tested for drugs as often as Lance Armstrong, and he never failed a single test. I am not a huge fan of his as an individual, but as an athlete, that guy has earned everything he has won, as far as I'm concerned. This is a witch hunt.

I'm an American and I pay tax. And that's how they want to spend my hard earned money? That's BS. I bet by the time this thing is over... They will be spending enough money to send at least 100 kids through college.

By the way, it's Tour de FRANCE! why the American has to have their foot in every thing in the world!

WHO CARES. He beat Cancer. I could care less about the rest of his achievements.

it's a shame I used to love the sport but it's very true that drugs/doping are integral part of the sport I got the gut feeling that Lance has enjoyed a little extra help like the majority of the riders

I think it's total BS too.....

All right, cycling fans! I thought I was beginning to think I was the only one on MFP!

RE topic, personally I want to believe he's not. He's been through hell with his cancer and subsequent treatment, and I want to believe that a person who survived that and lived to brag about it wouldn't intentionally put harmful drugs into their body just to win a stupid race.

Besides that, there's something about his behavior that makes me really believe him. Whenever asked about the vast tests and accusations, he answers like a man who knows he has nothing to hide.

I'm actually not a huge fan of Lance Armstrong's person, in fact, I think he's full of crap in some other aspects, but you gotta give praise where it's in order.

He needs to be left alone. The man has been tested over 500 times and been clean EVERY time. Why are they still after him? Let him be, sheesh.

It's only cheating if you're competing against other competitors who aren't doing the same thing, and the majority of those guys have used some type of anabolics, or used blood doping. To compete at a professional level in any sport, a lot of athletes use.


In cycling there are different "legal" and illegal ways for them to achieve the same results.
Some of the guys sleep in decompression chambers that simulate high altitude, causing the body to produce more red blood cells. That's okay.
But if they add their own blood back into their bodies (blood doping) then it's cheating.
Both do the same thing.

What baffles me is there on more of a witch hunt against Lance than they were against Michael Jackson who "ALLEGEDLY" molested children. There is no doubt the dude is a freak of nature & his body works much more efficiently than even most athletes & his body doesn't produce the amounts of lactic acid that make you sore. This has been tested and documented. He's the Michael Jordan of his sport, you don't see a bunch of naysayers trying to strip MJ of his titles. Cycling is a team sport he didn't get those victories on his own despite the perception. Just let him be. If Obama want's to get re-elected he should squash this to save the tax dollars.