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No. Legolas Send a noteboard - 25/08/2012 12:53:49 PM
Not just riders - journalists and publishers as well. He was motivated by self interest but the effect is the same - he did far more to damage the fight against doping in cycling than any other rider and by some considerable distance in my opinion.

That may be true in the sense that he was by far the most high-profile rider of his generation, I suppose, so if someone like that is accused of doping and shows himself resentful against the accusers, it may have more effect than when some lesser god does it.

It's also true that the Armstrong case, more than any other, has led a sizeable part of the public to distrust various doping authorities. The fact that for so many years, it was just the French who kept insisting that Armstrong was doping, made it seem very much like a witch hunt born out of the longstanding French frustration with their enduring failure to show anything of substance in their own Grand Tour (or for that matter any other) - the petty chauvinism of French sport journalists is legendary for a reason. It's quite possible that if not for the ongoing accusations against Armstrong, those against Contador would've been taken more seriously among the public (though not necessarily rightly so). But, while you can obviously blame Armstrong for doping, if indeed he has, it's not his fault if the authorities made such a mess of dealing with it that in the end a lot of people started to ignore what WADA and Dick Pound said.
I don't agree - to pick the simple example, the Simeoni incident I linked to.

That's what you call "ruining a career", is it? Singling him out to go ride after during one Tour stage? Armstrong was influential to be sure, and to be sure he sometimes used that influence for dubious purposes, but claiming he had the power to "ruin careers" is as absurd as the notion that he was "fighting hard to keep cycling dirty". He was fighting hard - fairly or unfairly - to win as many Tours as possible, that's what he was doing.
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Lance Armstrong - drugs cheat. - 24/08/2012 10:51:35 AM 1450 Views
You mean giving up in disgust after relentless hounding? - 24/08/2012 11:34:05 AM 760 Views
No, I meant what I said - 24/08/2012 12:08:05 PM 840 Views
Delighted - 24/08/2012 12:21:12 PM 716 Views
Re: Delighted - 24/08/2012 12:36:20 PM 978 Views
you think the case against Contador is fishy but you cheerlead the witch hunt of Armstong? - 25/08/2012 04:11:23 AM 742 Views
No. Can you please reread what I actually wrote. - 25/08/2012 09:46:47 AM 654 Views
Snoop = hypocrite - great job random! *NM* - 25/08/2012 04:27:38 PM 394 Views
Damage to cycling? LMAO good one! *NM* - 24/08/2012 03:23:48 PM 343 Views
Yea I choked up a bit when I read that - 25/08/2012 12:09:13 AM 765 Views
Sad thing is I wondered who would be awarded the victory now his have been stripped... - 24/08/2012 05:31:20 PM 724 Views
And this is why I have a hard time blaming Armstrong. - 24/08/2012 06:16:14 PM 772 Views
I don't. - 24/08/2012 11:51:14 PM 779 Views
Oh come on. - 25/08/2012 01:18:18 AM 944 Views
Yes? - 25/08/2012 10:07:34 AM 838 Views
No. - 25/08/2012 12:53:49 PM 849 Views
Oh. - 26/08/2012 05:28:50 PM 848 Views
Hopefully they will leave the 1st places empty - 24/08/2012 11:44:49 PM 673 Views
That is one of things I find suspicious about the denials. - 26/08/2012 03:01:30 AM 763 Views
Re: That is one of things I find suspicious about the denials. - 26/08/2012 05:32:38 PM 740 Views
It is not proof, only far from conclusive evidence. - 26/08/2012 11:02:38 PM 773 Views
I really don't know anymore what to think on Armstrong. - 24/08/2012 06:53:04 PM 756 Views
Re: I really don't know anymore what to think on Armstrong. - 24/08/2012 11:59:14 PM 842 Views
Haters gotta hate. Its not like he's gonna get a fair hearing. *NM* - 24/08/2012 10:25:18 PM 354 Views
Yeah, they were going to use evidence and everything against him and not cower before his bullying - 25/08/2012 12:01:44 AM 657 Views
Nevermind, saw your post up above *NM* - 25/08/2012 01:05:03 AM 367 Views
Your reaction seems kinda over the top and spiteful, what's up with that? - 25/08/2012 01:15:12 AM 876 Views
Pleasure at seeing someone who has bullied and blustered for so long faced with justice. - 25/08/2012 10:11:15 AM 750 Views
You are a very small-minded person. - 25/08/2012 04:26:46 PM 766 Views
And you are a very annoying person. - 25/08/2012 06:06:50 PM 765 Views
In the immortal words of Anonymous2000 ... "+1" - 25/08/2012 06:32:10 PM 847 Views
-1 - 25/08/2012 10:23:25 PM 682 Views
I don't think 'nemesis' is a term that should be used regarding sporting events - 25/08/2012 07:51:35 PM 825 Views
Heh. This exchange is reminding me of Yes, Minister. - 25/08/2012 10:04:59 PM 703 Views
I've actually seen that show - 26/08/2012 05:33:31 AM 794 Views
As Legolas said, I think it is apprioriate - 26/08/2012 05:36:08 PM 638 Views
I'm really not in a position to judge, though obviously I'm inclined to disagree - 26/08/2012 05:41:49 PM 704 Views
Fair enough *NM* - 26/08/2012 05:47:36 PM 384 Views
but he was the guy who had cancer - 26/08/2012 12:26:34 AM 688 Views
I refer you to the Goldman dilema - 26/08/2012 05:41:26 PM 588 Views
but that's just dumb *NM* - 26/08/2012 10:23:34 PM 453 Views
Well - 27/08/2012 09:32:30 AM 956 Views
On that first point - 27/08/2012 10:37:34 AM 789 Views

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