I've just read "It's not about the bike"

[martint235]

Although I don't have all the facts obviously, Armstrong went down quite a long way in my opinion for splitting from a wife who had gone through the worst times of his life with him.

As to cycling, I count him as one of the greats and until proven otherwise accept the "one of the most tested athletes in history" defence. I do admit to having doubts and will probably be proved extremely naive but I hope not.

 

[SoloCyclist]

It's been over a year since I read Sports Illustrated's 'The Case Against Lance Armstrong' which said 'charges' were imminent from the FDA investigation. Has it been before a Grand Jury? Regardless of what you think of the guy I want to see what lies ahead in the case.

I think it's the Government Sponsership at USPS that makes it more serious for him if he admits to being in charge of spending that money on drugs. He is saying he was only a lowly rider and had no authority in running the team. Not many people would believe that.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1180944/1/index.htm

 

[Banjo]

Re the journalist who referred to Armstrong personally as a Cancer returning. He obviously hoped for some sort of major reaction which would give him something sensational to write.Armstrongs response was measured and more than reasonable in my opinion.

Not many people could handle such a disgusting personal comment let alone someone who has fought back from cancer and gone on to dedicating a big part of his life to the fight against it.

 

[Dave 123]

Buzz Aldrin would have been my choice for first off.....

 

[Mugshot]

Le Tissier

?

 

[Monkspeed]

Personally, the guy is a huge inspiration to me. To win what he has, and to have survived cancer and to come back to the top, it astounds me just thinking about it. Never give up, always have hope in your heart.

I've seen those videos of him in the press conference, I thought his response was quite restrained considering he had been called a cancer, I'm sure many people on here would have responded with a couple of words beginning with F and a Y.

Also a huge inspiration is Eddy Merckx, always striving to be the best. His record speaks for itself.

 

[Bicycle]

?

Matthew le Tissier, a very famous pro cyclist from the Channel Islands and a distant cousin of the first man on the Moon. Particularly noted for his 'strolling' style on the bike and his ability to welly the ball with uncanny accuracy into unreachable corners of the net. Rode a works Ducati in 1987 and drove for Minardi before moving into the haulage business.

Turned down moves to high-profile outfits such as Man Utd, Cofidis and US Postal so he could continue to live close to his birthplace.

All of the above is true.

 

[brokenflipflop]

Buzz Aldrin would have been my choice for first off.....

Is there a difference between telling fibs about visiting the moon and telling fibs about not being a doper

I'm kidding by the way (about the doping anyway)

 

[Mugshot]

Matthew le Tissier, a very famous pro cyclist from the Channel Islands and a distant cousin of the first man on the Moon. Particularly noted for his 'strolling' style on the bike and his ability to welly the ball with uncanny accuracy into unreachable corners of the net. Rode a works Ducati in 1987 and drove for Minardi before moving into the haulage business.

Turned down moves to high-profile outfits such as Man Utd, Cofidis and US Postal so he could continue to live close to his birthplace.

All of the above is true.

Indubitably.
Can't recall ever hearing that someone was astounded by him though, particularly when compared with the luminaries you've listed. Still, maybe his refusal to play for Wales has clouded my judgement.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

by Lance Armstrong and I'm halfway through "every second counts".

Old news I know but what is your general opinion of Lance Armstrong if you have one?

How is he regarded both as a cyclist and as a person by all of the cycling boffins on here? I have my own thoughts about the chap but I'm interested to know what the general consensus is as I'm new to the bicycle game.

He slept with his already suicidal best mate's mrs, so not much on the person front.

 

[dellzeqq]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I struggled to think bad of a guy who fought cancer and came back to win all those tours but he treated the people around him like crap and he did come across as arrogant. He didn't lack confidence for sure.

that's the odd thing. He comes across as a jerk in his autobiography. And yet.....people were clearly devoted to him when it looked as if he was finished.

Now most autobiographies cast their subject in a favourable light - naturally. Armstrong's autobiography really goes against the grain. And, if he was as unpleasant as he makes himself out to be, why would people be so fond of him?

 

[brokenflipflop]

that's the odd thing. He comes across as a jerk in his autobiography. And yet.....people were clearly devoted to him when it looked as if he was finished.

Now most autobiographies cast their subject in a favourable light - naturally. Armstrong's autobiography really goes against the grain. And, if he was as unpleasant as he makes himself out to be, why would people be so fond of him?

It could be that he's so brash and arrogant that he didn't knowingly see a problem with how unpleasant he comes across. One passage in the first book was where Bill Singleton (his agent) offers him an opinion and he replied along the lines "who the f*** do you think you're talking to, I'm Lance Armstrong". I must admit, I prefer reading the bits about his cycling rather than the cancer as the former I enjoy and the latter just scares the crap out of me. I know you've got to be single-minded and ruthless to be a champion sometimes but a week ago I knew virtually nothing about Armstrong and after reading the books I've not warmed to him as a person. Everyone he pissed off or wound up he always added "but we're great friends now" and I just wonder if that's the way they see it.

 

[StuAff]

that's the odd thing. He comes across as a jerk in his autobiography. And yet.....people were clearly devoted to him when it looked as if he was finished.

Now most autobiographies cast their subject in a favourable light - naturally. Armstrong's autobiography really goes against the grain. And, if he was as unpleasant as he makes himself out to be, why would people be so fond of him?

I've read both books as well, and at times, yes indeed, he comes across as a complete jerk. Like many successful people in sport, politics, business. Senna, Schumacher, Ali, Steve Jobs....the list is seemingly endless.
The whole question of his guilt/innocence on doping...well, the smoking gun, the positive test, remains absent. Like Martin, I think the principle of innocent until proven guilty is one worth upholding. It's hard for me to see the continued campaigning of certain journalists against him as anything other than mudslinging. Yes, it seems ridiculous that he was clean when Pantani wasn't, Ullrich wasn't, Riis wasn't, and so many of his friends and former teammates weren't. But nor is it completely implausible. Apart from the physiological changes caused by cancer and his recovery, he quite clearly applied the same spirit that in many respects got him through the worst of his illness to his training.
And on another point: if Armstrong doped, and Riis doped (he admitted he did), Ullrich, and Pantani, and Fignon (another admission), what about Indurain? Delgado? Hinault? Even the Cannibal himself? Or are some people somehow 'unworthy' of having the same cloud of suspicion over them?

 

[dellzeqq]

It could be that he's so brash and arrogant that he didn't knowingly see a problem with how unpleasant he comes across.

I just don't believe that. He's just too smart

 

[brokenflipflop]

If that's always been his way and he treats his close friends and loved ones the way he does then would he really consider how a nobody would find his "ways" in a book.