http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/mar04/mar05news2
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Thanks for the link, cool article.
I’m sure the Peleton will like Lance’s comments!
Thanks for the link. Lance has always denied using drugs. I don’t think I believed him early in his career but now he’s have to be crazy to use anything. The only evidence against him is that if he can beat all the drugs users so how can he not be on something himself. Well if you don’t believe him you should read his second book. This one is about the bike and it tells why he is a cahmpion. Training in those mountains in the winter while his competition is home on the couch. Practicing Alp Duez in the rain and snow and going back for another lap when he thought he didn’t get it right. It’s hard work, but hard work pays off!
Just to be the devil’s advocate…
“I’ve said it before and I will repeat it: I believe that I am the most tested athlete on this planet, I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance enhancing drugs.”
…doesn’t exactly say he has never taken performance enhancing drugs and gotten away with it. I forget whether he has said he has never taken PEDs (cancer treatment notwithstanding), but for a categorical denial it still leaves some room for interpretation.
Just to be the devil’s advocate…
“I’ve said it before and I will repeat it: I believe that I am the most tested athlete on this planet, I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance enhancing drugs.”
…doesn’t exactly say he has never taken performance enhancing drugs and gotten away with it. I forget whether he has said he has never taken PEDs (cancer treatment notwithstanding), but for a categorical denial it still leaves some room for interpretation.
So what part of “I do not take performance enhancing drugs” leaves room for interpretation?
Ed
He mentioned in his first book that his life was being saved by the exact same substance that is #1 on the banned list of cycling. He found that interesting.
I have been on record that I think many top level athletes “juice”. Lance hasn’t said that he’s “NEVER” taken any PED’s for racing purposes. I made the point that “drug-free” isn’t the same as “drug-legal”, meaning that athletes could use some substances to bring their testosterone, etc up to “legal levels” and still pass the test … and we all have heard about masking agents.
“I have learned over the years that proving a negative can be quite challenging with people who simply do not want to believe that my accomplishments are possible without drugs,” he said. "I can live with that.
Sounds like Lance is “all growed up”. Seems like he’s lost that Texas temper in dealing with those that doubt his words. I’ve said before that I was 80/20 on believing he is drug free (or drug legal) versus him knowing how to beat the test. If it were the latter, he would have had to slip up at least once with all the times he has been tested.
IMO, it’s time to give him the benefit of the doubt unless one has inside info suggesting the opposite.
Now … about baseball players … how the mighty will fall.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2004/interviews/?id=lance_armstrong041
this one’s a rather in-depth interview on the brilliant USPS season so far. again he discusses doping as well (particularly interesting is how many times he’s already been tested this early in the year).
“So what part of “I do not take performance enhancing drugs” leaves room for interpretation?”
He still could have taken PED’s in the past and gotten away with it.
My guess is he did as part of his cancer treatment and recovery…That is the only reason you will never here him say he has “never” taken them…
I hear you GatorDawg, and I have no reason to think he did take PEDs illegally. But how hard would it be to say “Except as part of my cancer treatment, I have NEVER taken any performance enhancing drugs”.
JHC, even if he went the route you suggest…many would still call him a doper and devalue what he has done, saying he took PEDs, no matter when it was!..IMO
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