What the hell is LeMond’s beef with Armstrong? (here)
Wasn’t LeMond one of the main guys always attacking Armstrong saying he was 100% sure he was doping?
Now Lance wants to comeback and prove he can win without any suspision of drugs and LeMond is still on his case even going as far as harassing him during a press conference and commenting on how bad this is for cycling.
What is his problem? Has he made it his personal mission to attack this guy for the rest of his life?
Wikipedia, and probably ESPN and many other outlets, have summed it up in some depth. The root of it, apparently, is LeMond’s criticism of Armstrong for hanging around with Michele Ferrari, an Italian doctor and cycling coach who’s long been associated with doping.
Because before Armstrong became GOD, Greg LeMond was the only American to ever win the Tour De France. I’d imagine he’s a little pissed that he used to be the top dog and now it’s “Greg who?”
Greg Lemond is an extremely erratic guy, to the extent where he is difficult to take seriously nowadays. Great, great athlete but not a credible voice within cycling as of 2008.
It’s a shame, because he is spot on in his assessment of Armstrong’s return. This year’s tour was a glimpse of what the hardest race on earth looks like when ridden by humans, with their own blood in their veins. Lance is an icon of the tour at its dirtiest, regardless of what you think about the legitmacy of his own performances. It will be a highly retrograde step to have him on the starting line in 2009.
I’m a little confused here, Busy Scissors. You’re saying that even if Lance Armstrong didn’t dope, he’s somehow the icon of the its evils? That even if he honestly won over naked cheaters, he is somehow guilty by association?
And now there’s this story. Cyclists seem to be among the most selfish prima donnas around. They’re worse than figure skaters.
There has been a big push to clean up the sport. Many teams are apparently serious about it. Sponsors have disappeared . The salaries will drop. The respect of cyclists is at an alltime low. It has a long way to come back. Armstrong is not the personality that makes you think ,Ah a clean biker. He is suspect and will not elevate the sport.