Armstrong’s Lie More Shameful Than His Crime
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By DERON SNYDER
I’m not sure how many folks can watch Tyler Hamilton’s interview on “60 Minutes” and still think that Lance Armstrong was clean in becoming the world’s top cyclist. If holdouts were uncertain beforehand, Hamilton’s apparent pain and reluctance in outlining Armstrong’s supposed doping history should remove doubt.
“He took what we all took,” said Hamilton, Armstrong’s former teammate. “There was really no difference between Lance Armstrong and the majority of the peloton. There was EPO … testosterone … a blood transfusion.”
I always suspected that Armstrong was just like everyone else at the top of his sport, but that never changed my opinion of his accomplishments. Since his competitors were doping, too, he didn’t gain an unfair advantage. On a level, performance-enhanced playing field, he proved himself the best by winning seven consecutive Tours de France.
But there’s a certain amount of sadness surrounding Armstrong’s case. It was captured in the anguish on Hamilton’s face as he discussed the drug use, including his own. It was heard in the fierce denials of Armstrong’s true believers as they ignored the latest evidence, including testimony under oath to a grand jury. And it was seen in Armstrong’s unconvincing response as he launched yet another defense, including a scathing press release, a new website and this tweet: “20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.”
Marion Jones never failed a drug test, either.
And she rested her case after a guilty plea and tearful apology on the courthouse steps.
