 |
| Lance Armstrong: a story too good to be true |
This week we finally got the USADA report into Lance Armstrong’s doping programme which saw him win seven Tour De France titles.
My feeling on the release is two-fold. Firstly, I am pleased that this is all coming into the public domain; that the dirty secrets that have been assumed for so many years are there for all to see (and read).
Secondly, it is with a heavy heart – heavy because Armstrong’s story was so good I wanted to believe it. As it turned out, it was just too good to be true.
Secondly, it is with a heavy heart – heavy because Armstrong’s story was so good I wanted to believe it. As it turned out, it was just too good to be true.
Sunning myself on a Portugal beach a few weeks back I read Tyler Hamilton’s explosive account of life as one of Armstrong’s team-mates on the US Postal team. Bathed in glorious sunshine, I felt sick as I read.
Sick that athletes went to the sort of measures Hamilton outlines. From injecting the blood-boosting drug EPO, to transfusing blood when an EPO test was introduced to avoid detection.
The risk/reward of doing this was not even remotely 50-50 – these were potentially life-threatening actions that were being taken in order just to cross the finish line first. For a man who had flirted with death once – as Armstrong had – to take those risks beggars belief.
The risk/reward of doing this was not even remotely 50-50 – these were potentially life-threatening actions that were being taken in order just to cross the finish line first. For a man who had flirted with death once – as Armstrong had – to take those risks beggars belief.
In all this, I do feel a tiny speck of sympathy for Armstrong. Team-mates have only ‘fessed up as a result of a safety-in-numbers safety net, reduced bans and having no other alternative.
They made serious money as a result of their cheating, but you don’t see them offering to give it back. All the talk of regret and redemption is a little hollow, and to act like the innocent victim is a little silly.
They made serious money as a result of their cheating, but you don’t see them offering to give it back. All the talk of regret and redemption is a little hollow, and to act like the innocent victim is a little silly.
Armstrong’s biggest problem now, clearly, is one of response. How does he respond? It’s a fairly safe bet he will keep it buttoned. Of course, he should come clean. But he’s in too deep to do that.
Any admission would leave him at the mercy of perjury, bribery and all sorts of other legal proceedings which an admission would make him guaranteed of losing. And Armstrong doesn’t do losing.
Any admission would leave him at the mercy of perjury, bribery and all sorts of other legal proceedings which an admission would make him guaranteed of losing. And Armstrong doesn’t do losing.
No comments:
Post a Comment