I followed cycling longer and more avidly than I followed F1. It's been pretty clear to me that the overwhelming majority of cyclists through the last 30 years or so have been liberally using performance enhancing drugs. With the exception of the French that had been seemingly clear for over a decade now, which "coincidentally" had been their collective worst performances when compared to the rest of the field in the TDF...
That's then thing about this situation, it doesn't take away from the accomplishment of the riders IMO, the feat of getting through a TDF unscathed and at the top, are astronomical in the first place. But when you've got 200 guys that are all within a couple of % points in physical conditioning, even something that gains you .5% better delivery of oxygen to your muscles becomes the difference between wining and losing.
The thing with Lance is the arrogance and ease in which he denied any wrongdoing, even though all of the competitors around him got caught and even ex teammates all made the same types of claims. Every single high profile rider that was able to go toe to toe with Lance during their career was caught doping, yet Lance was clean.
He built the Livestrong foundation on a pile of lies and I think the price he's paying is justified. Harsh, but justified. Other Grand Tour winners have been stripped of their wins... why not him?
Absolutely!
