He is definitely damaged goods and a good proportion of serious competitors in any sport would not want to have him in their field. The promoter of the swim meet received lots of negative feedback from other competitors when the news got out that Lance was going to swim (though he has since been forced out by the national organization). If he actually has friends that don't mind competing against him, then that is their perogative. But I would not be happy to have him in my bowling/darts/beer pong league. Because he is an a**hole and has disgraced the concept of fair competition. He is basically in jail with regard to any competition because we don't trust him.

I'm not happy to compete against dopers, ex dopers, whatever either. Bunde, Heridia. I wasn't happy to show up to Hillier than Thou (an unsactioned RR in New Jersey) a few years back when Bunde was suspended and see him there in full kit. But those guys served their suspensions and/or signed up for races not governed by USA cycling et al and so there's nothing really I can do about it. So if Armstrong finds a sport not governed by a sanctioning body who suspended him then I say he can compete.

A Russian doping? Shurely shome mistake. I would love to see a real expose of doping practices in Russia and the Former Soviet Union - we all know about Vino and other individuals, but I mean from a systematic point of view. From my own experience living in Russia and training at the velodrome in Moscow a fair bit (18 months in all) I got the impression it was just part of a rider's training program when they got to a certain level probably (based on anecdotal evidence only) when they got to age 16 plus. I really doubt if anything has changed much since then (this was 2004-2005 or so). Not that this will come as a surprise to many of you reading this.

On a similar note of dopers competing in non-sanctioned events, I remember doing a GP (presumably non-UCI sanctioned) at the track in Moscow with this former national team rider Sergey Ruban in it - he had just been banned for doing steroids or some such, but was mysteriously allowed to compete. Obviously had some friends in high places. I think I have a picture on a start line of a keirin with him - you can spot him as he's the only one not in team kit (which made it all fine obviously).

American Ferari!

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/a/SB10001424127887323550604578412913149043072?mg=reno64-wsj

Oh my....The Feds just gave Lance "the look" !

Lance sitting in on drums with a local Austin reggae band.... 

http://balls.ie/lance-armstrong/lance-armstrong-playing-the-drums-at-a-reggae-festival/

Juliet Macur is writing a book on Armstrong.  Oh my beating heart... not.

Wow. A very interesting watch. LA's body language on Oprah decomposed and analyzed by an expert.

http://pitchfix.populr.me/lie-strong---lance-armstongsbody-language-decoded

Did anyone see this before it got taken down?  Not sure if the creator wanted to sell it or if LA's lawyers were all over it.  Can't seem to find it anywhere now

I watched the entire thing...the finger counting in particular was revealing.  LA may be a pathological liar...but it seems his biology prohibits him from offering a volume of "tells" when lying.  I remember Greg LeMond noticing that LA would take a big inhale right before he told a whopper...

So nice to see the dopers and enablers together again:

I am sure Stem cells is what they're telling Mark Cuban, so he has plausible deniability when the eventual doping investigations come to the NBA. Granted the teams must be spending $$$ on doping products, but rolling it into expense lines for team doctors and nutritional suppliments.

Dan Reiners said:

I am sure Stem cells is what they're telling Mark Cuban, so he has plausible deniability when the eventual doping investigations come to the NBA. Granted the teams must be spending $$$ on doping products, but rolling it into expense lines for team doctors and nutritional suppliments.

Dan that's an interesting idea that they're bearding the nefarious stuff with a cover story... I've never seen anything like that before.

Jules said:

Dan that's an interesting idea that they're bearding the nefarious stuff with a cover story... I've never seen anything like that before.

One can always trust brands backed by the always upstanding News Corporation

look at the banner ad above the article.  online key-word advertising at its best.

Should we pick him up?

eragot said:

Should we pick him up?

Might make that polka dot jersey in the Master's series a little easier to lock...

Oh I think Levi wanted a fair well season like Big George had. He would be riding every race for "the last time" and the commentators would wax nostalgic about how besides Lance, Levi was the greatest American stage racer of his generation. Levi has been doping since he was "coached" by Rick Crawford. He may hold the crown for longest doped rider of his generation.

I hear that the sporting Dr. attempted to conceal the names of the horses he was treating by keeping their files listed under their owners names.....wait ????

twoyacks said:

Oh I think Levi... He may hold the crown for longest doped rider of his generation.

I think Kissena alum Hincapie probably takes that title, though it would be a tossup with Lance, if Armstrong hadn't taken off a few years.  Wonder if his Lanceness doped between 2005 and 2009, before resuming doping for his return to the pro ranks.

And there's all that stuff that probably went on at the OTC in the 90s. I'm friends of friends with VandeVelde and at a local Chicago crit, us jamokes had plenty of whispers when he came back into town from his time there.