LANCE ARMSTRONG: FROM HERO TO ZERO
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 25 Oct 2012
The legend in Lance Armstrong is now gone. He won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005. On October 22, 2012, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling?s world governing body, approved the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) verdict and confirmed both the lifetime ban and the removal of his Tour de France titles and other cycling crowns.
The agency did not declare that Armstrong ever failed one of the several tests, but his former teammates testified how they were able to evade tests and they seemed to know when the random drug tests will be conducted.
His reputation now is tarnished and the sponsors that gave him massive wealth have withdrawn their support. It is a classic breakdown of a cycling hero, very popular among millions worldwide, now declared as persona non-grata in the sport he loved so much.
"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," said the union's president, Pat McQuaid, announcing that Armstrong is also banned from the sport which gave him fame and fortune.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency declared that there is "overwhelming" evidence Armstrong was involved as a professional cyclist in "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program." Armstrong has persistently upheld his innocence on using performance-enhancing drugs.
The French Cycling Federation is demanding Armstrong to return 2.95 million euros, about $4 million, that he received as prizes for winning the tours. While the Texas insurance company in 2002 paid him $1.5 million; in 2003, $3 million; and in 2005, a $5 million bonus after winning it in a court battle plus $2.5 million attorney?s fees. Now they wanted as much as $12 million total amount back.
Giant sponsors Oakley, Nike, RadioShack and Anheuser-Busch withdrew their support but would continue supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which fights cancer through a program called Livestrong.
"We will not be deterred," Armstrong said at the organization's 15th anniversary celebration in Austin. "We will move forward."
Armstrong is a productive user of Twitter with nearly 3.8 million followers always updated with tweets about him. Before the UCI verdict, Armstrong's Twitter bio read: "Father of 5 amazing kids, 7-time Tour de France winner, full time cancer fighter, part time triathlete." It has been changed to: "Raising my five kids. Fighting Cancer. Swim, bike, run and golf whenever I can." The Tour de France titles had been deleted. His last tweet was on October 17, announcing that he was quitting as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-awareness charity.
At 16, Armstrong began competing as a triathlete and became a national sprint-course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990. In 1992, he started his career as a professional cyclist. In October 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had metastasized to his brain and lungs. His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery and extensive chemotherapy. The successful fight with cancer plus the cycling achievements were grand triumphs of the ?Armstrong era.? Now the splendid honor is gone.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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