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Is France trying to strongarm Lance ?
It must be one of the best known love-hate relationships in modern sport. We’re talking here about our Gallic cousins and a certain Texan cyclist. Lance Armstrong has won the Tour de France 7 times and has NEVER failed a drugs test. There are those who think that this latter fact, and the absence of a French tour winner in recent times, grates unceasingly on the sensibilities of the French Cycling Federation and indeed the French sporting press.
Recently a man from the AFLD ( Agence Francaise de Lutte contre le Dopage ) turned up with a cup on Lance’s doorstep demanding a sample. Whilst Armstrong’s coach checked out the AFLD man’s credentials, Lance nipped off for a quick shower. Twenty minutes later he reappeared and duly obliged with a sample. His ‘disappearing act’ is seen by the AFLD as a breach of its rules and, theoretically, could lead to Armstrong’s expulsion from this year’s comeback tour.
This story was broken by the French sports paper L’Equipe, something which raised the hackles of Pat McQuaid ( Head of World Cycling ). “ The French (AFLD) have not acted very professionally in this case” he said. Anyone who follows cycling knows that the AFLD and the French sporting press ( especially L’Equipe) are like an old married couple – they often finish each other’s sentences, so leaking stories is no big deal.
It remains to be seen if Armstrong will be barred from this summer’s tour. If he is, then its not just his reputation that will take a knock. So too may his capacity to persuade governments to part with more cash for his Lifestrong anti-cancer foundation. There are those who think that this latter cause would have been better served by Lance NOT getting back in the saddle in the first place.
Posted: Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 @ 00:10 am by BigTips Admin
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