Last ride for Lance Armstrong; Shuns Landis Dope Allegation
Allegations of drug use, especially in the world of sports, may seem like a kink in the armor of heroes.
But for the seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, that is definitely not the case. If anything, the allegations only made Armstrong’s bid all the more special.
The allegations of drug use came from Armstrong’s former teammate Floyd Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title after testing positive for illegal amounts of testosterone.
Landis then accused Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs and that he was part of a massive cover up that involved high-ranking officials, even adding that Armstrong influenced and introduced other riders to steroids.
Armstrong, however, vehemently denies these accusations, saying that he has never even tested positive.
The disgraced Landis made his allegations through email, sending detailed accounts to seven cycling officials between April 30 and May 6.
In his email to U.S. cycling President Stephen Johnson, he admitted that he used steroids in 2002. The confession was not necessarily lauded by the cycling industry, as Landis has previously denied that he doped.
He even formed the Floyd Fairness Fund and was able to raise $500,000 to clear his name. To worsen the situation, Landis even implicated team directors, coaches and top American riders—including the seven-time champion Armstrong.
Before Landis transferred to Phonak in 2005, the two were teammates for three years in the U.S. Postal Team— with Armstrong winning all three races.
Sharing his thoughts on the accusations, Armstrong had this to say: “It’s going to inspire me.” Armstrong’s words are testament to his unnerving drive to get that elusive eighth Tour de France title.
Coming out of a three-and-a-half year retirement, Armstrong was still able to finish a strong third last year. Armstrong revealed that while he sorely missed the exhilarating competition, his driving force came out of the desire to promote cancer awareness.
His performance still showed signs of brilliance, but it was not enough to win it all, finishing behind his Spanish teammate Alberto Contador.
But for this Tour de France bid, the 38-year old says that he is in much better shape.
Armstrong is currently Team RadioShack’s lead rider—an American-based pro cycling team that was formed following Armstrong’s comeback last year.
Apart from the newly-formed American powerhouse, this year’s Tour has another gem that will certainly make spectators glued: it will be Armstrong’s last ride.
Armstrong’s decision sprung forth from the lack of time that he is able to dedicate to his family. Armstrong and his girlfriend Anna Hansen have four children and are expecting a fifth.
With Armstrong out of the picture in the years to come, it will be interesting to see who will carry the torch that Armstrong held proudly throughout his career.
The names of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and Team Saxo-Bank’s Andy Schleck have risen to prominence ever since Armstrong faded into the background a bit.
The grueling event kicked off in the Dutch port of Rotterdam with an 8.9km prologue and will end in Paris on July 25.
While the Spanish Contador remains the favorite to win, the inspired and driven Armstrong remains one of the top contenders.
After the preliminary stages, Armstrong is in solid position after he finished fourth overall, 22 seconds behind Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara.
Armstrong, an active voice in Twitter, made his announcement with some fitting parting words: “It’s been a great ride.” To his legions of fans—and presumably even to his detractors—he hit the nail right on the head.
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