Merckx v Armstrong

[cyberknight]

This is often the point were people say "but they were all at it so it was all fair" and that's a resounding no.

I didnt say that though did i ? i was merely pointing out the difference between doping prior to the EPO institutionalized era was pretty amateurish and the effects fairly minor in comparison

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I didnt say that though did i ? i was merely pointing out the difference between doping prior to the EPO institutionalized era was pretty amateurish and the effects fairly minor in comparison

I'm predicting the future, not suggesting you said something

 

[Adam4868]

I'll settle the argument now...in the world ranking of doping,cheating tw@ts Lance takes it.Nobody can touch him,he's in a league of his own 🙄

 

[BurningLegs]

long gone are the days of the majority of a given peloton being at it, definitely not in a systematic calculated way as with... Michele Ferrari etc

Aren’t there rumours around that he’s been involved with riders from the Astana team in the last year or two? 😞

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Aren’t there rumours around that he’s been involved with riders from the Astana team in the last year or two? 😞

There will still be occasional outliers getting caught across antidoping agencies in all sports, but long gone are the days of the majority of a given peloton being at it, definitely not in a systematic calculated way as with USPS/Discovery Channel, motoman, Michele Ferrari etc

 

[Sharky]

Sad history of doping in the tdf...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_at_the_Tour_de_France

 

[Eziemnaik]

Armstrong is a sociopathic bullying cockwomble.

Merckx isn't.

Yeah, he won all of his races by being a perfect beta male

 

[Eziemnaik]

I am not defending Lance
But
Everybody in the know knew he was doped
UCI did not give a damn untill he was about to get subpeona from US authorities
Then suddenly UCI gets sainter than St Peter and starts with unprecedented bans
If Armstrong deserves all of them (and I am not saying he doesn't) then so do UCI and most of his fellow riders from the era

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I am not defending Lance
But
Everybody in the know knew he was doped
UCI did not give a damn untill he was about to get subpeona from US authorities
Then suddenly UCI gets sainter than St Peter and starts with unprecedented bans
If Armstrong deserves all of them (and I am not saying he doesn't) then so do UCI and most of his fellow riders from the era

Armstrong's behaviour was a class apart from everyone else.

Just for example.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th.../2012/oct/11/lance-armstrong-dope-cheat-bully

 

[Eziemnaik]

I am familiar
Again not defending
But the law should be applied for the offence not the character (and I find his rather unpleasant)
Again, UCI got scared by threats from USA and their sponsors so they decided to treat it as they did (and we all know they were complicit to a certain degree)
On the other side Merckx is something of a sacred cow, hence for example goalpost moving in the hour record, or never mentioned doping

 

[Ian H]

Professional cyclists are going to be as 'clean' as they need to be to continue earning. Why would they be any different? It's a business.

For all Armstrong's sophisticated doping his palmares isn't remotely on the same level as Merckx's (over 500 victories in total, 10 grand tours, including multiple jerseys several times, etc.).