- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
news
Lance Armstrong Photo by Maryse Alberti, Courtesy of Sony Pictures ClassicsSir Dave Brailsford says Lance Armstrong should stay away from Tour de France
Lance Armstrong should stay away from the Tour de France, says Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford, with the disgraced cyclist reported to be riding the route of a couple of stages of the race for charity this summer.
It emerged yesterday that Armstrong plans to join former England footballer and fellow cancer survivor Geoff Thomas for part of his One Day Ahead charity ride this summer which aims to raise £1 million for Cure Leukaemia.
Thomas believes that Armstrong can still inspire many like himself who suffer from cancer, and says that reading his book It’s Not About The Bike helped him fight chronic myeloid leukaemia following his diagnosis in 2003.
But Brailsford says that Armstrong, banned from sport for life in 2012 and stripped of results including his seven Tour de France victories, “will be a massive distraction” from the race if he took part in Thomas’s ride.
The Team Sky principal told Jeremy Whittle of The Times ahead of yesterday’s final stage of Paris-Nice: “Lance has done enough damage to the Tour already. He’s done enough damage to the sport.”
Referring to Armstrong’s return from retirement with Astana in 2009, he went on: “He came back once when he shouldn’t have done and I don’t think that he should come back this time either.
He added: “For the sake of all the clean riders in the peloton, for all the riders that are currently riding, who’ve already suffered enough from that era, leave them alone — enough’s enough.”
Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme pointed out that Armstrong could ride where he likes, but also expressed concerns about the attention his riding in France would attract.
“He’s free to do so, the roads are open to the public, but it will be a media event, that’s for sure,” he said.
While as might be expected there has been widespread condemnation of Armstrong taking part in the ride, others such as TV presenter and author Ned Boulting have wished Thomas well and expressed the hope it might help in raise more money.
Writing on Twitter, he added: “I'm not bothered about @lancearmstrong's public rehabilitation. This is about Geoff's fundraising efforts.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- mark1a 3 hours 10 min ago
Don't open at Edinburgh Fringe with that one.
- mdavidford 3 hours 34 min ago
Is that the South Downs or the Wessex Downs?
- Simon E 5 hours 6 min ago
My 1984 Record Sprint (501 frame, 6 speed, made in Nottingham) cost £180 from the LBS, which would now be £575. I expected it to be more than that...
- David9694 6 hours 50 min ago
Imagine writing such a pathetic, victim-ey article in a national newspaper.
- Oldfatgit 12 hours 26 min ago
I got something that'll beat you all .....
- chrisonabike 13 hours 9 min ago
Aggrieved motorists?...
- wtjs 15 hours 7 min ago
The fact that such self driving cars don't BMW/Audi drivers do exist is proof - as if it were needed - that Gods don't exist
- Johnny Rags 16 hours 2 min ago
Wouldn't generalisations about generations be, I don't know, "generationalisations"?
- ErnieC 17 hours 5 min ago
No chance of that ever being a human being.
- Rendel Harris 1 day 13 hours ago
No idea if Cancellara was using a motor or not, I hope not as I greatly enjoyed him as a rider, but the tech was certainly available, I can...
Add new comment
18 comments
Froome received an exception to use a steroid due to a chest infection and won the Tour de Romandie - yes it's legal but it's ugly as hell. Actually WADA considers it "wrong" the way Chris was able to get the TUE so easily. I personally consider it stupid that any TUEs are ever allowed at all - without TUEs the riders might have to put on some weight to beef up their immune systems - sounds healthy to me.
Lance is history. Brailsford must have something in his eye bothering him.
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/sky-uci-scrutiny-chris-f...
I think Lance is paying for his actions with the lifetime ban, and the disgrace that goes with it. I also think that given the controversy of his participation of the charity ride, he should bow out. Having said that, if Geoff Thomas is cool with him riding then fair enough. It's his event after all.
Armstong's behavior was awful. It bothered me in particular because my son looked up to him...had a poster in his bedroom of the USPS team in a time trial. A great photo which includes a lot of riders with who knows what in their systems.
I'm ambivalent about his participation in this, or any, charity ride. A danger that concerns me though is that continuing to focus on Armstrong may tend to diminish attention on just how systemic the performance enhancement efforts were. Armstrong is unlikely to race or be competitive ever again, if only because of his age. The system is probably perfectly capable of a long and enduring life.
As I said, I'm ambivalent. If he rides, and raises money that is used well, fine. But I reserve the right to change the channel and not read the stories. I'd be happier if it wasn't covered at all.
It's probably not about the doping, more about trying to ruin the lives and reputations of fellow cyclists and others along the way. Amongst them Greg Le Mond.
Watched the documentary on Lance last night. His ability to lie convincingly is astounding. I don't think we could ever trust this man again. He has a senior politician's demeanour and all the answers. Looking at the good people's lives he has trashed to keep himself on the top of the pile, he should stay away from cycling and try to mend bridges in other ways.
I'm not saying this as I don't think people deserve forgiveness, I just could not imagine that a sociopath with his devious ability could not have an ulterior motive.
Sadly, Geoff Thomas comes from a sport where attitudes to doping are of the ostrich variety. I don't think he realises the impact of involving Armstrong.
This is such a judgemental comment regarding Geoff Thomas..Your'e basically saying GT is thick and un aware of what LA did and has done to the sport of cycling. Why not pat him on the head and say 'bless him, he means well though' while you're at it.
Jabbing yourself with needles and re infusing your own blood is a really clever thing to do...cyclists are clearly more intelligent than most other athletes from GT's sport
Why stop with Lance? Why not invite Riccardo Ricco, Michael Rasmussen, Alexander Vinokourov, Danilo Di Luca, etc. ...
Why stop at cycling? Why not go jogging with Ben Johnson and Marion Jones?
"Sponsor A Cheat" - it has a certain ring to it ...
Well I am happy to put my money where my keyboard is and donate. How about DB?
I'm absolutely convinced Lance is doing this for all the right reasons.
Blimey, I never thought I'd see Lance's mum resorting to this!
I'm with Sir Dave! The association could do as much harm as good to Geoff's aims.
And as a potential beneficiary of Geoff's fund raising as a current leukaemia patient I personally am not sold that the benefits will outweigh the potential damage lance could do.
Does DB realise he won't be riding in THE race? What is he on??
So, if we ban all pro cyclists who've doped from charity rides... would there be any left for the rides?
Jimmy Savile ... didn't he do a lot for charity? Does the end justify the means?
Except it's not Jimmy Savile!
That's a fair point, eeek...
But, for me, it's different when it's Lance. It just is. This will be a high profile event (rightly so) and to me it would feel like welcoming him back into the fold and I don't think he deserves that. He doesn't deserve to feel the buzz, the excitement, the thrill of being close to the tour again. And I would feel the same Marion Jones, Ben Mitchell and Tyson Gay (to name a few) in a similar situation.
I have sympathy for the argument that by including him the profile of the event will be enhanced and therefore potentially more money will be raised. But I believe that in that case it is on the rest of us to lend our support to them and show that no charity should have to rely on an unrepentant cheat who led the charge in nearly destroying the sport we love to make their fundraising events successful. I, for one, am up for that.
Oh fantastic, this should have some people scratching their heads.
On one hand, they have to hate everything Lance is involved in, but on the other, it's Brailsford and Sky so they have to hate everything about that.
What a lovely little Monkey trap this is turning out to be.