Armstrong charged and banned

[ufkacbln]

Indeed. What seems to happen is that people who like following winners are prepared to excuse behaviour and personality traits that they wouldn't tolerate in a 'lesser' person. You don't have to be an peanut to be a champion and Chris Hoy is the example I always use when this crops up.

Again this is why I said "most"...

This should be taken in the original context of :

Here's one I've always thought relevant; why is it that one branch of medicine - pharmacology - is mostly illegal while another branch of medicine - psychology - is considered perfectly acceptable?

There are always going to be exceptions, and the extremes will always be that - extremes.

But it is not that clear cut, Graeme Obree is another example where the psychological profile drives the individual. His is a far more complex and difficult one, but would he have been as successful without this part of his make-up?

 

[ufkacbln]

There is a sure fire way to catch a drug cheat.

You place him under water for 10 minutes and if he lives he is innocent. You then hang him for witchcraft.

I covered Witchcraft on Page 54
Armstrong charged and banned

 

[Chuffy]

John Lydon sums it best for me
"i don't have any heros, they're all useless"

Especially the butter vendor himself.

 

[DogTired]

Just out of interest, Merckx believed Armstrong to be innocent and he himself was the subject of a number of unproven allegations of doping which he too denied.

Not sure if it makes any difference but the Merckx quote was before any of the USADA evidence came to light. Merckx did test positive, at least twice (I havent finished the book yet) I think once on the Giro when there were suspicions about tampering with water bottles and again for a substance that back-tracking his Dr stated it was due to a cough medicine he prescribed. At the time the penalty for doping was 2 week suspension...

Merckx could also be an Armstrong like piece of work when it came to threatening other riders that they'd never ride again if they crossed him.

 

[woohoo]

Just out of interest, Merckx believed Armstrong to be innocent and he himself was the subject of a number of unproven allegations of doping which he too denied.

Not entirely surprising given that
a) his son, Axel, is Directeur sportif for the Trek-Livestrong U-23 team
and
b) Eddy introduced Armstrong to Dr Ferrari.

 

[Red Light]

Not sure if it makes any difference but the Merckx quote was before any of the USADA evidence came to light.

The USADA evidence still hasn't come to light. We've had trails and speculation on what it might contain but at present only USADA know what the evidence actually is.

 

[Red Light]

Not entirely surprising given that
a) his son, Axel, is Directeur sportif for the Trek-Livestrong U-23 team
and
b) Eddy introduced Armstrong to Dr Ferrari.

And yet one is an iconic figure in cycling and the other is a hate figure for many. Why the different treatment?

 

[woohoo]

And yet one is an iconic figure in cycling and the other is a hate figure for many. Why the different treatment?

That's a different aspect; my post hjghlighted that Eddy Merckx can't be considered as neutral commentator given his and his son's close relationship with Armstrong.

 

[albion]

Sadly they all seem to be dressed in camouflage.

It came close but 'Mr 4 books' splashed the cash.

 

[Smokin Joe]

A very informative summary here -

http://cavalierfc.tumblr.com/post/30172302298/its-not-about-the-bike

 

[Flying_Monkey]

There is a sure fire way to catch a drug cheat.

You place him under water for 10 minutes and if he lives he is innocent. You then hang him for witchcraft.

albion, your posts are getting increasingly pointless.

 

[Chuffy]

albion, your posts are getting increasingly pointless.

Any idea what 1704 is about? I'm baffled, unless he's replying to Ignored Member.

 

[thom]

Comments in France:
Dick Pound : http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Pound-une-defense-ridicule/308964
Basson : http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article...ard-virenque-dans-les-cotes_1751911_3242.html

 

[raindog]

Basson : http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article...ard-virenque-dans-les-cotes_1751911_3242.html

thanks for the links
'In winter training with Festina, I could drop Virenque on the climbs"

 

[Red Light]

A very informative summary here -

http://cavalierfc.tumblr.com/post/30172302298/its-not-about-the-bike

Not really as its very far from a neutral summary. For example it fails to comment that all the other people there including Armstrong's cancer doctors who were treating him contradicted Betsy and Frankie Andreu's testimony leading to SCA losing their case and $7.5m. And his doctors are unlikely to lie and falsify his medical notes as that could be a career ending step if they did. That's a fairly big chunk of information to leave out but one you would leave out if you were trying to make a case rather than a neutral summary.