The Lance Show

Yes, I was one of the millions of viewers who watched (part 1 of 2) Oprah grill Lance Armstrong about his drug use, his culture of blatant denial, and his viciousness towards those who sought to tell the truth. Before I ran, I rode a bike, and that was in large part due to the inspiration I gained from Lance and US Postal. To me, he made road riding cool. He was a fierce competitor  – winning his only goal. Watch this old clip to prove the point, as he dusts German Andreas Kloden in the final meters of a race that Kloden would have won if Lance didn’t go for it (start 2 minutes in). He made the Tour de France interesting for me, and thousands of other wanna-bes…just ask North American bike companies and road race directors who saw sales surge during those seven years. Let’s be honest, drugs or no drugs – you don’t win 7 tours without ability, desire, good luck, serious conditioning, and an incredible team. He wasn’t the only one on the juice and he still rose to the top. It has been said that his doping program was the best and even amongst cheaters, it wasn’t an equal playing field.

Part one of the Oprah interview was interesting. Of course Lance is going to tell the truth – it’s already out there in the USADA decision. He gains nothing from lying about what USADA already knows, and for any questions that may relate to a potential lawsuit from those he steamrolled in the past – he showed last night that he is not ready to directly answer in a way that would imply complicity. I think that for me, and other Lance fans, it was cathartic in a way to at least hear him finally begin to own up to cheating and lying. It was very strange though, watching a fallen hero speaking candidly about something he fought off for so long.

On January 12^th Canadian Running Magazine made a Facebook post about Lance appearing on Oprah to admit to doping and then asked if he should be forgiven. Comments ranged from flat-out “No”, to “Arrogant lying bully” and “forgiven? You can’t be serious”. Others felt that “he was a cheater amongst cheaters” and “you can forgive, but there still must be consequences for your actions”. I found it interesting to read the comments, as this is a very polarized subject…kind of reminds me of politics.

I was a huge Lance fan. I didn’t want to believe he doped during those years when he was winning, and the allegations were flying. It was part of his magical survivor story. It brought me hope, inspiration, and sometimes even the courage to get on a bike and ride when I didn’t necessarily want to. Back then, I took inspiration from Lance and used him for my own motivational purposes. He did all the work, and I reaped the reward in having a cycling hero. Lance’s fall has invariably damaged Pro Cycling, but also Livestrong, as this recent NY Times article describes how closely Armstrong and the charity were intertwined, and how he benefited financially from the relationship. Business dealings aside – as a close relative of a cancer survivor I know what hope and courage can do for someone dealing with the frightening disease – and Livestrong (amongst many other things) provided both of those, which to me you cannot put a price on.

The USADA has made it clear to all that Lance cheated, and did so for many years. Along the way he intimidated and bullied those who wanted to tell the truth. To many he was an arrogant jerk and an ego-maniac who believed he was untouchable. He is now on a quest for redemption and forgiveness – from those he hurt, and the public he disappointed. As mentioned earlier, many feel that his current lifetime ban in elite sports should not be modified and that he deserves this punishment. I can’t help but wonder though; even people who commit serious crimes are considered for parole, so why should Lance face a lifetime ban for what he did? I don’t condone cheating, and I was saddened by the USADA findings; however, in the court of public opinion, if Lance hadn’t been such a jerk, would he be having an easier time of it now? Don’t believe me, just look at ultra-nice guy Hincapie flying under the radar.