[quote]
"My reaction...the enthusiasm that I had built up about the sport in the last couple of years has been all but completely wiped out in the last couple of hours.
Oh whatever P. Kimmage get over ya self mate!...For every Lance Hater there will be a hundred others getting ready to get excited about their bikes again
Let’s turn the clock back to Armstrong’s last apparition in the sport. The Tour de France 2005. He’s standing on! the podium. And he makes this big impassioned speech. Which is basically saying ‘The last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics, the sceptics: I’m sorry for you. I’m sorry you can’t dream big. I’m sorry you don’t believe in miracles.’ That was 2005, his last ride in the the Tour de France. And the people flanking him on that podium were Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich. And a month after that race ended the French newspaper L’Equipe reported that in his first winning Tour de France, in 1999, Armstrong had tested positive for EPO. Six separate samples taken during that race revealed positive tests for EPO.
Blah Blah whatever!!!its boring mate. Yeah we know like Merckx, Simpson, and some of the other cycling heavy weights Armstrong possibly dabbled in the naughty stuff. But what about the years 2000-2005? And if L'equipe knew why did they keep it quiet? If my brother has killed someone ain't I partly guilty too if I don't tell the police
Its boring if you really wanna be a big name and sell more copies of your excellent book "Rough Ride" why not let us REALLY know about your proycling in your era shed light on the many cycling pundits that are around today.Now that would be really brave journalism. Trying to constantly attack the greatist pro-racer of the modern era is almost cowardly just cause he's an arrogant big shot that not a lot of 'real' cycling fans like. Except me of course, but then I only racked up in the 2003/2004 season I can' help it I watched my mate girlfriend die of cancer then bought this book called "its not about the bike" a few months later.
This return, he wants us to believe that it’s all about saving the world from cancer. That’s complete bullshit. It’s about revenge It’s about ego. It’s about Lance Armstrong. I think he’s trying to rewrite his exit from the sport. He’s sat back and he’s watched the last two years and he cannot stand the idea that there are clean cyclists now that will overtake his legacy and buy the memory of all the crap that he put the sport through.
Doh!!! of course its about ego he's the most competitive son of bitch on the planet. If he thinks he can do it why not let him have a go. Have you considered the risk he's taking reputation, more chance for peeps to spit and chuck accusations at him. He's a millionaire for God sake, How many of us would have the balls? etc etc its massive risk. Almost Hollwoodesque but bring it on I say
When I heard it being mooted first that he was coming back, I thought well that’s fine, because the first thing ASO are going to say is ‘sorry Lance, we’ve seen your results from the 1999 tests , you’re not coming back.’ I expected a similar statement from Pat McQuaid. What’s happened instead is that Christian Prudhomme has said ‘yes, you can come back, no problem.’ And Pat McQiad has said ‘I really admire this man, he’s a tremendous ambassador for cycling.’ What we’re getting here is the corporate dollars and the money that’s going to accompany this guy back into the game. The money that’s going to bring for Nike, one of the big sponsors of the Tour. And for the UCI, who have been experiencing some serious problems in the last couple of years.
Er... where ya been dude? its always been about the money. shhitt even my son knows that and he's just become a teenager. Yikes
Much as you want to say the sport has changed, as quickly as they can change their own opinions – McQuaid, who says one thing in private and quite the opposite in public, and Prudhomme – if they can change so quickly then I’m sorry, it’s really very, very difficult to have any optimism with regard to Armstrong and the way the sport was moving forward. For me, if he comes back next year, the sport takes two steps back. Don't agree. He wants to prove himself in an era where drug taking is so frowned on you'd become so despised. Why would he take the risk if he weren't gonna bother riding clean??
I spent the whole Tour this year with Slipstream, the Garmin team. That wasn’t by accident. I chose that team deliberately, because of what they were saying about the sport and the message they were putting out. But also the fact that so many of that team had raced with Armstrong during his best years and knew exactly what he got up to. And the stuff that I learnt on that Tour about him and what he was really like was absolutely shocking, really shocking.
What’s going to happen now is he comes back and everybody’s going to wave their hands in the air and give him a big clap. And all the guys who really know what he’s about are going to feel so utterly and totally depressed.
Psyco-therapy can help get over that sort of thing and regressive hypnosis also helps they tell me
Astana’s the absolute perfect team for him. He’d be renewing his old acquaintance with Bruyneel, who wanted to hire Basso last year. Will he be renewing his old acquaintance with Ferrari, the famous doctor? Will Bruyneel be taking pictures of the questioning journalists and pinning them on the side of his bus?
When Armstrong talks about transparency, this is the greatest laugh. When he talks about embracing this new transparency … I’m really looking forward to that. I’m really looking forward to my first interview request with him and seeing how that comes back. Because that would really make it interesting.
This guy, any other way but his bullying and intimidation wrapped up in this great cloak, the great cancer martyr … this is what he hides behind all the time. The great man who conquered cancer. Well he is the cancer in this sport. And for two years this sport has been in remission. And now the cancer’s back[
b]." Deep down I think you're just as excited as the rest of us. This could be your chance - You must be praying and hoping for him to mess up. I'd still have more respect for you if you went back and wrote about the cycling gods from your era. mmm too risky me thinks. Lance is so much easier and plus when they're not from where your from and don't sound like you its so much easier to hate em....he he just having fun everyone. I'm fine really [/b]