An audience with Lance Armstrong, one of the greats
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 18 Jan 2009 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
There are a few perks in my line of work. One of them is mingling with your heroes, being in the inner sanctum of major events, in the presence of greats. Lance Armstrong ranks very highly among them.
Here in Adelaide for his return in the Tour Down Under, Armstrong is causing quite storm, and deservedly so.
What comes across from my time with Armstrong?
That’s he a complex individual who is incredibly intelligent, articulate, funny and very aware of how the media works, he takes an immense interest in work written about him, aware of his role as icon and the expectations that come with it.
One international journalist compared the fanfare around Armstrong in Adelaide to Jesus Christ.
“I’ve been called a lot of things in my life … I don’t know that he rode either … he did a lot of things apparently but I don’t think he rode,” joked Armstrong.
This is the rider who transcends cycling and helped its rise despite the drug sagas. The most famous cancer survivor who gives hope and fights hard to eventually eradicate the disease.
Then there is the controversy.
Armstrong maintains he has a clear conscience and I’m sure I’m not the only one that hopes with all hope that he is telling the truth.
Cycling has been plagued with drug cheats, and the history of the sport has often needed a rewrite as the cheats were found out: Landis, Ullrich, Basso, Hamilton and so forth.
Armstrong has committed to stringent drug testing. Has he always been clean?
He has to have been. Surely.
His reasons for a comeback are incredibly noble, and unlike an Ali or Jordan, there is a deeper mission here, one not dependant on results.
“The reasons are twofold. First and foremost we want to take the Livestrong message across the world and the burden of this disease.
“My bike has a couple of numbers on it. One is 1,274, the amount of days since I last raced a professional bike race in Paris, 2005. The other is 27.5, for 27.5 million. In those 1,274 days, approximately 27.5 million people have died from this disease.
“It’s a staggering number when you stop and think about it, it seems like I’ve been off the bike for a while but it’s only been a few years and in the meantime about the same number of people who live in this country are gone.
“That is the main reason. But you still have to have a passion for the sport, and I still do.”
That passion burns deep and don’t think this comeback is half-hearted.
This isn’t a sport for half-hearted attempts. Non-commitment will be punished on the climbs, in the heat and the hours on the saddle.
On the Thursday before the Tour started, in a training ride up the Tours steepest climb Armstrong left his teammates behind. Despite his age, he rode away from them like he has done to countless rivals over the years.
That night he hit the town with old teammate George Hincapie, enjoying Adelaide’s finest beer with a rider and friend who helped guide him to his previous Tour de France crowns.
Armstrong’s presence caused quite a storm in the pub, but he was good enough to mingle with fans and pose for photographs.
The speed and intensity of text messages that flew throughout the city alerting people that the worlds greatest cyclists was frequenting a popular Adelaide pub demonstrated that the capital of South Australia really is one big country town and the popularity of Lance transcends his sport.
We are very lucky to bear witness to a great.
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January 20th 2009 @ 9:03pm
Pauly Walnuts said | January 20th 2009 @ 9:03pm | Report comment
Greg Russell – could I ask where I could buy some of these elusive glasses? Maybe LA could start selling them as a fundraiser for his charity, sure you’d get a kick out of that, or should I say… I’m sure that would give you a ride.
I was never a fan of LA either, but I think his work to date (and motivations) are rather commendable. I am certain that if after building up his status, and after those Tour De France wins etc he would not risk further competition if:
a) there was any chance that he would be unable to cycle at a similar competitive level as previously and
b) he would risk being ‘found out’ as a drug cheat.
Therefore, without due diligence I am of the opinion he is not a drug cheat (current or past). Having said that, are there any conspiracy theory books worth reading??? Recommendations anyone?
January 20th 2009 @ 9:17pm
Sam said | January 20th 2009 @ 9:17pm | Report comment
Greg
I used to know some U/23 rugby league players who told me that drug taking was rife in their sport. These were only U/23′s. If I look at 1st grade players today I cannot help but be cynical like yourself.. So going by your theory just about most players will be taking something. How do Aussie Rules players go in this capacity? Or does it not include Australians? Overseas only hey Greg…
What do you think of the feats of Robbie McKewen in the last 10 years? Almost as good as Lance. Does he count in your guilt by association? Until tests are proven to be positive there is no proof. But what gets to me more or less is the blind hypocrisy of our country to label others drug cheats, and believe we are somehow immune from this.
January 20th 2009 @ 9:48pm
Westy said | January 20th 2009 @ 9:48pm | Report comment
Sam the testing done in NRL and ARU AFL and FFA is now quite frequent. The risk is real. It also extends to recreational drugs. Also there are several sporting clubs in the NRL and AFL who pay for their own additional testing. It is possible to play russian roulette but you may be surprised this is usually with recreational drugs during the off season or pre season not performance enhancing ones during the season.. Cycling like weightlifting was heavily skewed towards dirct performance enhancement not relaxation . I am perfectly aware in some sports such relaxation may be beneficial but theis was not wanted in the latter two. Both International Weightlifting Association and the Cycling Authorities were slow to implement anti drug policies and pay the penalty.
January 20th 2009 @ 10:19pm
Sam said | January 20th 2009 @ 10:19pm | Report comment
Westy
The cyclists these days get tested far more than anyone else. Hence more get found out. I suppose my point is that we tend to as Australians point the finger at others quite a bit. As I said Robbie McKewen, and now Cadel Evans have achieved great things so far. I don’t believe they are guilty of anything. However I don’t believe anyone has mentioned Robbie or Cadel alongside Lance, simply because they are from Oz and supposedly wouldn’t do such a thing.
Saying that I think cycling still has a long way to go before it fully cleans its act. On the football codes, well I have my doubts that it is as clean as some think it is.
February 10th 2009 @ 6:15pm
Brett said | February 10th 2009 @ 6:15pm | Report comment
Hey guys . . . joining in late on this one! It cam up on a search trying to find out where to by Lance’s new sunnies. I also have a very close friend who was an up-and-coming League player who as a 21 year old was told by his coach and team doctor that ‘these won’t hurt you’ and ‘all players take them’. As a lifelong player who was entranched in the game, he said I was nuts if I thought that any first grade players were not on some sort of performance enhancing substance, if not for strength then for rapid recovery.
That’s my two cents worth.
That being said . . . gee I’d like to see ALL sports drug-free; especially cycling.
Brett
February 10th 2009 @ 6:35pm
dasilva said | February 10th 2009 @ 6:35pm | Report comment
Brett
Is the pill a legal performance enhancing or illegal performancing enhancing drugs.
Caffeine is now a legal performance enhancing drug and players are often given caffeine tablet to boost performance before or during matches.
other techniques include undergo oxygen deprivation tent to simulate high altitude situation. You stay there for lengthy periods and your body produces extra red blood cells which gives you a legal advantage in the sporting field.
IV drips are used to ensure rapid hydration instead of simply giving people water to drink.
There are many legal techniques, drugs that are performance enhancing that haven’t been banned yet.
February 10th 2009 @ 7:27pm
Sam said | February 10th 2009 @ 7:27pm | Report comment
Da Silva
Don’t be so naive. A few years back now some rugby league players got caught for steroid use (Robbie O’Davis and Adam McDougall). These were your typical rugby league players. Both were state and Australian representatives. I find it impossible that hardly any players in rugby league have been caught for steroid use after them two. I have seen far worse things than pills. It’s the wholesome image which has to be protected. That is the way of sport these days.
October 9th 2009 @ 11:00pm
Dukey said | October 9th 2009 @ 11:00pm | Report comment
Greg Russell
Obviously a park sportsman who was probably captan of the under 12 B side. I guess you are not aware that your mental approach far outweighs any physical stimulant – get a life champ!
January 13th 2010 @ 10:41pm
Pajovic said | January 13th 2010 @ 10:41pm | Report comment
Great sportsman indeed, but like most cyclists he has surely dabbled in the dark arts. While the French fans welcomed Armstrong back with open arms and his presence undeniablely added luster to last year’s Tour, French authorities saw his comeback as an unwelcome reminder of a tarnished era. That feeling was certainly compounded when he joined Astana, a team that was banned from last year’s tour because of drug violations.
Given that so many riders were cheating with performance enhancing drugs in Armstrong’s heyday, the French establishment never accepted that Lance could beaten all cyclists for seven consecutive years as a clean rider. But while there was circumstantial and anecdotal evidence that Armstrong was a cheat, there was never concrete proof that he cheated. (The French, at one point, claimed that new tests on old Armstrong samples had revealed the presence of illegal drugs, but the scientific protocols and the chain of custody made the evidence suspect.)
In any case, look at many great riders, I for one was a great admirer of Ireland’s Stephen Roache, tour, giro and wc winner in one year. A feat only ever acheieved once before. An amazing rider. But if someone asked me to bet my house on him having been clean. I would possibly hesitate. Same goes for Lance. Most peoples association with Lance comes from flicking though a few brief highlights of the tour, buying a wrist band and reading his book. Their understanding of cycling remains negligible. Try reading Willy Voet’s ‘Breaking the Chain’ for an interesting view of cyclings underbelly.
As for the best rider ever? The assertaintions that Armstrong is smacks of an ignorance of the history of cycling. he is undisputably a legend, but as for the best, that is easy and undisputable, the Great Belgian Eddie Merckx. The American publication, VeloNews, declared him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time. He won the Tour de France five times, won all the classics except Paris-Tours,won the Giro d’Italia five times and the Vuelta a España, won the world championship as an amateur and a professional, and broke the world hour record. Any argements?
January 14th 2010 @ 9:49am
Whiteline said | January 14th 2010 @ 9:49am | Report comment
Hey Greg Russell, are you going to respond to the last half dozen posts? Again, how can you label someone because of association? Would you label Australian swimmers who have broken chinese swimming records of a few years back as drug takers too?
Also, Pajovic, Armstrong himself labels Merckx the greatest rider ever, so it isn’t his doing that people wish to label him that.
January 14th 2010 @ 6:17pm
Pajovic said | January 14th 2010 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
I know that Whitline, I’m not saying that Armstrong is the self proclaimed best. I am saying that the ‘I watched some cycling inbetween the adds, bought a yellow armband and read his book’ brigade usually spout this. I love the caustic defence of Armstrong from many folk wh really just dont know. Even if he had taken drugs, he’s still a legend and one of cyclings greats, cause with or without drugs, 7 tours is an awesome feat. Jacques Anquetil a 5 time winner admitted to taking drugs and is still considered a legend in the sport. It is wrong but it is rife.