Discovery disbands

[JohnO]

Again, did you read the Vrijman report? It is only a fair question since you are claiming that it exonerates Armstrong with regard to his six EPO positives from 1999. If you call me wrong because of the report, it would only be fair if you read it. So, did you read it?

I read it. It makes no attempt to either exonerate or convict LA. That wasn't the purpose of the Vrijman report. It's purpose was to investigate how supposedly confidential information became non confidential, and to establish the culpability of the organizations involved. Both LNDD and WADA got a drubbing for unprofessional behavior.

Vrijman did go so far as to point out that doping protocols were not followed, and the test used was not certified, therefore the results were not valid. Same thing that happens when a cop nails you for speeding when the radar gun he used was out of adjustment, and he writes the wrong information on the ticket.

Was LA doping in 99? Probably. So was 90% of the peloton, and that's being generous. At the time, he was being accused of doping while Mr. 60% got a free ride and a prime DS position. The #1 French doper escaped a suspension in 98 to ride for several more Tours, so he gets off. What about Big Mig? He was winning in the days of uncontrolled EPO, yet he gets a pass, too. He was never caught, but by the standards of proof around here, he was guilty as sin. He hasn't said a peep about doping, either.

You don't hate LA because he was doping. You hate him because he's a loud, boorish American who showed that a non Euro could whip their best. Doping is just a convenient excuse, and a hollow one, given the fact that the rest of the peloton was doing exactly the same.

 

[JoshuaBoy]

Brajkovič is negotiating with T-Mobile in Switzerland

''We were discussing contract until 2:00 a.m. We agree on the terms of the contract. The only problem is that Jani has contract with different sunglass manufacturer.We agreed on two years contract, which suited both sides, because Jani was first on the list of possible new riders for the team.'' Milan Eržen (Brajkovič's manager) told journalist.

''I'm very pleased, because I immediately felt that team managmet is excellent and that they really wanted me. Motivation is big, because I'm coming to the new team, which is almost full. They ensured me that I would be able to choose on which races I would race. I'm not feeling good, since I came from China. I'm preparing for the Vuelta on which I want to race well. I hope that contract will be signed soon, because I was really surprised about the news of Discovery disbands. When I was in Paris team managment ensured me that new sponsorship will be signed in a week's time. Dirk Demol told me a day ago the only problem was, that new sponsor wanted to be sure the team would compete on the Tour in the next season, but this condition couldn't be ensured by nobody '' Brajkovič told reporter.

Source - http://sportal.siol.net/default.asp?article_id=10091010708121337490

 

[Frigo's Luggage]

You don't hate LA because he was doping. You hate him because he's a loud, boorish American who showed that a non Euro could whip their best. Doping is just a convenient excuse, and a hollow one, given the fact that the rest of the peloton was doing exactly the same.

Partially correct. I hope my feelings toward Armstrong don't rise to the level of hate. No doubt I don't like the guy. You are correct that my animosity is not because he was doping. There are a whole bunch of guys that were doping that I still like and respect.

I first saw the guy race in a triathlon in about 1988. I thought he was phenomonally talented and his boorishness could be chalked up to youth. Still, I liked him and like his never say die attitude. I cheered for him in 1993 when he soloed to win the Stars and Stripes and in June of 1998 when he made his second comeback/farewell. I followed every second of the 1998 Veulta on cyclingnews and was thrilled when he survived the mountain stages without losing too much time. In 1999, I was screaming at my television when he bridged to Virenque's group on the climb to Sestreire and when he passed Olano in the TT.

Frankly, he turned me off when I read the ******** story about Actovegan. Anybody with half a brain and access to the internet could figure out that in 2000 it would be highly unlikely that anybody in the west would use Actovegan to treat diabetes. (Anybody on this board know anybody that uses Actovegan to treat diabetes?) He ****** me off when he told Basssons to shut-up and quit. He ****** me off when he chased Simeoni. His team ****** me off with their boorish self-contratulatory declarations that their success was due to their professionalism and Bruyneel's tactical genius. He pisses me off when he refuses to answer any questions about doping other than to call people like Swart, Andreu and O'Reilly names. He pisses me off when he attacks people that disagree with him and blames everything on the French (By the way, the Frech were correct about Iraq).

I'm glad he's gone.

 

[limerickman]

I read it. It makes no attempt to either exonerate or convict LA. That wasn't the purpose of the Vrijman report. It's purpose was to investigate how supposedly confidential information became non confidential, and to establish the culpability of the organizations involved. Both LNDD and WADA got a drubbing for unprofessional behavior.

Vrijman did go so far as to point out that doping protocols were not followed, and the test used was not certified, therefore the results were not valid. Same thing that happens when a cop nails you for speeding when the radar gun he used was out of adjustment, and he writes the wrong information on the ticket.

Was LA doping in 99? Probably. So was 90% of the peloton, and that's being generous. At the time, he was being accused of doping while Mr. 60% got a free ride and a prime DS position. The #1 French doper escaped a suspension in 98 to ride for several more Tours, so he gets off. What about Big Mig? He was winning in the days of uncontrolled EPO, yet he gets a pass, too. He was never caught, but by the standards of proof around here, he was guilty as sin. He hasn't said a peep about doping, either.

You don't hate LA because he was doping. You hate him because he's a loud, boorish American who showed that a non Euro could whip their best. Doping is just a convenient excuse, and a hollow one, given the fact that the rest of the peloton was doing exactly the same.

You raise some issues.

The view that the dispute over Armstrongs performances is based upon nationality, in my opinion, doesn't ring through.
Greg LeMond and Andy Hampsten were winning GT's, stage races, stage races
one day races, throughout the 1980's.
They're both American riders.
Greg LeMond managed to beat the man considered to be France great cyclist
and the second greatest rider of all time.
If there is a bias against American cyclists, as you seem to think there is,
these riders too would have fallen victim to the same bias, would they not ??

For sure Bjarne Riis doped in 1996.
He admitted that he doped in 2007.
This admission should be welcomed by all fans of the sport.
It is a step in the right direction.
I think if other winners of the TDF faced up to their cheating, and admitted their guilt that they too would be helping the sport.
Instead they and their supporters reiterate the same lies when the both the empirical and scientific evidence clearly shows they doped.
Their lies and the pretence of riding clean is what is killing this sport.
Look at their departire from the peloton - even with regaining the yellow jersey, they're unable to find a sponsor.
That says it all.

I don't recall a groundswell of support for Riis on this Forum prior to his admission.
When the accusation was raised, I cannot recall any member attempting to defend Riis.

 

[plectrum]

For sure Bjarne Riis doped in 1996.
He admitted that he doped in 2007.
This admission should be welcomed by all fans of the sport.
It is a step in the right direction.

It is a very small step and Riis should not be welcomed he is a hypocrite and a disgrace. Riis needs to stand up and out alot of people, he needs to make assurances that NO doping will occur under his directorship and if doping does his team will take legal action to recover all salaries given to an athlete under their contract ontop of this the legal team would seek damages against said athlete to cover any loss of earnings and potential damges done towards the teams and the sponsor's global image.

Riis had a chance to make a difference but again is just a wimp not prepared to stand up and be the beacon bearer.

LA has an even bigger opportunity, he could have easily lead a team into a drug free environment, he could have admitted that it is extremely difficult for a drug free team to compete or win but still managed to get full sponsorship. This would have been groundbreaking, sponsorship based on ethical standpoint rather than just victory .... but again what a *****.

The situation that we have makes me sick, I was at Montpellier this year for the TdF and today i was reviewing a pic of Rasmussen I took. Now I am a Rasmussen fan I loved his style and panache but in retrospect, tough **** Ras as at the end of the day you were just the same as everyone else a big cheat.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Frankly, he turned me off when I read the ******** story about Actovegan. Anybody with half a brain and access to the internet could figure out that in 2000 it would be highly unlikely that anybody in the west would use Actovegan to treat diabetes. (Anybody on this board know anybody that uses Actovegan to treat diabetes?) He ****** me off when he told Basssons to shut-up and quit. He ****** me off when he chased Simeoni. His team ****** me off with their boorish self-contratulatory declarations that their success was due to their professionalism and Bruyneel's tactical genius. He pisses me off when he refuses to answer any questions about doping other than to call people like Swart, Andreu and O'Reilly names. He pisses me off when he attacks people that disagree with him and blames everything on the French (By the way, the Frech were correct about Iraq).

Cyclevaughters: frankie – hey – thanks for talking the other day

FDREU: no problem, where are you

CV: back in CO

FA: nice, I just got home, isn’t it like 5am

CV: sometimes I think I’m going to go nuts
yeah
its 5am

FA: I agree, I came home and the air conditioning is broken

CV: ouch

FA: did your kid grow twice its size in the two weeks you were gone

CV: yeah, his feet look bigger for some [r]eason

FA: funny

CV: anyhow, i can never quite figure out why i don’t just play along with the lance crowd-i mean **** it would make my life easier, eh? its not like I never played with hotsauce, eh?
FA: I know, but in the end i don’t think it comes back to bite you
I play along, my wife does not, and Lance hates us both it’s a no win situation, you know how he is. Once you leave the team or do something wrong you forever banned

CV: i suppose-you know he tried to hire me back in 2001…he was nice to me…i just couldn’t deal with that world

FA: I did not know that
look at why everyone leaves, it’s way to controlling

CV: once I went to CA and saw that now [not] all the teams got 25 injections every day,I felt really guilty
hell, CA was ZERO

FA: you mean all the riders

CV: Credit Agricole

FA: it’s crazy

CV: So, I realized lance was full of **** when he’d said everyone was doing it.

FA: You may read stuff i say to radio or press, praising the Tour and lance but it’s just playing the game

CV: believe me, as crazy as it sounds-Moreau was on nothing. Het of 39%

FA: when in 2000-2001

CV: so, that’s when you start thinking…hell, Kevin was telling me that after 2000 Ullrich never raced over 42%-yeah moreau in 2000-2001
Anyhow-whtever

FA: After 1999, you know many things changed. lance did not
I believe that’s part of whey Kevin left, he was tired of the stuff

CV: funniest thing i ever heard-Johan and Lance dumped Floyd’s rest day blood refill down the toilet in front of him in last yrs tour to make him ride bad

FA: holy ****, I never heard that. that’s craz!!

CV: that’s from floyd
he rode this year with no extra blood

FA: I never knew
he did great also

CV: yeah, i could explain the whole way lance dupes everyone

FA: what about GH climbing the mountains better than azevado and the entire group

CV: from how floyd described it, i know exactly the metho[d]

FA: explain that, classics to climber
when did you talk with floyd

CV: i don’t know-I want trust George
but the thing is on that team, you think it’s
normal
or at least I did

FA: i guess. anything with blood is not normal

CV: yeah, its very complex how [to] avoid all the controls now, but it’s not any new drug or anything, just the resources and the planning to pull of a well devised plan
it’s why they all got dropped on stage 9-no refill yet-then on the rest day-boom 800ml of packed cells

FA: they have it mastered. good point.

CV: they draw the blood right after the dauphine

FA: how do they sneak it in, or keep it until needed i’m sure it’s not with the truck in the frig

CV: motorcycle-refrigerated panniers
on the rest day
floyd has a photo of the thing

FA: crazy! It’s just keep going to new levels

CV: yeah, it’s complicated, but with enough money you can do it

FA: they have enough money. Floyd was so ****** at the entire tour

CV: anyhow-i feel sorry for floyd and some of the other guys
why would lance keep doing the **** when he clearly has nothing to prove-it’s weird

FA: I know. me to. they all get ripped into for no reason
he’s done now, thank god. but they will prove next year or Johan’s sake that they are the greatest

CV: and then lance says “this guy and that guy are pussies”

FA: they won’t stop
i agree

CV: then i’ve got tiger one of my sponsors, and he loves to pick my mind…what do I say?

FA: You play dumb.
You can’t talk with them about this stuff
I would think they would freak

CV: yeah, that’s tough-i do, but its tough
maybe they should freak
what about dan osipow or louise? do they
know what’s up?

FA: I know, I get tired of hearing how great Lance is, what a super person etc. it’s crazy and it’s hard to not just tell people he is a cheat and asshole I think not. they just run the team. They are never allowed in a hotel or bus or anything

CV: every other team in the tour you could just walk right on to their bus and say hi
but disco won’t let dan on?
all right

FA: my kids are waking up, I gotta run. Let’s talk some more later

CV: i’ve had enough-I’m glad to be home-hopefully this won’t affect my team or my kids

FA: I agree

CV: that’s all I care about

FA: ciao

CV: see ya

 

[FriendlyFred]

Thank farking god they are shutting down....
_____________________________________________


I'm late to the party on this topic but I just had to respond to this.....

Yes, thank farking god that there's one less team, and now NO American team. Thank farking god that there will be even LESS interest in cycling / racing in America. Thank farking god that covereage of cycling on American TV probably will decrease. If we're all REALLY lucky, we won't be able to watch races at all and the Tour can return to one hour weekly John Tesh-a-thons on CBS at 2pm on a Sunday (if there's no golf). Yes...this certainly IS good news for everyone, isn't it. Oh happy happy days.

You know, WBT and Dr House.....if you hate the sport so much, just leave it alone and go do something else. Some of us love riding and love watching the pros race. I throughly love the three weeks of the TdeF. July is my favorite month...Wimbeldon followed by the Tour, what's not to like. I ride every dat at 5am so i can be sure to see the race. I'm fortunate enough to work at a place (a TV Sports Network) where I can watch at work (at my desk).

I'm so sick of people who can only rejoice in hate and more hate and the demolition of the sport. Yahoo...Discovery will be no more. It may be just wonderful to some of you, to me it's a sad, sad day.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Thank farking god they are shutting down....
_____________________________________________


I'm late to the party on this topic but I just had to respond to this.....

Yes, thank farking god that there's one less team, and now NO American team. Thank farking god that there will be even LESS interest in cycling / racing in America. Thank farking god that covereage of cycling on American TV probably will decrease. If we're all REALLY lucky, we won't be able to watch races at all and the Tour can return to one hour weekly John Tesh-a-thons on CBS at 2pm on a Sunday (if there's no golf). Yes...this certainly IS good news for everyone, isn't it. Oh happy happy days.

You know, WBT and Dr House.....if you hate the sport so much, just leave it alone and go do something else. Some of us love riding and love watching the pros race. I throughly love the three weeks of the TdeF. July is my favorite month...Wimbeldon followed by the Tour, what's not to like. I ride every dat at 5am so i can be sure to see the race. I'm fortunate enough to work at a place (a TV Sports Network) where I can watch at work (at my desk).

I'm so sick of people who can only rejoice in hate and more hate and the demolition of the sport. Yahoo...Discovery will be no more. It may be just wonderful to some of you, to me it's a sad, sad day.

Mate keep your hand off it..... get out of your mothers basement and get off the internet... you need to be reported....... so its ok to dope your nuts off win the Tour 29 times and the expense of other teams that play by the rules ? Then your favorite team drops out of the sport and leaves the mess for everyone else to clean up ? Its been a sad day for the last 10 years for a lot of French riders because your jackass mates have been injecting themselves with more gear than a racehorse...... what about them ? they don't matter ?

********.

 

[jsull14]

He ****** me off when he told Basssons to shut-up and quit. He ****** me off when he chased Simeoni. His team ****** me off with their boorish self-contratulatory declarations that their success was due to their professionalism and Bruyneel's tactical genius. He pisses me off when he refuses to answer any questions about doping other than to call people like Swart, Andreu and O'Reilly names. He pisses me off when he attacks people that disagree with him and blames everything on the French (By the way, the Frech were correct about Iraq).

I'm glad he's gone.

This kind of personal feeling about Lance is exactly why I would never believe anything to come out of some French lab. The people in France feel exactly the same way you do about Lance so who's to say one of the lab technicians wouldn't influence the results. In fact, I largely agree with these viewpoints. I am an American, I love America, but I don't think every American is cool. Lance is a cocky jerk and has been for a while, but that is not the point in this. Did he win seven tours legitamately or not is the question. Was Kobe Bryant being a good husband that night? No, but that was not the point either. I have heard a lot of "probablies" "assume" "little doubt" about Lance's doping but I need a lot more to go on before I can convict. I can use the same "probablies". If he needed EPO in 1999, he probably needed it in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 and therefore would have registered a lot more positive tests. To me, the biggest indictment of Lance was his own performance where he would do a full uphill sprint for 2K out of the saddle and never sit down.

By the way, we saved your French asses in WWII.

 

[wolfix]

Oh well...... With Discovery stepping aside the TDF can go back to the amateur status it held before Bruyneel and Armstrong made it look so easy.
I will miss seeing an American do their annual stroll around France every July. It's very scenic, even though as LA showed us, it's not very competitive.

 

[earth_dweller]

By the way, we saved your French asses in WWII.

here we go, the standard ignorant statement when someone can't come up with an intelligent comment.

 

[stevebaby]

By the way, we saved your French asses in WWII.

There were never more than 15 Allied divisions in Europe in WW2.
On the Russian Front there were more than 400 Russian and Wermacht divisions fighting. 88% of the Nazi military dead died on the Russian Front.
The Allies never faced more than 50% of the Japanese Army in Asia. The brunt of the fighting in Asia was borne by the Chinese. Take a look at a map of Asia and see just how little territory was captured by US forces compared to the British and Indian Armies.
Hollywood isn't history.
Disco is. Get over it.

 

[Frigo's Luggage]

This kind of personal feeling about Lance is exactly why I would never believe anything to come out of some French lab. The people in France feel exactly the same way you do about Lance so who's to say one of the lab technicians wouldn't influence the results. In fact, I largely agree with these viewpoints. I am an American, I love America, but I don't think every American is cool. Lance is a cocky jerk and has been for a while, but that is not the point in this. Did he win seven tours legitamately or not is the question. Was Kobe Bryant being a good husband that night? No, but that was not the point either. I have heard a lot of "probablies" "assume" "little doubt" about Lance's doping but I need a lot more to go on before I can convict. I can use the same "probablies". If he needed EPO in 1999, he probably needed it in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 and therefore would have registered a lot more positive tests. To me, the biggest indictment of Lance was his own performance where he would do a full uphill sprint for 2K out of the saddle and never sit down.

By the way, we saved your French asses in WWII.

Thanks for the French bashing. It really hurt my feelings. Tell me, do you call them French Fries or Freedom Fries?

Finally, you've explained your logic concerning the 7 Tour wins leading you to disbelieve the six positive EPO tests that Armstrong had in the 1999 Tour. As you may know, EPO became detectable after 1999. Your argument presumes that if Armstrong was a doper he would have continued taking EPO even after the EPO test was developed and he would have tested positive again. There are two problems with this argument. First, Armstrong could have switched methods after 1999 and began blood doping. Second, after the test came about, the riders quickly figured out that if they micro-dosed EPO there would not a positve test result. So, Armstrong could have avoided the EPO test by either micro-dosing or by blood doping, or both. So, the fact that he did not test positive after 1999 does not establish that the 1999 results were incorrect.

As for the conspiracy theory that somebody at the French lab spiked or manipulated the results because the French don't like Armstrong...Do you know if the people at the lab knew they were testing Armstrong's urine? Surely, they either new which **** was Armstrong's or they randomly spiked the urine and happened to get each of Armstrong's samples. The odds of the latter happening were calculated at one in 480. The former was impossible because the samples were only identified by code numbers and the lab didn't know the names of the riders corresponding to the code numbers. Of course, there is the possibilty that the lab technicians were able to smell hotsauce in the urine from all of the burritos Armstrong was eating. I'm sure the UCI is investigating this theory.

One of the things that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck was a press conferance Armstrong gave at a training camp late in his career. A reporter asked him if he doped or resorted to blood doping. Armstrong snarled and responder by saying something to the effect "look, I don't dope. They only thing in my veins is my own blood." He never answered the blood doping part of the question and he was so intimidating that the reporter didn't follow-up. I thought the reference to his own blood in his veins was very intriguing. Quite an unusual thing to say from somebody that must know what "blood doping" means. I know this is not proof. But its interesting.

Now about that Vrijman report that you claim exonerates Armstrong...did you read it?

Bonjour and mission accomplished.

 

[stevebaby]

Thank farking god they are shutting down....
_____________________________________________


I'm late to the party on this topic but I just had to respond to this.....

Yes, thank farking god that there's one less team, and now NO American team. Thank farking god that there will be even LESS interest in cycling / racing in America. Thank farking god that covereage of cycling on American TV probably will decrease. If we're all REALLY lucky, we won't be able to watch races at all and the Tour can return to one hour weekly John Tesh-a-thons on CBS at 2pm on a Sunday (if there's no golf). Yes...this certainly IS good news for everyone, isn't it. Oh happy happy days.

You know, WBT and Dr House.....if you hate the sport so much, just leave it alone and go do something else. Some of us love riding and love watching the pros race. I throughly love the three weeks of the TdeF. July is my favorite month...Wimbeldon followed by the Tour, what's not to like. I ride every dat at 5am so i can be sure to see the race. I'm fortunate enough to work at a place (a TV Sports Network) where I can watch at work (at my desk).

I'm so sick of people who can only rejoice in hate and more hate and the demolition of the sport. Yahoo...Discovery will be no more. It may be just wonderful to some of you, to me it's a sad, sad day.

Go tell Oprah.

 

[Rhubarb]

We can blab on here and point fingers until the cows come home. But who really gives a f*$k?

At the end of the day cycling is approximately $15,000,000 USD a year less well off, and no matter which way you spin it, that is not a good result.

 

[stevebaby]

Put your hand in a bucket of water. Then take it out.
Thats the space that Disco will leave.

They had to get out before dirty bertie snitched again...

 

[fbircher]

....... so its ok to dope your nuts off win the Tour 29 times and the expense of other teams that play by the rules ? ........

There were over 100 cyclists in the pro peleton doping with a SINGLE doctor. There were other doctors providing dope to other pros. Poulidor has linked reports showing that upwards of 25% of blood samples from the pros show evidence that could be linked to doping. The sad truth is that a large percentage of other teams were most certainly NOT "playing by the rules." Sure, I believe LA and others on Disco were doping, but so were a hefty percentage of the guys they were competing against. The disproportionate criticism and obsessive focus on one team and one guy is misplaced.

 

[Cobblestones]

Well, there's doping and there's DOPING. It's with most other things in life, you get what you pay for. Some riders are likely on their own, they have to buy their own stuff, try to estimate their dosage, they won't achieve really great results with their PEDs. Then there's team-supervised doping, the team doctor is on board, everything is controlled and checked, the logistic for some more difficult procedures (blood doping) is in place. Those riders will achieve good results with their PEDs. And then there's specialized doctors (Ferrari) which make a living from 'advising' training methods to the big spenders. Whatever goes on there, I don't know, but for sure pros pay quite a lot and it seems to be worth every penny. So, when someone says 'the whole peleton dopes', this doesn't mean that everyone gets the same juice. And I'm not even talking about that different riders improve more or less from the same PEDs. So, no, 'everyone dopes' doesn't make a level playing field.

 

[fbircher]

Well, there's doping and there's DOPING. It's with most other things in life, you get what you pay for. Some riders are likely on their own, they have to buy their own stuff, try to estimate their dosage, they won't achieve really great results with their PEDs. Then there's team-supervised doping, the team doctor is on board, everything is controlled and checked, the logistic for some more difficult procedures (blood doping) is in place. Those riders will achieve good results with their PEDs. And then there's specialized doctors (Ferrari) which make a living from 'advising' training methods to the big spenders. Whatever goes on there, I don't know, but for sure pros pay quite a lot and it seems to be worth every penny. So, when someone says 'the whole peleton dopes', this doesn't mean that everyone gets the same juice. And I'm not even talking about that different riders improve more or less from the same PEDs. So, no, 'everyone dopes' doesn't make a level playing field.

If this was in response to my post above, I never claimed it was a level playing field (in the post above or in any other post I've ever put on this forum). If we're going to critisize doping, there are (at least) two dimesions to consider as the basis of our criticism: (a) The pure lack of ethics associated with cheating, and (b) The unfair competitive advantage gained by cheating. From a purely ethical standpoint, cheating is cheating, and there is no distinction to be made between Disco/LA and any of the other 100+ cheaters in the pro peleton. Ullrich was not a more ethical competitor because he only doped with one blood bag at a time instead of two. From a practical advatage standpoint, I completely agree that some will benefit more than others, but I disagree that we can authoritatively conclude who the main beneficiaries are. That's what sucks about modern doping - it has a huge impact on results, and we will NEVER KNOW who would have won if only legitimate sportsmanship factors were involved. People can speculate all they want - we will NEVER KNOW in any scientifically sound sense what the results would have been if everyone had been playing by the rules.

Even a cursory consideration of (a) and (b) above leads to the conclusion that in an environment with a huge percentage of the pack cheating in ways we don't even fully understand, it makes no sense whatsoever to pick one single guy out of this mess and hold him up as the singular personification of all that is evil about modern doping and cycling today.

 

[Cobblestones]

You are of course right, a cheat is a cheat, no matter if he dabbles with T-patches or takes the $100.000 experimental drug. LA is singled out not because his doping was worse than other's (in fact, I wouldn't even know, and I don't know if anyone else has a definite answer to that). He's of course singled out because he was by far the most successful athlete during this time. Of course people go after the #1 (seven times!) not some schmuck at #58. It's human nature. I don't think many people see it as personal even (I don't), but when you're the #1 seven times, you make yourself the target no matter what. If LA had only won twice, JU two more, Basso and Kloeden maybe one, and some other schmuck the last one of the seven, we wouldn't talk about LA so much. It just seems that he profited most from whatever he did, so he'll be the guy we discuss. Get over it. We don't single him out, he did it himself when he won the 7 TdFs in a row.

ETA: and let me also say a few things about Disco, the sponsor. I don't understand the hate. Discovery Channel's signature shows right now are AFAIK 'Mythbuster', 'Dirty Jobs', and 'Surviverman'. The first is a show about two dudes and a few sidekicks who blow up stuff. The second is about a guy shoveling manure. The third is about another guy eating grubs and seal blubber. Those are fine shows if you want to connect with your inner dork, but there's nothing inherently 'evil' about it (the shows aren't sponsored by Nike, Dr.House?) So why the hate? I think it's a pity that a lot of sponsor money left the sport. There's nothing else to say.