ENERGEIA

OK. I like Lance Armstrong as much as the next guy. Or at least as much as the next Non-French guy. What’s not to love? He went over to France and kicked all their butts in their bike race for 7 years in a row. How sweet is that? Sounds like a Great American Hero.

I hope he didn’t dope. I hope all the smoke that surrounds Lance Armstrong doesn’t mean that there is a fire. But that’s not the way it usually works out, does it?

Here’s the logic I have been using for years with my friends, my email groups, and anyone that will listen: OK — you mean to tell me that Lance’s biggest rivals and even some of his teammates have been busted for doping — and the only guy that was winning the Tour de France during those years was the ONLY ONE NOT doping?

Let’s look at the list. And this is all I can remember from the top of my mind, without doing internet research:

1998 tour winner Pantani is now dead cuz of his doping, couldn’t touch Lance during his 7 year stretch

1997 tour winner Ulrich out of the sport for doping, finished 2nd to Lance many times, but couldn’t beat him

former teammates Hamilton (banned for doping) and Landis (banned for doping)

I’m sure there are many more that a more educated cycling fan can tell me about Lance’s teammates, connections with blood-doping doctors, etc.

Here’s where the logic fails for me: Either doping doesn’t work, or Lance just figured out a better way around the system. How could one man — the only man to win during those hugely doping years — beat all of the rest of the field of blood dopers?

And now finally someone else is saying the same thing. And it’s in America. I imagine they have been saying this stuff in France for years.