Armstrong to retire at the end of this year

[rich p]

I am not a fan of LA and never have been but I cannot help admire him for his achievements on Le Tour (up to his first retirement anyway!). And only Le Tour. I wish he had ridden the other majors.

But what happened to most Brits' sense of of fair play? Should he not remain innocent til proven guilty?

There are so many other ways of showing guilt other than a positive test - I refer you to the biological passport for instance, and that is to ignore the positives that have been swept aside as Reddragon points out.
As I said, the weight of circumstantial evidence is now so compelling that I'm amazed that anybody who has read it can give the man any credibility. That they do, is why the fans call anyone who now doubts LA a 'hater'.
The UCI drugs test scientist himself accepted that there was inconrovertible evidence of him doping in the 'exonnerating' enquiry into the 1999 retests. The frame of reference of the enquiry was unable to use the evidence though.

 

[Shadow]

you can't play golf on a bike!!!!!

if you can play polo on a bike, don't see why golf would be a problem!!

 

[Hont]

I'm amazed that anybody who has read it can give the man any credibility.

+1. I think France should introduce a law making it illegal to be a "Pharmstrong denier".

 

[Hont]

I think the one saving grace is that it was a time when pretty much everyone was at it, and we're perhaps unfair/unrealistic in expecting more from the riders of the period than their era allowed.

Agree 100% with that. Every single rider who came runner up to Armstrong was doing much the same thing. In fact probably every podium.

Not unfair to ask for some honesty - and respect to riders who are racing clean - though.

Can't see it happening anytime soon mind:- deny, deny, deny, run for Governor, deny, deny, deny.

 

[Crankarm]

Agree 100% with that. Every single rider who came runner up to Armstrong was doing much the same thing. In fact probably every podium.

Not unfair to ask for some honesty - and respect to riders who are racing clean - though.

Can't see it happening anytime soon mind:- deny, deny, deny, run for Governor, deny, deny, deny.

Armstrong for Mayor of Texas?

California has Arnie, Cartmell has or had Clint Eastwood.

 

[Foghat]

There are so many other ways of showing guilt other than a positive test

Not least a style of denial that is wholly unconvincing as that of a man of high sporting integrity. And some very dubious episodes regarding standard of conduct.