Armstrong

Seven consecutive Tour de France victories from 1999 to 2005 have made Lance Armstrong a cyclist with a unique record. This week, the International Cycling Union published a devastating report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency saying that Armstrong has been confirmed as the biggest and most sophisticated cheater in the history of the sport. The man who monopolized praise, magazine covers and millions of dollars has been stripped of his titles and erased from the annals of the Tour. And there’s more. If the proposed modification of International Cycling Union’s regulations is accepted tomorrow, it is possible that the Tours that Armstrong won by means of trickery will have no winner. This measure would globally condemn a once brilliant moment in sport that, due to the extent of doping in the team, is now just a painful memory.

The use of stimulants and blood transfusions to enhance cycling performance has already given rise to several scandals. But Armstrong’s fall and the doubts about his era mark a major milestone in the fight against doping. The general feeling is that cycling has reached rock bottom. But it is also true that there is no better time to clean it up. The International Cycling Union is already talking about a special commission that will survey all those involved and seek, where appropriate, their confessions. The objective of this commission will be to thoroughly clean up cycling, which will be essential if the sport is to regenerate, if that is still possible.