Lance Armstrong: The Ongoing Controversy

I've wanted to write about this for a very long time.  What finally kicked me into gear was the fact that I knew I had to answer a very important question in my mind.  Did Lance dope or didn't he?  The article published in this month's edition of Bicycling Magazine, written by Bill Strickland, was written for me I think.  The thing I loved most about this article was the passion pouring out of Strickland.  He talks about how he's finally come to terms with the fact that Lance probably doped to win the Tour.  He also tells us how much pain and sadness that realization brought him.  I can relate 100%.

Back in May 2010 Floyd Landis, former teammate of Armstrong's, made some quite shocking allegations about Lance.  A few months after the allegations were made Floyd sat down with Paul Kimmage for an interview. In that interview Landis claims that Lance not only doped, but led the doping program for the team.  These allegations are not the first made against Lance.

For many reasons, I had a hard time accepting the fact that Lance doped.  Armstrong was both the most inspirational while controversial superstar athlete the United States ever produced.  I want to believe in that.  I want to look at someone I've admired for years and say, "You beat the odds.  Good night... you beat the freaking odds."