- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
news
Lance Armstrong Photo by Maryse Alberti, Courtesy of Sony Pictures ClassicsArmstrong says media is being 'harsh' on Froome but accepts some responsibility for perception of the sport
Lance Armstrong says that the news of Chris Froome’s adverse analytical finding for Salbutamol is not being accurately reported by many media outlets, but accepts that he himself must take much of the blame for that.
Froome had twice the permitted limit of the anti-asthma drug when tested at the Vuelta a Espana in September. The drug is not banned outright, so if he can somehow prove he kept to the permitted dosage, he will avoid a ban and being stripped of his victory in that race.
A number of reports on the matter have of course lacked nuance and Independent.ie reports that while speaking on his podcast, Armstrong accepted responsibility for shaping the current perception of cycling.
"I am trying to accept some responsibility here because I have tainted the whole equation,” he said. “I read a story in the New York Times that was so harsh on Froome and the sport. You don't get an accurate depiction of this situation by reading that.
"This is so easy for the press to go after cycling and some of the bullshit I have read on this story has been so harsh. Reading that New York Times story, you would have thought Froome had a gallon of EPO for breakfast and that is not accurate and not fair to him."
He described cycling as “the sporting world's doormat” and concluded: “I have to take a lot of blame for that."
Armstrong then went on to suggest that the reaction to Froome’s test result was why it should have remained secret.
"He should be allowed due process to explain what happened here and he could be completely exonerated, but he is tarnished forever. Damage is done.
"This investigation could go on for months. Come next July, riding around France, it's going to be a nightmare.
"I don't know why this has been leaked to the media. Whoever leaked this had to remain anonymous and this happens a lot in our sport. It's frustrating."
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- jamesha100 1 hour 12 min ago
I have been in Belfast for work this week and have been shocked by the congestion around the city centre. There are lots of frustrated drivers...
- David9694 1 hour 34 min ago
Cyclists should be made to have insurance etc https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/24757516.four-vehicles-seize...
- A V Lowe 2 hours 5 min ago
On a bus the driver has a fully glazed double set of doors that give a direct view of any cyclist or pedestrian travelling right into the left side...
- matthewn5 2 hours 31 min ago
A friend in my cycling club has a new Ribble Allroad, I think the model with 105, and when I asked how he was finding it (before reading this...
- Rendel Harris 2 hours 40 min ago
Well yes but that's if you're looking at an equation x = n x 3 where n is any number less than 5. If you're looking for a number that is three...
- check12 3 hours 58 min ago
Get them back? They've never gone away for me, cheap tdf winning bikes on eBay with rim brakes and cheap rim brake aero wheels, just don't tell...
- Simon E 4 hours 41 min ago
It used to be called Buy Nothing Day as a protest against the the Black Friday discounting madness. The constant BF adverts, promos and stuff...
- chrisonabike 6 hours 56 min ago
Apologies - you're quite right! Something about presentation and comprehension...
- wtjs 7 hours 17 min ago
You can find out whether they're lying about 'taking action' by asking them what they actually did. When they refuse to tell you, citing various...
Add new comment
21 comments
Lance Armstrong is a good bloke really. He had no real choice bitd. Having honesty and integrity gets you nowhere in the real world, can't blame him suckering in other corporate cnuts to carve out a great life for himself and his family. Many have benefited from his cancer charity too. Pissing off skinny lycra clad roadies along the way and after was a price worth paying. You can guarantee he has done more to benefit people than any of his jealous detractors. Jury still out on Froome.
As a regular consumer of Salbutamol during the hay fever months (end of Feb to September) I have two settings -'can breathe' and 'can't breathe'. The switch is controlled by Salbutamol. Sometimes there is a third setting, which is 'can't breathe and coughing'. The 'can breathe' setting is the same as the out of hay fever season normal settting. There is no upside, just an approximation to normal.
Performance enhancing? Hardly. Restoring? Maybe.
Yes when used via an inhaler that is correct but if topped up by another means it is suggested that it can be performance enhancing.
So there is the possibility that Froome only used and inhaler and that something like dehydration caused this which is entirely possible, in which case Froome or Sky need to prove this was the case. Something that will be very difficult to do.
As LA says (correctly in my opinion) this should not have been leaked to the press at this stage as he is now Damned whichever way it goes
Has he shown enough remorse to have a respected opinion?
I had no idea that EPO is sold by the gallon
His points are fair though.
I never thought I'd say this, but I actually think Lance Armstrong is making sense here!
And he is actually accepting some responsibility for his actions.
Are we sure someone hasn't hacked his podcast account?
Is Lance admitting he actually had a gallon on EPO for breakfast then?
American or European gallon?
Who better to go to for a character reference.
I know you were being sarcastic but actually, you're right - the people who have done wrong and who know how to beat the system are actually very good at seeign all sides of the story.
road.cc themselves have run articles by former, reformed bike thieves saying how to stop your bike being stolen, what they'd look for in a bike left locked up (weak locks, unlit areas etc) even down to the type of locks they'd find easy to break.
David Millar is a good example of someone who could now use his ban, his stripped title etc to warn others - he's said about the support networks that simply weren't in place when he was a young rider and the peer pressure from team managers, other riders...
Lance has been there, done it, knows how to cheat the drug tests, knows how the media vultures work so actually he's probably far more qualified to talk than most on the subject! whether or not anyone likes him, repsects his opinion, wants to listen to him of course is another matter...
Agree entirely.Armstrong well placed to talk to about both the doping and the complete cockweasel aspects of Froome. And they probably joined forces to nick Simeone's bike too.
He makes a fair point; The story leaks and all of a sudden people are experts on Cycling, UCI rules and Asthma all at once. As per usual, no one looks beyond the headlines at the details, they just see drugs and assume cheat.
Roughly half do.
The other roughly half see 'Froome' and/or 'Sky' and see the lack of photographic evidence of him giving himself a transfusion as cast iron proof of his innocence.
Both sides then eat google in order to appear dead clever and win internet rows.
The other roughly half are actually dead clever, like me, and don't give roughly half a shit either way.
Think I'm in the 4th half who are just trying to understand it.
Tis the old complicated truth vs simple lie problem.
Both sides then eat google in order to appear dead clever and win internet rows.
[/quote]
I feel the need for some form of annotation from them. A chart or two perhaps?
I feel the need for some form of annotation from them. A chart or two perhaps?
[/quote]
Exactly a chart or two... One Lance, other one Froomey... Incomparable axes... C'mere Google...
Its best to say nout when you dont give a shit because then it actually looks like you dont give a shit.
...
Just the man he wanted rushing to his aid.