What Lance Armstrong Taught Me

I saw Lance’s name come up on my Twitter feed and thought maybe it was time to repost this.

So here goes.

I watched with millions of people and baited breath as my one-time hero went on national television and admitted to using performance enhancing drugs for each of the seven Tours de France he won.

It didn’t give me any satisfaction.

In fact, it angered me. But I wasn’t angry with Lance, I was angry with myself. Mostly, I was angry for believing him and defending him as I did (to anyone who would listen).

I donated money to LiveStrong, I wore the bracelet, I bought the shirts. I was even a fan of Mellow Johnnys, his bike shop in Austin. I bought the shirts and wore them proudly; I bought the cycling jersey and thought of myself as one of the “in-the-know” cyclists who had this connection to him in some way.

What an ass I was.

When Tyler Hamilton went on 60 Minutes back in May of 2011 to talk about the systematic team doping regimen on US Postal and Lance’s involvement, I was pissed. I was actually pissed at Tyler. I thought he was just bitter for being caught and was lashing out. And I was a HUGE fan of Tyler while he was riding for US Postal; when he went to CSC and Phonak to lead, I was even more psyched! Growing up in the 80s in Massachusetts and not being a baseball, basketball, football or hockey fan, I had very few sports heroes. And if you lived in Worcester in the 80s you know what an outcast that made me.

Here was a guy who grew up less than an hour from me and was competing in the one sport I had heart for — and on an international stage to boot!

And then he got busted.

And I was like, okay, this is the way it goes. But Lance, still my ultimate hero, Lance was still pure.

Along comes Floyd Landis. Winning Le Tour in 2006 and four days later gets stripped of his title. It was easy to believe what he was saying. Floyd even toured the US, going to cycling clubs getting donations for his defense. I even gave him money (in person when he was in NYC). And then he finally admitted it. He too was guilty of using performance enhancing drugs.

But still Lance. Lance was clean. I mean, the labs were corrupt, the French were pissed that an American had won so many times and it had been so long since one of their own won. I believed all the rhetoric that Lance was spoon feeding us through his PR people without blinking an eye.

I’m a PR guy – I do it for a living, I “message” people every day – teaching them how to dodge questions, bridge to an answer they want to give rather than answer the question they were asked. How did I not see through his shenanigans?

I was reminded of a favorite Kissinger quote from a former boss of mine recently. Addressing the White House Press Corps, Henry Kissinger stood up and asked, “Do you have any questions for the answers I’ve prepared for you?” Meaning, I’m going to tell you what I want regardless of what you ask me. Basically what Mr. Armstrong and his people did for his entire career. And he was good at it. He was articulate, charismatic, good looking and had the perfect back-story.

Lance took a page from the Karl Rove school of douche baggery. If you repeat a lie enough times, loud enough and you sue all the people who disagree with you, we’re all stupid enough to eventually believe you.

I blame no one but myself for swallowing his lies and asking for more.

I can usually see through messaging. But I too was blind to the charismatic cyclist who “pulled the greatest comeback in sports history” to see it. I wanted to believe, WE wanted to believe. And most of us did.

But I was (we were) a chump.

Since the Lance interviews, I’ve read The Secret Race, Tyler’s book as well as From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France by David Walsh. David was the journalist who really exposed Lance. But did I believe him at the time? Nope, I chose to believe Lance when he sued the Sunday Times of London (and won) for libel.

When these books were written they were received with some skepticism. Today, I think that’s all been washed away.

Should Lance be given a reprieve from UASDA and be allowed to compete again after an eight year suspension?

Only if you never want doping to go away.

I’m really not a bitter person, but he needs to be made an example of. He’s still lying and trying to control the narrative. And until he comes fully clean, returns the money he owes, gains the forgiveness of people like Emma O’Reilly, Frankie and Betsey Andreu, Greg LeMond and the countless bodies he left in his wake, he should never be allowed to be in the public eye again.

Thanks for nothing Lance.