Cadel Evans on Lance Armstrong
On a slow road to recovery, Cadel Evans is looking good to mark a successful return to his international scene earlier in 2013.
The 2011 Tour de France winner noted that the route for the Tour in the season ahead, suit his abilities and he will not settle for anything less than a first place finish at the event.
While commenting at the USDA’s detailed investigation in to Lance Armstrong, he briefed to Australian Weekend Financial Review, “I always said that not only was he the best Tour rider but he also had the best Tour team in history”.
“But the fact that all of the riders in that team performed at such a high level during the crucial moments was always, well . . .”
“He went out there and won seven Tours and...with hindsight, they are not his anymore. But now they are no one’s”.
“As a clean athlete and to be accused of being a drug cheat, personally it’s very offensive and very hard to take”.
Armstrong claimed seven overall victories at the Tour de France, through 1999 to 2005 but after USADA’s report that proved him guilty of using drugs to achieve the desired results, he has been disqualified from all the victories since 1998 onwards.
The 41-year-old used systematic doping in his former American side, Team USPS and several cyclists testified against him.
As many as 11 of his previous teammates admit doping including, Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie.
Evans believe that Armstrong case will definitely have a protective effect on the sport and who ever thinks that the races can be won by injecting substance in to the body will also consider the consequences that comes with it.
Evans himself faced the doping allegations in his career but managed to walk out clean as nothing was proven against him.
The 35-year-old opened his 2012 winning account with an overall victory at the Criterium International 2012 and also managed to claim the point classifications and the second stage of the race.
He occupied the third overall spot at the Criterium du Dauphine along with the first stage and the point’s classifications at the race.
Cadel faced the health issues throughout the season which failed him from preventing his Tour de France yellow jersey and had to settle for the seventh overall position after the Tour de France 2012 overall classifications.
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