Armstrong ban hits sport hard after signs of progress

LONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Cycling has long been mired in

doping controversy but there had been signs that authorities

were winning their fight against drugs before Lance Armstrong's

fall from grace reopened all the old wounds.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency's decision on Friday

to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and ban

him for life is a hammer blow to a sport which had often relied

on the exploits of the cancer survivor for good publicity.

Stemming the flow of a stream of tales about cheats at the

top, Armstrong's story of overcoming the biggest odds to become

the greatest rider the world has ever seen transcended cycling

and made the sport much more popular in the United States.

The suspicions were always there that the American, like so

many other cyclists of his era, had dabbled in doping as he won

every Tour from 1999 to 2005 but until Friday most fans hoped he

would end up clean.

Armstrong denies wrongdoing but has been sanctioned after

ending his fight against what he believes is an unfair

witch-hunt, one which has hurt cycling just as much as the man

himself just when the sport appeared to be shedding the drugs

tag.

"It just adds to the negative image of our sport," British

rider Chris Froome told reporters at the Tour of Spain.

Froome finished second behind compatriot Bradley Wiggins in

July's Tour de France, a race that for once gained headlines for

superb displays of racing and endurance rather than the scourge

of doping which had all too often marred the event.

Yes, twice winner Alberto Contador was missing because of a

doping ban and top rider Frank Schleck failed a test for a

banned diuretic on this year's Tour but the International

Cycling Union (UCI) hailed the event a huge success for its

anti-doping drive.

Just last week the UCI proudly stated there had been no

positive tests from the final batch of samples from the Tour but

now the organisation is trapped in an uncomfortable dilemma.

Either it accepts USADA's decision and the inevitable loss

of credibility for cycling or it fights the charges because it

believes the letter of the law has not been followed by USADA

given Armstrong has never failed a doping test.

"BONE IDLENESS"

USADA is relying on testimony from other riders and the UCI

wants the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have a final say on

Armstrong's guilt or innocence but going against an anti-doping

agency never looks good for a governing body, even if it has

long fought against drugs itself.

A rider cannot avoid the drug testers these days whatever he

does. As soon as they crossed the line on this year's Tour, UCI

"chaperones" were hovering ready to pounce and drag random names

off to a doping control.

Testers now often appear at ungodly hours of the morning to

surprise any would-be dopers.

Wiggins, Britain's first Tour champion and the London

Olympic time trial winner, was asked what he thought about

people who said only dopers could win the world's greatest stage

race.

"I can't be doing with people like that," he replied after a

few trademark expletives.

"It justifies their own bone idleness because they can't

ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives."

Cycling has begun to change, riders want to be recognised

for their veritable endeavour and doping could soon be confined

to only the desperate.

The sport has survived decades of previous bad press but as

long as the sport's greatest hero is officially branded a cheat,

cyclists will always risk being tarred with the same brush.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cycling-armstrong-ban-hits-sport-hard-signs-progress-124824162--spt.html

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