Great idea, advice from the creator of the internet should be priceless!
What logic and reason is there that suggests Lance is clean?
The man dominated a peleton full of EPO users for 7 years. He did this while passing lots of drug tests, during a time when there was no test for EPO…and while working with a doctor known to work with drugs.
Whats illogical about drawing the conclusion that lance was on drugs?
Wow, I hope none of you ever sit on a jury… ever. What a decadent and decrepit society we live in where insinuation and anecdotal evidence can replace logic and reason.
Everyone should put down their copies of Globe, National Inquirer, Entertainment Weekly, this book, and read “Assault on Reason” by Al Gore instead.
Or we could get a copy of “Hillary: My One And Only” by Bill Clinton
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I, personally, have not read the book nor do I care to read it. In my personal opinion, this is just another money hungry individual who’s trying to make money off of a celebrity. Does it makes any sense that none of allegations against Lance had ever materialized? For 7 years? He was tested after every stage that he won. How come they didn’t find anything then? Is Lance so good at manipulating the system that he got away with cheating for 7 years? You have to take a step back and try to look at the issue logically. Lance passed every test they put him through, and now that his former teammate tested positive to EPO, they are trying to link the two together. And isn’t it convenient that this book came out after the whole Floyd’s scandal? Ultimately, I am just sadden more than anything else that people just cannot accept the fact that hard work does pay off and that miracles do happen. Please leave Lance alone.
where did I say he was guilty? I merely said it casts a dark shadow…which it certainly does. Also, as the author pointed out…he never uses unnamed “sources”. So there is an awful lot of people going on record about the goings on in the peloton (including lance).
Yes…we should read a book by a staunch “environmentalist” who just so happens to have a fuel bill higher than most people make in a year…Assault on Reason…how appropriate. What a hypocrite.
“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for…move along…move along”
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In my personal opinion, this is just another money hungry individual who’s trying to make money off of a celebrity.
That argument is really getting old. It seems anyone who makes any accusation against Lance is either after money or jealous.
You might be able to say that if we weren’t talking about someone who is on his third book rehashing the same things about his obsession with Armstrong. It is either about money or about being so obsessed as to be unbalanced. Why else publish the same material over and over?
**Does it makes any sense that none of allegations against Lance had ever materialized? **
Yes, since there was no test for EPO and there is no test for blood doping. Sure, there was no test for EPO…when LA won his first Tour. There is a test for blood doping…how do you think Hamilton was busted.
For 7 years?
Ironically, the exact same time Ben Johnson admitted he was on steroids and never caught, despite being the most test track athlete in the world. He stated in the Dubin inquiry that he was on drugs from 1981 to 1988 when they finally caught him. During that time there were numerous allegations and only a fluke error by his team resulted in him getting caught at all.
Are you really foolish enough to compare a period in the 80’s to a period in the 00’s when it comes to drug testing?!?!?
He was tested after every stage that he won. How come they didn’t find anything then?
See above.
Is Lance so good at manipulating the system that he got away with cheating for 7 years?
It’s not Lance, it’s the team of doctors that have been at this a lot longer than 7 years. Please read a history of the TDF for an idea of how long this has been going on. The doctors/advisors have been doing exactly that (manipulating the system) for many years.
Yet the question that often gets asked but is never answered by people like Walsh is how LA was so good at beating the tests while many others were getting busted.
**And isn’t it convenient that this book came out after the whole Floyd’s scandal? **
Actually, it is a sequel to a book written long before Floyd’s scandal. No, it’s not a sequel, it’s a rehash…again, with some stuff about Landis thrown in and it is another example of Walsh using something else to sell his obsessive little books. Like when he released one on the eve of Le Tour.
Ultimately, I am just sadden more than anything else that people just cannot accept the fact that hard work does pay off and that miracles do happen.
As is the entire cycling fan club but really, the sport of cycling itself is to blame.
"Are you really foolish enough to compare a period in the 80’s to a period in the 00’s when it comes to drug testing?!?!? "
Why not? it’s not as if only those developing new doping tests have been working for the next 20yrs…those developing new drugs have been working too…Balco for instance…
I am a huge fan of Lance- I even have a very cool framed, numbered and signed (by Lance and Artist) lithograph of him. http://www.michaelschwab.com/store/storeimages/lance_armstrong_sm.gif
But- speeds in the peloton dramatically- improved from 1990 to 1991- and it wasn’t b/c of training methods. It was b/c of EPO and the performance brought about from increased Red Blood Cells. Lance and many other’s who test negative- test negative for several reasons- they are using methods/drugs that aren’t being tested for AND/OR they have masking agents that hide other items they are taking. Pretty simple and straightforward. There’s no way one can win a Tour without these types of drugs.
actually, if you bothered reading the authors interview on espn,
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/columns/story?columnist=desimone_bonnie&id=2917499
he said the only thing in the new book that was in the old one is the “lance admission in the hospital”.
My feeling is that 70 percent of the material in “From Lance to Landis” is new material. In the original book, I wrote about what I would call the “hospital room incident.” Basically, people told me they heard Lance admit to his doctors that he used performance-enhancing drugs. At the time, I’d been told by these people but they weren’t prepared to go public with it, because it was going to bring too much attention on themselves, and criticism, and they just weren’t ready for that. That incident constituted a page and a half in the first book. In “From Lance to Landis,” the hospital room constitutes two chapters. It’s the same incident, but fleshed out in incredible detail because in the intervening time, we had this litigation between Lance and SCA Promotions . I got all the transcripts from the SCA case. I read them in great detail. I got additional material. I hope when people see , they will be struck by the amount of detailed information.
speeds in the peloton dramatically- improved from 1990 to 1991- and it wasn’t b/c of training methods. It was b/c of EPO and the performance brought about from increased Red Blood Cells.
Let’s think about this for a second. World records are broken in other sports all over the place. Let’s look at Michael Phelps for example. He broke 5 WR at the World Championships in Australia this year. By your argument, he must be doping, too, Right? Or could it be that he spends 8 hours a day in the pool and swims over 20K a day? He is living and training on a time schedule in which he will be competing at in Beijing next year. That is the kind of dedication that today atheletes have. Atheletes will get faster and stronger as the science advances. Better training regimen, better nutrition, and better understanding of what it takes to reach the goal. I am glad that you are a fellow fan of Lance. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he’s “innocent until proven guilty”, right?
I never understood the avg speed argument… The tour is always the same course, dist, with the same conditions, right???
That was pretty hilarious…
Always nice to see someone with a sense of humor…
My two sense, for what it is worth.
The average speed arguement. Personally, I think a I am a couple miles an hour faster over an average ride on my top of the line specialized, verses the top of the line raleigh I owned from the late 90’s with down tube shifters. EPO didn’t make me faster, and neither did condition, my new bike is just that much lighter, the components are that much better. Also - think about how much nutrition during the race has improved over the years.
As for Lance. Everyone knows he was the most tested - whatever. But, did EPO give him the largest measured VOmax ever, I don’t think so… Also, I read somewhere that Lance has a longer fermur than the average person, which gives him more power in a pedal stroke. He also has a something strangley shaped back, so that when he is on his bike his lungs have more space than the average person. Basically, he was born to ride a bike. Maybe he was genetically engineer to foil the French and Greg Lemond.
"Are you really foolish enough to compare a period in the 80’s to a period in the 00’s when it comes to drug testing?!?!? "
Why not? it’s not as if only those developing new doping tests have been working for the next 20yrs…those developing new drugs have been working too…Balco for instance… You are correct, but you are comparing apples to oranges. In the 80’s there were essentially no doping tests and what little there were were not being improved literally on a daily basis. So comparing the two time periods is foolish.
Also, I read somewhere that Lance has a longer fermur than the average person, which gives him more power in a pedal stroke. He also has a something strangley shaped back, so that when he is on his bike his lungs have more space than the average person. Basically, he was born to ride a bike. Maybe he was genetically engineer to foil the French and Greg Lemond.
Wha? Oh, come on, - what is this “freak O Nature” argument? Yep an amazing athlete, powerful and maybe unique cardiovascular system, - it definitely helped contribute to being a great TDF racer. Amazing training tech, and an amazing athlete. But again, Lance’s physical make up contributed less to his TDF wins than the fact that he was not a Pro-tour racer, instead was a TDF racer. When everyone else was out on the roads in tough races of the Pro-tour, crashing, bumping each other and getting beat up, - he was out learning the TDF course, and riding the TDF: more than a great advantage. So sad that we’ll never know how good a racer Lance really was…
actually, if you bothered reading the authors interview on espn,
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/columns/story?columnist=desimone_bonnie&id=2917499
he said the only thing in the new book that was in the old one is the “lance admission in the hospital”.
My feeling is that 70 percent of the material in “From Lance to Landis” is new material. In the original book, I wrote about what I would call the “hospital room incident.” Basically, people told me they heard Lance admit to his doctors that he used performance-enhancing drugs. At the time, I’d been told by these people but they weren’t prepared to go public with it, because it was going to bring too much attention on themselves, and criticism, and they just weren’t ready for that. That incident constituted a page and a half in the first book. In “From Lance to Landis,” the hospital room constitutes two chapters. It’s the same incident, but fleshed out in incredible detail because in the intervening time, we had this litigation between Lance and SCA Promotions . I got all the transcripts from the SCA case. I read them in great detail. I got additional material. I hope when people see , they will be struck by the amount of detailed information.
And if you read the exerpts and talk to people who have read the book you will know that Walsh is full of shit if he said that. The book is mainly a rehash of his personal obsession with LA.
I am a huge fan of Lance- I even have a very cool framed, numbered and signed (by Lance and Artist) lithograph of him. http://www.michaelschwab.com/...nce_armstrong_sm.gif
But- speeds in the peloton dramatically- improved from 1990 to 1991- and it wasn’t b/c of training methods. It was b/c of EPO and the performance brought about from increased Red Blood Cells. Lance and many other’s who test negative- test negative for several reasons- they are using methods/drugs that aren’t being tested for AND/OR they have masking agents that hide other items they are taking. Pretty simple and straightforward. There’s no way one can win a Tour without these types of drugs. Interestingly the same time period you claim speeds went up happens to be the time when bike technology, sports nutrition and training methods where making gains by leaps and bounds. That was also the time when pro bike racing began to change as well to a race where speeds at the start were higher due to less distance in races that was essentially neutralized by the riders. Many riders will talk about how, up to that point, the race really only began when tv coverage started.
if that’s truly the case then ok…maybe the guy is just a money grubbing pig…however, since this book just came out 2 days ago, I’d be hard pressed to find anybody that has already read the book to get their opinion on it. From his interview, it sounds more like he has a personal obsession with exposing the drug culture in cycling than anything else…but maybe he’s just trying to sell books.
Athletes will get faster and stronger as the science advances.
boy, you hit that nail right on the head.