If For No Other Reason, This is Why You Should Respect Lance Armstrong
Okay, so he might have had a very large ego and took drugs along with pretty much all his competitors….but I still say all the good things Lance Armstrong did for cycling and cancer patients is more than enough to warrant respect.
This is one of those topics where most people seem to have a definite opinion one way or the other. You probably either love or hate Lance and all he stands for.
I’m not going to put together a long winded post loaded about why I feel Lance should be respected. There are a lot of reason, but for now I’m simply going to tell you about a guy I saw cycling a few years back while on one of my LiveSTRONG Challenge rides.
There are countless cancer survivors who take part in the challenge each year, and every single one of them is incredible. But there was one cyclist who left my jaw hanging, and I’m pretty sure it’s still laying on the backroads of Austin.
He had one leg. Nope, not even a prosthetic. He was on his road bike and pedaled all 100 miles by cranking that one leg around and around. I may be wrong, but as I looked at this guy my thoughts went to Lance Armstrong and how something he created provided the motivation for the impossible to happen.
Knowing that Lance’s actions were at least in some way responsible for what this one legged cyclist achieved is enough for me all on its own. Get over the doping, scandal, and all the rest. Respect this cycling champion and cancer kicking warrior for what he has done for humanity.
I respect him because he confessed. He could have continue to deny his wrongdoings or challenge the sports arbitration court and you never know he might have even fight if off with the way he was getting away doping. Nonetheless, I respect him because he admitted his mistake like a normal human being and regardless of the hate he is receiving because of his mistakes he still is moving forward. The fact that he hasn’t crumbled down from the widespread attacks he is receiving is admirable and a quality i respect.
I had cancer too and I respect anyone who comes out of that ailment stronger than before, and that includes Lance.
Thanks Raymond, keep on living strong.
At the end of the day, Lance along with 180(ish) other cyclists got on their bikes and raced. And at the end of those days, Lance Armstrong was the fastest even though nearly every other competitor he had has been busted for doping as well.
Did he do a lot of crappy stuff, sure. But he revitalized a sport that thousands in America have taken up and become healthier for doing so.
And he still won.
Whoa! The hostility really surprises me. Dont feel bad Darryl and dont back down. You are entitled to your opinion just as they are, fortunately for us that live in a free society we get to have one, and express it, regardless of the side we are on.
What comes to mind when I read some of these over-the-top negative comments is ” People who live in glass houses should not throw stones”. I wonder if those comments are really in a position to judge.
And
To say that he has done “nothing good for cycling” Really? What planet do you live on? Because I know that for a very long time he brought an excitment to cycling that DID NOT EXIST for an incredible number of poeple. Myself included.
I am sure he wishes he could have a do over, I feel the same way about my own life. AND, I am going to press on, not look back, and do as good as I can moving forward. I suspect he will as well.
Well said, Eric.
EVERYBODY uses drugs in almost every sport
The report identified a host of other riders who had cheated with EPO, including top sprinters Erik Zabel of Germany and Italian Mario Cipollini. Others to be named and shamed on Wednesday were Italians Andrea Tafi, Nicolas Minali, Fabio Sacchi, Spanish world champion Abraham Olano and his compatriots Marcos Serrano and Manuel Beltran, German Jens Heppner and Dutch rider Jeroen Blijlevens.
http://www.bicycling.com/news/pro-cycling/french-senate-names-epo-positives-1998-tour
Sadly, my biggest beef with Lance predates the doping scandal. “Awareness” organizations like Livestrong and Susan G Komen are a sham enterprise: they provide the illusion of doing something about cancer. A real “cure” will require taking these organizations’ complicit corporate sponsors to task for the toxic products they peddle. That’s research and big changes in the status quo, not a PR exercise and emotional support. Real cancer organizations lack oxygen with these charlatins in their midst. Worse still, the real and emotional suffering of everyone associated with cancer is hijacked by these organizations, which is what gives them the cover to operate and, in Lance’s case, to perpetrate a massive fraud.
“Respect this cycling champion and cancer kicking warrior for what he has done for humanity.” Obviously the author doesn’t know the meaning of these words.
Possibly. It could also be that the author doesn’t let the actions of celebrities and sports stars concern him too much…..but chooses to see the good in people and situations. Maybe we should ask the one-legged cyclist if he respects Lance Armstrong.
Are you replying to me in the third person? This explains a lot.
Thanks for having the courage to post your opinion. Not a huge Lance fan but I do think he did a lot of good for cycling at one point and hopefully some of the people he hurt are at least now getting their voice back. Example- I have seen a lot of Greg LeMond lately. As far as his attitudes and stand offish approach I do think this is also slightly helping cycling fans with current pros. I’m not sure if it’s the only reason but cycling teams and pros are much more approachable and friendly these days.
Thanks Velo Mom. Man, I knew there were a lot of Lance haters out there….but some of these responses are really tuning me in to how people feel. I guess I just tend to get upset over things that matter a lot more to me than Lance and some of the things he did.
I met, rode with, interviewed and, in 2004 called Lance out on his deceptions and life destroying nonsense. The editors of magazines I wrote for killed my stories ‘c Lance butter their advertising bread. So be it. It’s a wicked world with glimmers of light and and the bad does not negate the good. But take a good thorough look at this man’s choices and actions before you toss around words like respect and benefit of doubt etc. I have respect for the organizations that have supported cancer research that he was connected to but as for the man… he is an opportunistic piece of shite who, until he renounces all his ill begotten gains and turns his life into one of service to and for the people he hurt and ruined, and we are talking financial and emotionally ruined, he will remain a contemptuous shit heel in my book.
Whoa, sounds like you’ve been a part of this for a long time. I totally understand where you’re coming from and appreciate you leaving behind your comments.
I’m actually kind of ambivalent about Lance. I think we forget that even famous people are people and all people do stupid things. He doesn’t really seem like someone I’d want to hang out with but I agree that he has inspired a lot of people. I think the thing that’s disappointing about him is just how long he kept insisting that none of the accusations were true and if you stuck with him, you ended up feeling like a chump. But we’re a very unforgiving society, you’re not allowed to change your mind, you’ll generally never be forgiven, and your bad actions will be remembered over the good forever. It’s not an environment that’s conducive to saying, “hey guys I really screwed up and I’m sorry.”
Thanks for your insight and comments on this one. I really like what you have to say about this and all related things.
I agree with you that the message was good, and people were certainly inspired by what he did. Unfortunately, he probably destroyed more people’s dreams than he helped by the black cloud he left over the sport.
Yeah, unfortunately he did let people down. But like one of the commenters said above, he got a lot of people on a bike….and they are still on it. That’s what matters most.
Sorry I cannot forget lance liked to attack people and newspapers who told the truth about his doping.
I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I value your opinion and thank you for reading this article.
I have to disagree he has done nothing good for cycling.
Thanks for your comment. It depends how you look at it, but I’ll stand by my opinion that Lance has done a great deal for cycling and many other things. I’ll tell you one thing (and you can argue if you want), but the lower price of your quality road bike is in some part due to Lance increasing the amount of cyclists in North America and other places around the world.
I can tell you this – I wouldn’t be a rider if it weren’t for Lance…I’m 52, and bought my first bike since I was a kid after watching him in his final tour. Yea, he let me down (big time), but my bike never has, and he was the reason I got back on one.
There are countless riders like you out there that became a cyclist at least in part because of Lance. It’s too bad that those who are against him don’t see it that way. Thanks for your comment.
He brought millions in sponsorship to cycling when it was on the verge of fading in America. Without him getting all the publicity in the Tour de France there would be no Amgen Tour of California, No Tour of Utah, No US Pro Challenge in Colorado nor would there be the Bontrager Livestrong under 23 team which has created platforms for over 60 up and coming young cyclists to use to turn pro and move onto large teams in Europe. Let’s not forget that cycling had it’s most profitable years and as well as it’s best years world wide as far as ratings are concerned from 2000-2005 when he was there. It still has not seen numbers close to that since he won his last tour. Yes he is a cheat like most riders from his era. He is also a liar and an ass to many. But he has done a lot for cycling and if you ask many young pros from America who they looked up to many still say Lance. I am no a Lance supporter but I am not one who says it is all his fault either but he could have handled things better and treated people way better which I fully agree with!
Great comment. I agree with everyone who has negative things to say about Lance, but it’s the good things that I feel should never be forgotten.
I respect LiveSTRONG in spite of Lance Armstrong’s relationship to it. I can’t respect anything about the man himself though. He was a chronic and habitual liar and cheat, apparently abusive to his friends and colleagues, and brought discredit to the sport of cycling and sadly, even to other endurance sports.
Yeah, he really dug a big hole for himself. It really is too bad that Lance and his cycling can’t be separated from LiveSTRONG.
There is zero reason to respect Lance Armstrong or as I know now this site. You better read up on what he did to people.
Thanks for your comment. Like anything in life, you can choose to look at what is good or what is bad about a person or situation. I prefer to look at the good he created.
LOL, dude, don’t be butthurt because someone has a different opinion than you.