If he spent more time riding he might have been good enough to have his time in the lime light when he was young enough to do something with it.

There have always been drugs in the sport. But back in the day it was stuff like testosterone, cortisone and amphetamines. The stuff worked to aid in recovery, charge riders up, etc. Those drugs didn't alter a person's fundamental physiology though, and the really talented guys (like LeMond) could still beat the dopers.

In the early 90s, that all changed. With the introduction of recombinant products like HGH, EPO, etc, you now really could turn a draft mule into a racehorse. Guys like Claudio Chippucci, who never won anything, now were suddenly duking it our with World Champions and beating them. Guys who weighed 180+ pounds (like Indurain) were suddenly flying up mountains faster than 120 pound Columbians. And later, guys built like linebackers and who were never able to do well in anything but classic-type races were suddenly were winning multiple grand tours. You want to run a winning pro team? Don't worry about what riders you sign, your first concern should be what doctors you have and developing the infrastructure to dope and get away with it.

I actually thought a few years back with Armstrong's retirement and the rise of a few teams (e.g., Garmin/Chipotle) who seemed really committed to competing clean, there was some real hope that the sport had turned a corner. This year, though, all my hopes have been quashed. I've watched as the organizers of the Giro and Tour have kissed that cheater's in the hopes that his return will raise interest and bring more money and sponsorship. I've seen the Giro organization conspire to keep Simeoni (the reigning Italian National Champion) out of his national race because he didn't adequately prostrate himself to Armstrong over comments from over 5 years ago. And just in the past week, we've seen the supposedly "clean" Garmin squad make a play to spirit the Doper Contador away from Astana.

The Verdict: Same old sport, same old cheating, everyone's making money, don't rock the boat. Keep the drugs flowing and the Omerta strong.

But by following pro cycling and rooting for these guys, you're allowing yourself to be part of the problem. The sport is rotten to the core. These guys aren't admirable. They're a bunch of cheats and frauds. Pay attention to what guys like Steve Larsen, LeMond, Bassons, Simeoni, Ashendon, and Walsh have been saying: There's no way to be a "champion" in cycling without drugs.

Everyone needs heros. As I've gotten older though, I've realized that they become harder and harder to find. If you want to root for someone, I'd suggest finding the man or woman in your neighborhood who helps at at the homeless shelter, hospice, the children hospital or some shit like that. Those people are real heros. Don't allow yourself to be a dupe..

Have a great day, man…

Burt

Pro cycling is a freaking joke. Its over, the Dark Lord Won.

Go Lance JUST GO…!!!!

Thanks
Burt

The total TdF number you posted is wrong, on team Astana, you have 7, Armstrong himself won 7 and Contador 1 = 8.