Lance Armstrong has been seen as a legend in the world of sports ever since his seven straight Tour de France wins that spanned from 1999-2005. As well as being viewed as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, Armstrong has been greatly praised for his success after surviving cancer.
In the eyes of people around the world, Armstrong stood as a symbol of overcoming adversity. He was held up on high and admired by many, until the allegations of cheating began.
Although some people often thought Armstrong was on steroids or doping, no one really came out and accused him until 2004. About one month before the 2004 Tour de France began, a book called “L.A. Confidentiel: Les Secrets de Lance Armstrong,” was released. The book included testimonies from people close to Armstrong who claimed he was doping. Most of the evidence was seen as circumstantial, so it did not actually prove that Armstrong had done anything wrong.
It did, however, encourage governing bodies of the sport of cycling to begin looking into the allegations. Some sports organizations began looking into old drug tests and also began interviewing Armstrong’s former teammates and doctors. In 2005, Armstrong retired from professional cycling after winning his seventh straight Tour de France. Over the next few years he was cleared of some doping allegations and appeared to be free of the scandal.
Then, Armstrong returned to competition in 2009. After his return to cycling, Armstrong again began to receive allegations that he was using performance enhancing drugs and was also blood doping. He retired again in 2011. Meanwhile the United States Anti-Doping Agency had begun an investigation on Armstrong in 2011. During their investigation they questioned Armstrong’s teammates and doctors and also requested to see blood test results from throughout Armstrong’s decorated cycling career.
Many former teammates testified that Armstrong had been receiving blood transfusions during his career. They also pointed out that he took steroids, synthetic testosterone and EPO (a substance that increases red blood cell count). After conducting a thorough and extended investigation, in 2012 the USADA found Lance Armstrong guilty of cheating throughout his cycling career. He was stripped of all seven of his Tour de France wins as well as all competitive results from August 1998 to the present. In one ruling, the career of Lance Armstrong was erased. His legacy was put to shame. Armstrong, however, continued to deny that he ever cheated or gained a competitive advantage through the use of substances or blood doping.
The media blasted Armstrong for continuing to lie, and finally he gave in. In early 2013 Armstrong did two interviews with Oprah in which he admitted everything.
He admitted he had cheated in each and every way that he had been accused. He admitted to destroying others’ careers and lives to cover up his scandalous acts. He admitted that he thought he still could have gotten away with it all, had he not returned to cycling in 2009.
Armstrong confessed in the interview that he had been obsessed with winning and that he felt as if he was unstoppable at the time.
In the interview he did apologize for all that he had done and for the fact that he fooled much of the world into believing a story that was, in fact, too good to be true.
While Armstrong once stood as a symbol of overcoming adversity, he is now seen only as a greedy man who did whatever it took to win. He was a champion, but now is known as one of the most infamous sportsmen of all time.
His legacy is tarnished, and a legend has fallen.
