Wow! I believed the same after reading Lance's books, but then I read "From Lance to Landis" by David Walsh and you find out it is more complex than "seven is more than three".

Jan Ulrich never tested positive either and his manager just admitted to organizing a complex doping program the years he finished second to Lance in the Tour. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pevenage-confesses-to-operacion-puerto-involvement-1

As a cycling fan I held hope that Lance didn't dope, but from a purely physiological basis to beat someone else who is doping is beyond human capabilities. Everyone who shared the podium with Lance during his wins has admitted to doping. Even former teammates have admitted to using blood doping products.

A good primer on comparative power outputs from this years tour compared to the "doping years" can be found here: http://www.sportsscientists.com/

How is this possible, for a clean rider to beat doping riders when transfusions and doping products increase power output and recovery, two very important factors in winning a 3 week bike race? That is the truth I want to hear.

How can it be possible that Lance and Ulrich rode the same climbs used in this year's TDF 10 minutes faster than Contador and Schleck (who were giving it their best)? Ulrich has an excuse, he's admitted he was doping.

By the way, Lance did fail a drug test, and then was given a post-dated medical exemption after not declaring using a cream for saddle sores that had a banned product...It's in David Walsh's book.

I meant to type "pre-dated" medical exemption for the cream.

lance was "surprised by the dope police" prior to the tour this year and went to take a one hour shower while his coach confirmed the persons idenity. more than enough time to take the masking agents. he also twittered "thanks for heads up on comming by".major league baseball does not announce drug tests they only call the day before to ask for a parking pass. too much money to have the big guns caught and blow up there respective sports. ask Dick pound at UCI

Come on Brian,

Your coup de grace was a steroidal cream for Lance's nads? Steroids are not generally used by cyclists anyway. They make you bulk up.

Interesting conclusions in the article. France, Belgium and Spain want Lance’s head on a platter? Who in these countries want Lance's head? The government? The sports federation? What do they have to do with a US Federal Investigation and/or USADA? What they now control these federal organisations? They made one phone call to the Feds and said “Hi we don’t like Americans winning sport in Europe so can you take Armstrong down with some bogus drug charge?” - yeah right. You really have to do better resort to nationalism and its “those nasty indifferent Euros against our Lance” to make your argument – now that’s what I would consider circumstantial at best!

There are some very serious allegations on the table. Its not just about doping. Its about money laundering, misappropriation of government funds, bribing sports officials, drug trafficking, drug using, coercing and commercial fraud. I’m sure you wouldn’t appreciate riders from say Belgium, Spain and France coming to the US and setting up vast drug and payment networks along with sophisticated and dangerous blood labs.

If this is the sport and world you want our children to enter then lets just say that. But I for one would want to know that if these allegations are true and that they will be investigated.

As much as "Its not about the bike" glorifies and tells a wonderful story we have to be reasonable from everything we know today through various accounts of riders, the national federations and the even the UCI that “never tested positive” doesn’t actually mean “never used performance enhancing drugs”. It may not be the truth you can handle but it doesn’t mean its not the truth.

Everyone in the world of cycling knows that Lance doped. It's common knowledge. It's just a matter of who is going to step up and tell the truth knowing he'll have turned his back on all his buddies.

Why don't we just put all these cyclists in front of a grand jury and see who wants to perjure themselves like Clemens? Let's put them under oath and then, we'll hear the truth.

I think it's really disturbing how much of this doping case against Lance Armstrong is based on disgraced cyclists like Landis and Hamilton. Those guys will always be remembered for their doping and the only way they can make themselves feel better is if they can say, "Well at least we didn't lie like Armstrong lied. He's the real cheat".

Maybe Armstrong is guilty of doping. If he is, then he should be ridiculed, tied to the back of a bike naked and dragged through the mud. But until I see some solid, scientific evidence, I will continue to support him as the awesome cyclist and athlete he is.

@ Emily

Scientific Evidence? Right here:

"So there is no doubt in my mind he (Lance Armstrong) took EPO during the '99 Tour."

http://velocitynation.com/content/interviews/2009/michael-ashenden

Who is this guy? He sites on the UCI Bio Passport committee.

and

Armstrong suspicious blood values

One of Denmark's leading blood researchers believes that Lance Armstrong's blood values from the Tour de France looks suspicious and indicate blood doping

Lance Armstrong impressed in his Tour de France comeback this year with a third place. But maybe it was not surprising for one of Denmark's leading blood researchers, James Dark Mountain from Bispebjerg Hospital, has looked at American's blood values over and they can indicate the use of blood doping"

Both the number of red blood cells, hematocrit and hemoglobin were essentially the same on the first day and last day of Tour'en, which is quite unusual.

Furthermore, increased hematocrit value during 11th-14th July, representing the middle of Tour'en, 40.7 to 43.1, which is also strange, does Dark Mountain.

Can also be caused by diarrhea 


- What we know from our research is that the hard work as a Tour de France will see a marked decrease of these blood values, and it seems we are not in Lance Armstrong, he says to DR, and suggests that there may be due blood transfusions.

- This does not mean that he has received it, but it could be one explanation, he says, but insists that another reason may be diarrhea or dehydration.

- But the picture the contradiction that we would normally see. Lance Armstrong's values are unchanged from the first to the last sample, and would normally expect a decline. This fall also sees the cyclists values during the Giro d'Italia a few months before, but not so during the Tour de France.

Scientific Evidence?

Or maybe he had the craps.

The craps? Perhaps. Perhaps not. And the 1999 EPO samples? Spiked with crap? There's the science. It is what it is. Science.

John,

The steroid cream should have been declared at the medical check-in, it wasn't. He only stated he had a legitimate use after the positive test, and the team doctor was able to produce that information after the positive test.

I've never run a doping program, so I don't know why a cyclist would use a steroid.

Please, you guys are wearing out my bingo card!

http://gallery.myff.org/gallery/847462/LA-BINGO.jpg

Seriously, can you even believe this drivel you're writing?