RadioShack

Tour de France 2011 Goes on Without Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong will not be competing with in the 2011 Tour de France, which is sure to disappoint his many fans.

In the United States, the Tour de France will not be as heavily discussed or covered with Armstrong sitting at home and no American representing a legitimate threat to win the Tour.

Armstrong is the greatest rider of our era—there is no doubt about that—and even if he is the center of a doping scandal, he will still be remembered for his incredible comeback.

The Tour de France is not lacking stars as Alberto Contador is going for his third straight victory at the Tour de France, and international coverage of the Tour will not falter without Armstrong in the event.

However, there will not be nearly as many Americans tuning their televisions to Versus or NBC at 7:00 AM EST to get their Tour de France fix.  People were waking up early and turning their televisions on to watch Lance Armstrong capture the hearts of the American people.

He is no doubt an American icon and while the Tour de France will go on, Americans will miss seeing Armstrong race every July.  He won seven Tour de Frances, a record that is unmatched by any other rider, and a record that may remain that way for a long time.

For those that still plan on watching the Tour de France, Armstrong is planning on making an appearance this year, but as a spectator.  

According to Cycling News, Armstrong will host a RadioShack party in Paris and attend the final stage.

For all cycling news, analysis and updates be sure and check out Bleacher Report's Cycling Center.

By now many of have either seen, heard or read about Tyler Hamilton's interview with 60 Minutes.  You know the one where he says that not only Lance Armstrong was using performance-enhancing drugs (as well as blood doping), but everyone in the sport was doing something of a similar nature.

Now, I've always had the mindset that you are innocent until proven guilty. 

Though there have been several accusations against Armstrong from former teammates like Hamilton and Floyd Landis, Armstrong has yet to fail a drug test.

Does that mean he's clean? 

No, it certainly does not, but at the same time I'm not going to join the witch-hunt against the man based on he-said she-said arguments.

However, I'm going to play devil's advocate here.  For a moment let's say Lance Armstrong did use some sort of performance-enhancer—it doesn't really matter which one.  At the same time let's take Hamilton's word that everyone in the sport was/is using some sort of PED.

If that's the case is it really cheating?

After all if Armstrong wants to stay competitive he'd have to use similar cocktails as the other cyclists.

In a sport where everyone is dirty it doesn't pay the bills to be clean.

I'm not trying to say using these drugs is right, after all many of them can cause heart, liver and kidney failure, but at the same time we all make choices in life that can do us harm.

We justify these choices by weighing the risk vs. the reward.

In an allegedly dirty sport such as cycling, each athlete must weigh the risk vs. the reward when it comes to using PEDs.

If Armstrong did indeed use drugs, then to him the reward was far greater than the risks.

After all, look what he has accomplished.

He's the only cyclist to win seven consecutive Tour de Frances (that he's competed in).  He's become a multi-millionaire thanks to Nike, and most importantly, he's raised millions of dollars for cancer research.

That last part (and the fact that everyone dopes in cycling) is why I won't join any such witch-hunt against Armstrong.

If he doped or didn't, the fact that he came back from cancer and won allowed him to sell so many of those yellow rubber "Live Strong" bracelets and secure millions of dollars for cancer research.

It's a case where I feel the ends justify the means.

After all, would anyone want to buy a bracelet from a guy who survived cancer, got back on his bike and got his butt spanked in a race, then retired and became a used car salesman?

I highly doubt it.

I may seem hypocritical on the subject, but in the end, Armstrong didn't hurt anyone.  If the sport is as dirty as guys like Hamilton and Landis claim, then Lance had no real advantage.

Lance Armstrong today ruled a line under his international cycling career—again—as the UCI Tour Down Under came to its conclusion around the streets of Adelaide in South Australia.

The TDU was the race that Armstrong chose to re-launch his career with Astana in 2009 and in October of 2010 he announced that he would finish his international racing days at the 2011 TDU. While he wasn’t able to go out in a blaze of glory—he finished 65th but the TDU is a race mainly for sprinters—his presence still casts a very large shadow over any race in which he competes.

The 2011 TDU, the inaugural race of the new World Tour, was again dominated by bunch sprints into the finish, with the exception of stage four which Garmin-Cervelo’s Cameron Meyer survived in a breakaway to set up a 10-second lead that was enough to deliver him the race victory.

The final stage through the Adelaide parklands could have seen any number of riders take out the race, with the most likely being early race leader, HTC-Highroad’s Matt Goss.

The pressure ratcheted up as Goss secured time bonuses in the first intermediate sprint, with the Manx Missile Mark Cavendish acting as an unlikely lead out man, but the team completely bungled the second intermediate sprint and Goss then needed to take first or second on the stage to win the race.

Fortunately for Meyer—and unfortunately for Goss—Team Sky had other ideas and took out the final stage with a one-two for Ben Swift and Greg Henderson leaving Goss to secure third place and falling an agonizing two-seconds short of the race victory.

The Jersey’s went to Cameron Meyer—Garmin Cervelo (Ochre – race winner), Matt Goss—HTC Highroad (Points), Luke Roberts (King of the Mountain) and Movistar took out the team victory.

This year, however, the race has to share the limelight with an individual.

Armstrong’s farewell has seemingly captured as many headlines as the race itself and there is no doubt that Adelaide (my home town) has a bit of a love affair with the cycling legend.

Indeed, on the final podium today Armstrong took centre stage, while stalwarts of Australian cycling such as Robbie McEwen and Stuart O’Grady—themselves saying farewell to the TDU and names of some significance in world cycling—get only a passing mention.

Armstrong’s presence at the TDU has provided a boost to what was an already a very successful event—becoming the first race outside of Europe to gain Pro Tour status in 2008 but Armstrong, as he does wherever he goes, brought media attention and global exposure that money can’t buy.

Quite apart from his cycling, Armstrong has gone out of his way to engage with the South Australian and broader Australian community. In the wake of the recent devastating Queensland floods, Armstrong made a personal donation of $50k to the Premier’s Flood Relief Fund and then organized what has become known as a Twitter ride, giving fans the opportunity to ride with him and other leading cyclists to raise even more money.

Now that the TDU has finished, he is flying to Queensland to organize yet another fund raising ride. The Livestrong Foundation is also supporting a new cancer research facility at the Flinders Medical Centre and the man himself spends the time to visit with cancer patients, providing the personal message of hope that only a survivor can bring.

Armstrong will finish his cycling career at the Tour of California in May this year, but his international career is now over, this time for good.

He has left an indelible mark on the sport of cycling and while not everyone agrees about the quality of that mark—questions about use of performance enhancing drugs simply will not go away—his World Championship and seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France mean that he has secured a chapter of his own in the records book.

He will be missed—in Adelaide at the very least.

In what has been a disappointing race for the American legend, Lance Armstrong had one of his strongest stages on Tuesday when he led a breakaway in the 16th stage from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Pau.

The stage is one of the toughest in the competition, including four climbs through the Pyrenees mountains.

While Armstrong ended in a disappointing sixth place in the stage, he still gained raucous applause from the local crowds for his strong effort.

Leading on Breakways

Armstrong led two breakaways during the stage. In the first attempt, he broke away from the Peloton on his own, but was quickly caught. His second breakaway came alongside fellow American Chris Horner.

On both attempts, Armstrong was able to fly past the two overall leaders Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck.

Armstrong had a strong chance to win the stage, the closest he's come all competition, but the 38-year-old's legs seemed to have given up when it came time for the final sprint.

The final sprint was ultimately won by Pierrick Fedrigo, who was able to fly by Sandy Casar and Ruben Plazas in the last meters of the race. 

Plagued by Bad Fortune

Armstrong's last Tour de France has been plagued by bad fortune.

He was part of the high profile crashes that affected many of the top riders in the initial stages of the Tour.

Armstrong also had an untimely flat tire in the cobblestone that distanced him even further from the top contenders of the race.

Plagued by The Future

Armstrong has been facing a lot of pressure compared to many of the riders. He has a record and reputation to defend and is facing himself as his biggest rival.

It is unlikely that anyone will ever beat the records amassed by Armstrong in this race.

Armstrong also comes into the race with the cloud of Floyd Landis above him. As little credibility as Landis has in the racing world, he has not been the only one to question the dominance of the American cyclist.

After the race is over, Armstrong will have to face a federal investigation instigated by Landis' allegations.

Finding a Final Inspiration

With a break coming tomorrow before the final stages leading into Paris, this was one of the prime moments for the 38-year-old to make a run and earn a spot on the podium, even if it's just for winning a stage.

The American will face accolades from the fans, especially after the effort he made today.

He'll make sure to take advantage of the break tomorrow as his beaten body recovers from today's stage.

Armstrong has stated that all the pressure, created by his past or by the allegations made by Landis, have only fueled him in his final race.

Could Armstrong have one more final run in the last stages like he did today?

If so, Armstrong could one again find himself stealing the spotlight of the cycling world from Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck.

Not with a bang, but with a whimper. That is how Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France career is destined to come to a close thanks to a litany of challenges and mishaps that have destroyed his chances for that one final victory.

The idea of a comeback after four years of sitting around eating burgers and drinking beer was going to be a difficult task. Yet against all odds and even despite a fierce battle with then-teammate Alberto Contador, Armstrong pulled it off in 2009 with an unexpected podium finish.

Most pundits would suggest that Armstrong overachieved in 2009, particularly given that he was stuck in the middle of the divided and dysfunctional team Astana, and in open warfare with his team leader, Contador.

Armstrong was blessed with incredible luck during his record-breaking run of Tour victories, good fortune that would continue through 2009. He was even the recipient of the odd episode of individual sportsmanship, such as when Jan Ullrich waited for him when he was pulled off his bike by a spectator’s bag when climbing the hors categorie (beyond categorisation, i.e. really steep!) Luz Ardiden in 2003.

2010 has seen Armstrong’s luck evaporate. He has started out under intense scrutiny, thanks to Floyd Landis’ scatter-gun accusations of doping and the rumours of a US Anti-Doping Agency probe. Despite that he started the race in good form and singular focus, it lasted only one stage.

Silly falls on stage two, a badly timed puncture on stage three, and numerous more silly falls on stage eight—immediately before some massive climbs—have combined to make his obstacles to the title almost insurmountable.

Down by over 13 minutes against a field of this quality is too much and would require a Landis like recovery—and we all know how that happened and how it turned out. It is even too big a task for what, on paper, appears to be one of the strongest teams in this year’s Tour.

Armstrong looked like a beaten man by the end of the climb to Morzine-Avoriaz. Obviously in pain, he even sounded resigned to the fact that his story was not going to get the fairy tale ending that many—himself included—had hoped for.

It was interesting to see that the truce that was called on stage two, when Andy Schleck had a heavy fall, was not repeated when Armstrong had gone down. Maybe it was because Cancellara was even further back than Armstrong, but the sympathy at the front was certainly not there.

The leaders attacked when Armstrong was most vulnerable, showing a ruthlessness borne out of a desire to beat the best. In a sport with a kill-or-be-killed ethos, it doesn’t pay to be the wounded beast.

But Armstrong’s return was never about winning more Tour yellow jerseys. Its not that he wasn’t out there to win—you just can’t kill off that competitive spirit—but there were bigger ideals in play.

Armstrong’s return to cycling was always about providing a vehicle to promote his Livestrong foundation and to inspire people living with cancer.

No matter what you might think of him as a person or even as a cyclist, there can be no doubting that Livestrong is a noble cause. His return to cycling has taken it to an even bigger audience.

The way that Armstrong approaches the rest of the Tour will help shape, in part, his legacy. Tackling the gruelling ride that is the Tour de France is difficult enough at the best of times. Facing the next two weeks, knowing that he has no chance of even a podium finish, will provide a serious test of his commitment.

It is difficult to imagine that Armstrong will fade into the background of champions past, but whether he will turn himself into a faithful domestique in support of RadioShack’s best placed rider, Levi Leipheimer, is another matter. For the man to live up to the myth, he has little choice but to finish with dignity.

It will be very surprising if he doesn’t. He's already proven that being a quitter is not in his character.

Floyd Landis, by his own admission, is a liar and a cheat. He was caught out in one of the most brazen and poorly thought through doping attempts in the history of professional cycling.

He spent four years stridently denying any wrongdoing, spending a small fortune defending indefensible claims. He unfairly criticized the testing laboratory, the people doing the testing, the UCI, and anyone else who dared speak out against him. He accused cycling officials of being corrupt and everyone else of being incompetent. Never did he attempt any form of introspection.

He had a band of fervent followers, possessed of a disciple like devotion to the complex web of fiction that Landis had built around the doping incident. He wrote a book, “Positively False”, which has left libraries the world over with the rather awkward problem of finding space on the fiction shelves.

But now we are supposed to believe that his conscience has got the better of him and that he wants to make amends for his wrongdoings, by exposing all of the terrible things and terrible people that made him do what he did.

In other words, it’s payback time.

Landis has spared no-one, but principle amongst those in his sights is the man that the whole cycling world has been after for the best part of a decade—Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong has one of the most compelling stories in sport. His battle with cancer, his near death experience, and his recovery to dominate cycling’s toughest test has an almost fairy tale quality. The only problem is that while everyone loves a fairy tale, no-one really believes them.

Armstrong has been one of the most targeted athletes in the history of cycling. There is an almost universal belief that he must have been on the juice at some point, and that he’s just been too clever to get caught.

Now the authorities have another opportunity to probe Armstrong and they have an excuse to do it at a time when he has to have his focus elsewhere. He is now reportedly at the centre of a federal investigation in the US and the International Cycling Union (UCI) has come out and unnecessarily stated that he will get no special treatment from them.

What is most galling about this renewed investigation is not that it’s going ahead. If there is credible new evidence then it must be followed through. The problem is that Landis’ shotgun approach of blaming everyone who has ever slighted him is being taken seriously.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has taken the word of a pathological liar and is trying to build a case around that evidence. Even if they succeed in building a case, Landis has to be the least credible witness in history, how could they possible convict on the back of that.

Armstrong's lawyer has strenuously denied that any investigation is underway, however the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has confirmed that they are assisting the USADA probe.

Either way, Landis wins. If USADA manage to build a case that is strong enough to impeach Armstrong, Landis is vindicated and has gone some way to redeeming himself (in some circles at least). If USADA cannot make its case, then Landis has managed to overshadow Armstrong’s swansong.

USADA has given oxygen to a man who deserves none. Landis should be ignored and his ramblings be treated with the contempt that they deserve.  To give any credence to his claims is to ignore everything that he has done and is tantamount to absolution and Floyd Landis is not worthy of that.