I usually don't talk about cycling or doping because they both bore me anymore, but I just got done watching stages 17-21 of the 1990 Tour De France and find myself really pissed off.
What I'm pissed off at are the morons who criticize and vilify Greg Lemond as some sort of washed up guy who's criticism of modern cycling and douchebag Armstrong is all sour grapes.
Lets establish something right off the bat.
Greg Lemond is the greatest American cyclist ever. Period.
He was World Champion as a junior and twice as a professional on the road.
He got the silver at the worlds an additional two times as a professional
He won the Tour three times, twice after being SHOT and still having pellets in the tissue around his heart. He also placed third in the tour and second in a tour that many feel he could have won.
He won the season long super prestige trophy in 1983 which was that era's equivalent of the Pro Tour title. He was second in the same series in 1986
He raced all season long in Europe AND the US, winning the Coors Classic a couple of times,the Tour DuPont and featuring in the spring and fall classic as well as the world championships.
And HE DID IT DOPE FREE
I'll even contend that if it weren't for EPO jacking up riders like Berzin, Chiapucci, Riis, Indurain, etc etc etc in the early 90's that Lemond may have an another couple of successful seasons and perhaps another tour win.
Now to address his criticisms of Armstrong and Landis, let's get right to the heart of the matter.
Landis doped.
If you want to make the argument that Armstrong didn't dope, I think you're retarded, but I'll agree that he never tested positive. Somehow he dominated Ulrich, Zuelle, Pantani and all the other admitted cheaters, but he never tested positive. All his former teammates, Hamilton, Heras, Landis, Vaughters, Andreau, Swart, etc etc etc all have either been busted and or admited cheating, but you're right he never tested positive. He dumped Landis' blood bag down the drain like some petulant child, but he indeed has passed every piss test. He went out of his way to badger, humiliate and cut short the careers of riders and support staff of spoke out against doping, but you're 100% correct he never tested positive.
Oh except for that one time with the cortisone, but that got all straightened out.
So at great personal loss....he lost his bicycle company...he had his personal laundry of child molestation outted....he's persona-non-grata in the professional cycling community.....at the great personal loss and without anything to gain, Lemond has spoken out AGAINST DOPING. He's called into question Armstrong antics, associations, and motivations. He's asked for more strict guidelines and testing procedures.
And along every step of the way his assertions, accusations, and ideas have all been proven to 100% absolutely CORRECT.
And he's the asshole ?!?!
If you don't support Lemond, if you don't see that he's trying to clean up the sport...the dying piece of shit that its become...then you're blind.
http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/rider_bio.asp?rider_id=23
http://bestoflemond.blogspot.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_LeMond
7 comments:
While I generally agree with the sentiment of your post, I will use this opportunity to bring up my beef with cyclinghalloffame.com
Look at the All-Time top 25 graph here:
http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/alltime25graph.asp
Armstrong is 7 spots ahead of LeMond. This is largely due to what I believe is a too-heavy weighting on the Grand Tours. Shake up the weightings a little, Merckx would still be on top, and the rest of the listing would make more sense.
cycling4all.com used to have some really interesting analysis and ranking systems, butWim van Rossum got disgusted with all the doping and shut down his site.
LeMond had more of influence getting guys like you and I into "bicycle" racing than Lance has.
There really hasn't been a "Lance "Era" boom.
With respect to your opinion, as well as the career of Greg LeMond, I offer two simple facts:
1. LeMond never achieved anything on the bike that someone else hasn't equalled or surpassed.
2. Neither LeMond or Armstrong ever tested positive.
>>>1. LeMond never achieved anything on the bike that someone else hasn't equalled or surpassed.
And Barry Bonds hit more home runs than Babe Ruth. Big deal.
>>>2. Neither LeMond or Armstrong ever tested positive.
Not even Lemond's worst enemies have tried to hang a drug charge around his neck. The dude's is obviously clean as a whistle.
But thanks for playing.
Nice post. I have to agree 100%. People cut on G.L. all the time saying he is an assh0le but I have heard the same from people who have been close to Lance and then some.
Both are talented but Greg is just masterful.
Do you think having one ball can shift the testosterone level enough to get away with some of the doping? I.E. You can dope to what looks like a normal level?
Thanks, nice post
Barry Bonds never tested positive.
Most of the dudes that raced for Gweiss Ballan never tested positive.
Most of the NFL never tests positive.
The observation that "X hasn't tested positive" is basically useless for making a point in a discussion of drugs in sport. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can get by doping controls.
Hell, even retarded professional cyclists can do it.
Thanks,
Burt
Post a Comment