Retirement 2.0 has just been announced..

Junior

Lance Armstrong has announced his retirement from professional cycling. He had been pencilled in to take part in events on the American calendar in 2011, but it now appears that January’s Santos Tour Down Under was his final competitive appearance.

Armstrong revealed his decision in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday in Austin, Texas. He insisted he had no regrets about his decision to return to the sport in late 2008, in spite of his failure to win an 8th Tour de France and the allegations of doping in his former US Postal Service team that surfaced in 2010.


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lance-armstrong-retires-from-cycling

RobFowl

Thanks and all that Lance !

Enjoy the retirement and find some other sport to pass the time from now on..

RobFowl

"His contribution to cycling has been enormous, from both the sporting point of view and his personality," said International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid.
"All sports need global icons and he has become a global icon for cycling. The sport of cycling has a lot to be thankful for because of Lance Armstrong."



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/9399280.stm

No signs of bias there then......

C3PO

I know I'll be in a minority (of 1?) here but I think he'll be missed! Not the most attractive of personalities but a great champion!

death1234567

RPL1 wrote: »

I know I'll be in a minority (of 1?) here but I think he'll be missed! Not the most attractive of personalities but a great champion cheat!

Fixed that for you.

C3PO

death1234567 wrote: »

Fixed that for you.

Perhaps but at worst he was no different to any of his competitors!!

lukester

RPL1 wrote: »

Perhaps but at worst he was no different to any of his competitors!!

At worst he used his extensive power and influence, partly gleaned from heading up a charitable organisation, to try to crush and ruin anyone who crossed him.

Quite a bit different to his competitors.

AstraMonti

When I read the title i was for a bit afraid that he ll come back again :eek: but it's all good

spokeydokey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmR9k8UAohs

This is how I'll always remember him

Junior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZgns7CXeUI

Sadly this is how I'll remember his comeback

Karagesh

I know he is controversial but I will never forget the TdF battles he had with Ullrich. (My and my Sister always cheered on the German!) Some great battles and the 2003 TdF was especially memorable. Contador/schleck last year just dont provide the same drama.

leftism

AstraMonti wrote: »

When I read the title i was for a bit afraid that he ll come back again :eek: but it's all good

I doubt that this is the last we'll see of Lance. I predict a long and illustrious political career ahead of him.... He would win Governor of Texas no problem and it wouldn't surprise me if he took a run at the Whitehouse down the line!

Thats IF he can dodge Jeff Novitsky and a prison sentence of course!

Hermy

RobFowl wrote: »

"His contribution to cycling has been enormous, from both the sporting point of view and his personality," said International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid.

Yes Pat, tell that to Fillipo Simeoni.:mad:

Quigs Snr

spokeydokey wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmR9k8UAohs

This is how I'll always remember him

WOW. Owned. I forget what a beast Indurain was, drugs or no drugs. Indurains crankset must have had the toughest job in the world back then. I would love to see Indurain vs Cancellara in their pomp head to head.

roco71

At this stage trying to pinpoint who is /was totally clean in our beloved sport will always be a mystery. Pity really but it seems that in order to compete you had to join the party or be superhuman, however if you were superhuman then you were under suspicion of being under the influence of something.

There will always be knockers of Champions, no matter what sport - that is for sure.

One thing about Lance, love him or hate him but he has been an ispiration for Millions worldwide and brought hope into the lifes of people who face their toughest challenge. He will always be a true champion in my book for that.

C3PO

roco71 wrote: »

At this stage trying to pinpoint who is /was totally clean in our beloved sport will always be a mystery. Pity really but it seems that in order to compete you had to join the party or be superhuman, however if you were superhuman then you were under suspicion of being under the influence of something.

There will always be knockers of Champions, no matter what sport - that is for sure.

One thing about Lance, love him or hate him but he has been an ispiration for Millions worldwide and brought hope into the lifes of people who face their toughest challenge. He will always be a true champion in my book for that.

Thank You. My sentiments exactly but much more eloquently phrased than I would have managed!

Lumen

roco71 wrote: »

At this stage trying to pinpoint who is /was totally clean in our beloved sport will always be a mystery.

It's only a mystery if you don't look at the evidence.

Raam

roco71 wrote: »

One thing about Lance, love him or hate him but he has been an ispiration for Millions worldwide and brought hope into the lifes of people who face their toughest challenge. He will always be a true champion in my book for that.

So was Jesus. Are you saying that Lance is Jesus? Because that's what I am reading here.

roco71

Raam wrote: »

So was Jesus. Are you saying that Lance is Jesus? Because that's what I am reading here.

No actually, you just did though.

I only mentioned Lance

roco71

Lumen wrote: »

It's only a mystery if you don't look at the evidence.

no legal eagle here but I think evidence is one thing and proof beyond a reasonable doubt is another thing

Forgive me for asking but has Lance Armstrong ever actually tested positive? I ask this as I have never seen factual evidence of a positive result.

roco71

Raam wrote: »

So was Jesus. Are you saying that Lance is Jesus? Because that's what I am reading here.

Before someone else says it - Santa Claus also does the same thing and I never said that Lance is Santa Claus either

Raam

roco71 wrote: »

no legal eagle here but I think evidence is one thing and proof beyond a reasonable doubt is another thing

Forgive me for asking but has Lance Armstrong ever actually tested positive? I ask this as I have never seen factual evidence of a positive result.

C'mon, you are yanking our chains. BTW, he has tested positive.

Chips Lovell

roco71 wrote: »

Forgive me for asking but has Lance Armstrong ever actually tested positive? I ask this as I have never seen factual evidence of a positive result.

Yes, he has. He's never been sanctioned for a positive test, but he has tested positive.

Raam

Hey there's slow boy again!

roco71

el tonto wrote: »

Yes, he has. He's never been sanctioned for a positive test, but he has tested positive.

No not yanking anyones chain, I humbly admit that I now stand corrected on the positive testing.

RobFowl

roco71 wrote: »

no legal eagle here but I think evidence is one thing and proof beyond a reasonable doubt is another thing

Forgive me for asking but has Lance Armstrong ever actually tested positive? I ask this as I have never seen factual evidence of a positive result.

It's Marion Jones you're thinking of there

lukester

Raam wrote: »

So was Jesus. Are you saying that Lance is Jesus? Because that's what I am reading here.

Jesus didn't try to crush his enemies. He could have easily, with smiting in his arsenal.

Raam

So Lance is a vengeful Jesus?

lukester

Raam wrote: »

So Lance is a vengeful Jesus?

Yes, a vengeful, megalomaniacal Jesus. Probably closer to Mussolini than Jesus.

Diarmuid

roco71 wrote: »

no legal eagle here but I think evidence is one thing and proof beyond a reasonable doubt is another thing

Forgive me for asking but has Lance Armstrong ever actually tested positive? I ask this as I have never seen factual evidence of a positive result.

He failed a EPO test on his '99 sample

Raam

He ostracised Simeoni and Basson.

lukester

A few others who've felt his wrath:
Greg LeMond

Frankie and Betsy Andreu

Some doorman

niceonetom

I've scared myself with photoshop.



Worst. Second coming. Ever.

Raam

This one wasn't great either.

petethedrummer

I think we need to look to cycling's greatest analyst for some perspective.

WonderLance wrote:

Hey everyone pay attention to this poster,they get it. This thread was not ablout everyone making add homonim attaks on my (or Tom Boomen) character but is about discussing why you hateboys still are on you're mad crusade even tho lance still has never failed a drug test and vever will.

In answere to you're question I say that he HAS TO FAIL A TEST, just once. The we will have evidence of doping. You can catch Stalone standing at an airport holding 100 doeses of roids but can you say he doped?

No.

You have to test him, they could be for his mum.

Lance has to fail a test, just like Jan and Rasmousenn did.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=310103&postcount=86

WonderLance wrote:

I think you have this all wrong.

You are the one who is blind and connot see the truth in the world. You live sheltered in a monastry of your hate, and cannot admire beauty and truth while I snort the cocaine of excellence and bang the hooker of awesomeness.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=309645&postcount=53

Raam

"Sheltered in a monastery of hate."

I'll give him points for that one.

leftism

''You live sheltered in a monastry of your hate, and cannot admire beauty and truth while I snort the cocaine of excellence and bang the hooker of awesomeness.''

BEST. QUOTE. EVER!!!!

petethedrummer

One thing I know for sure, Lance won't get fat like Lemond. Hell no.

EDIT: Damn can't embed. Probably cos its way to sexy for work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDawlrIeaVM

Junior

lukester wrote: »

Jesus didn't try to crush his enemies. He could have easily, with smiting in his arsenal.

Nah i thought Smiting played for Man UTD not Arsenal ?

SACH Central

Diarmuid wrote: »

He failed a EPO test on his '99 sample

And that test is the only one we know of.

I read the Paul Kimmage/Floyd Landis transcript. I wonder how many other tests he failed, but managed to buy or bribe; the testers, the testing lab, the UCI, whoever.

Good riddance anyway.

SACH Central

petethedrummer wrote: »

EDIT: Damn can't embed. Probably cos its way to sexy for work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDawlrIeaVM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDawlrIeaVM

Looking at this clip (not that I did) reminds me of two sayings:

1. If he had a mickey long enough he'd ride himself

2. If he was a choc ice he'd lick himself to death

manwithaplan

There will always only be one Lance for me:



Falcon Crest FTW

Junior

Spotted this today in my local bookshop, it's the closest these two will ever get.