Lance Armstrong’s romantic, almost idyllic triumph over cancer was as remarkable as it was inspirational. Although the toxic disease ravaged his body, and the gruelling chemotherapy left him looking a shadow of the phenomenal athlete he once was, the Texan confronted and defeated the demonic disease. In 1997, with his bald head displaying the surgical, battle scars, Armstrong declared that he was cancer-free. While your average human being would gently nurse themselves back to a respectable level of fitness, the now infamous cyclist was busy scaling mountainous terrain.
Only this man could make Rocky look amateurish.
Last Armstrong’s Last Chance
If that wasn’t impressive enough, between 1999 and 2005, Armstrong went on to win one of the most gruelling events in sport seven times; the Tour de France.
Furthermore, the Livestrong Foundation, then known as the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides support for people affected by cancer, raised in excess of $500m to help find a cure.
The man was untouchable. Nike decided to make Armstrong their ‘posterboy’, even naming buildings after the demi-god. Presidents and the most revered celebrities eagerly sought his company. This feel good tale wasn’t just front page news, this was the news, an enchanting narrative that millions fell in love with.
As we all know, once the truth emerged, deep affection quickly turned to deep disdain. Now, nearly three years after being unceremoniously banned from the sport of cycling, and seven Tour de France titles lighter, the 43 year old and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) have met to discuss the possibility of the ‘Armstrong embargo’ being lifted.
Could Armstrong actually compete once more?
Considering Armstrong once attempted to sue USADA for what he called ‘false claims’ about his penchant for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), these talks signal a significant level of progress.
The second week of March saw Armstrong meet with Travis Tygart, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO, all in the hopes of reducing his lifetime ban from the sport he obviously lives for. The meeting, initially reported by The New York Times, was the first between Armstrong and Tygart since late 2012, a year that saw the two men exchange very public, verbal jabs.
Say what you like about his dishonesty and lack of humility, Armstrong was a formidable cyclist, a single-minded, advantage seeking, unapologetic winner. The man treated his body like a piece of equipment, a machine to be exploited and maximised, albeit through the ingestion of growth hormones and numerous, rather unsanitary sounding blood transfusions. His intimate relationship with EPO, a drug that synthetically boosts the red blood cell count, was one of the more shocking revelations. A naturally-occurring hormone, EPO is produced by the kidneys, however, this hormone can be manufactured quite easily and injected into the skin, or, if required, directly into the blood stream through an intravenous drip.
Rapaciously lashing out at anyone accusing him of foul play, Armstrong seemed to ease concerns with his well rehearsed version of events. With his sponsors willing to support his explanations, Armstrong was a catalyst for the increased sales of Trek bicycles and Oakley sunglasses, to name just two desirable products.
Plagued by doping rumours, Armstrong was desperate to prove that he was anything but a dirty rider. Although willing to share detailed data from exhaustive blood tests, the American, even after securing a third place Tour finish and performing a heroic climb up the menacing Mont Ventoux, was about to face far more ominous obstacles. From Floyd Landis to Tyler Hamilton, disgruntled, once close comrades spoke out against the seemingly indestructible Armstrong.
The fatal blow, the knockout punch, if you will, arrived in October 2012. After the United States Sports Anti-Doping Agency released substantial evidence of doping by Armstrong and his former teammates. The ringleader was stripped of his seven Tour wins. Struggling with this self created dilemma, sponsors sensed trouble, swiftly abandoning Armstrong.
Fast-forward to March 2015, and a thaw in the glacial relationship between Armstrong and USADA is evident. While Tygart was slow to divulge too much information, he did state, “From the very beginning, our hope has always been that he would come in, sit down and have a full discussion.”
Whether Armstrong hopes to ride competitively again, well, that remains unclear. Even if he harbours future, athletic aspirations, surely Armstrong is nothing but yesterday’s news, an expired, obsolete individual desperately clinging to a mere thread of dignity.
