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One year on from the bombshell of the Reasoned Decision and Lance Armstrong still doesn’t get it.
In an interview appearing on the Velonews website yesterday the Texan was asked if he thought the reasoned decision helped or hurt cycling.
His reply was blunt and to the point.
“Of course it didn’t help cycling. Only time will tell how much it hurt our sport.”
Really?
So let me get this straight.
Exposing the cheating, lying, bullying and intimidating behaviour that hung over the pro-peloton like a devilish black cloud for so many years hurts the sport?
Well, here’s yet another reality check mate, perhaps it was the cheating, lying, bullying and intimidating behaviour itself that hurt the sport rather than those trying to expose it.
Armstrong does go on to accept some of the blame but still questions why everything had to be brought to a head in the first place which makes any of his pathetic displays of contrition even harder to swallow.
“Of course, our generation did plenty of damage ourselves we now see. We have to accept responsibility for our actions. I know I do. Having said that, did we need to go back over a decade to dredge this up?”
In a word Lance, yes. Yes we did have to go back in time and expose once and for all the dirty goings on in professional cycling.
What stronger possible message could be sent to potential dopers of the future than that? What stronger possible message could be sent to those controlling the pro-teams?
A message that says eventually you will be caught, no matter who you are, and the fallout will be severe.
Mighty fine incentive to stay clean I would have thought!
Armstrong remains bitter over his treatment by the authorities, affronted by not being offered the same deal that saw Christian Vande Velde, George Hincapie, David Zabriskie and Levi Leipheimer receive lighter penalties.
And he continues to try and prop up his reputation by referring to his former involvement with the Livestrong Foundation.
“I have been ousted from my foundation that I started, personally donated eight million dollars to, spent 15 years building, and helped raise half a billion dollars for.”
That may be so Lance, but it doesn’t excuse you from your actions away from the foundation, for the years of deception and intimidatory behaviour as you attempted to remain balanced precariously atop your self-created kingdom.
And really, you weren’t ousted from the foundation. Your actions left the foundation with no choice but to step away from you.
That Armstrong remains bitter over the events of the past year is obvious.
“I have lost every business relationship I’ve ever had. I have been sued left, right and centre.”
What did he think would happen?
You can’t go down the path he did and expect to walk away scot free.
And in case you are beginning to feel some sympathy for Armstrong, perhaps it’s time to revisit the words spoken by acclaimed women’s cyclist Nicole Cooke on her retirement earlier this year, which coincidently coincided with Lance appearing on Oprah.
“I do despair that the sport will never clean itself up when rewards of stealing are greater than riding clean. If that remains the case, the temptation for those with no morals will always be too great.
“I have been robbed by drug cheats, but am fortunate…But for many people out there who do ride clean – people with morals – many of these people have had to leave the sport with nothing after a lifetime of hard work, some going through horrific financial turmoil.
“When Lance cries on Oprah later this week and she passes him the tissue, spare a thought for all those genuine people who walked away with no rewards – just shattered dreams. Each one of them is worth a thousand Lances.”
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