Interesting reply Van Bilderass. Don't you routinely give info here on steroids? So if, and I don t know if he did or did not, Lance took PED's, why the hard-on for him? Just curious. Seems strange that an entire sport that you, and I (used to) follow is nothing but a lab experiment is not also a bunch of lies, corrupt people, etc, etc.
As for the poster who said Lance's team mate George Hincapie announced he was going to retire when this broke in June, I LMAO. George is my neighbor in Greenville, SC. He told me and others he was going to retire at the end of this season--18 months ago! He's sick of leaving his kids behind half the year. He's been racing since he was a very young teen and will turn 39. Pretty reasonable to retire at some point. So much for the conspiracy theorists.
Professional sports are drug fueled without a doubt. If anything, for recovery, injury treatment and to kill pain. We all hold up these sports entertainers as super heros but then get all moral when we hear they took a drug. Funny, but each us "average joes" takes something at times to perform better. Caffeine from Starbucks double and triple espressos are OK, while high levels of caffeine are on the Olympic drug list and is forbidden for athletes. as are asthma inhalers (unless you have a therapeutic exemption - lol) Epinephrine for bee stings is illegal in competition but many non competing people carry around epipens just in case. Jonathan Vaughters, a US pro cyclist, was stung by a bee in the Tour de France some years ago. He was told if he took epinephrine, he would be DQ'd because it was "performance enhancing". He quite the Tour a day later because he literally couldn't see.
By the way, if they actually did take Lances's wins away, who would they give them too? The top 10 in those tours all have a cloud of drug use on them. Be great to find someone who was squeaky clean outside of that group. Oh, and have them prove it. Because apparently a negative drug test isn't enough for a lot of people. Maybe a priest can determine who is telling the truth LOL.
A few years back, Richard Virenque, multiple holder of what is called the "Polka Dot" jersey in the Tour de France, admitted he was on EPO for the bulk of them. No jerseys were taken away, nothing. Virenque had to admit it, after he was caught red handed with evidence during the Festina raid. Interesting justice in the home of "Le Tour"
My position on drug use in sports has changed after years of competition in cycling. I am all for it now. Recent research studies have shown that high intensity aerobic exercise over an hour leads to lesions on the heart wall and actually increases the risk of heart attack. This study, a compilation of years of studies, pretty much says we were designed to not run so hard over an hour. So the "healthy" aspect of many sports isn't so healthy. Same goes for getting your head beat in by boxing, your joints smashed in pro football and hockey, and having a ball thrown by your head at 100 mph. High level sports are not healthy. This is pure entertainment and athletes go to great risk to provide it, perhaps unwillingly. So as in all forms of entertainment, I don't care what they take. If Brad Pitt is a chain smoker (which he is), Angelina Jolie does coke, or Michael Phelps hits the bong so what. Im entertained, and thats all I expect to be.