Sports Illustrated’s Lance Armstrong Story: Santa Claus Doesn’t Exist

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Selena Roberts and David Epstein of Sports Illustrated have published their story about the allegations that cyclist Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) on his way to seven Tour de France victories. The story is targeted at all those people who still believe in Santa Claus. Roberts and Epstein are here to to you that Santa Claus is a fraud.

“The Case Against Lance Armstrong” publishes several allegations, most of which have been previously published by other journalists over the past decade. Two previously unpublished information are allegations that (1) Armstrong had access to an investigational drug called HemAssist and (2) Armstrong tested positive for anabolic steroids on three occasions.

Sports Illustrated did not explicitly state that Lance Armstrong used HemAssist; they only implicated that he did because he had “access” to it.

HemAssist belongs to a class of drugs known as hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC).  This category is a type of blood oxygen booster whose performance-enhancing effects are instantaneous and work without increasing hematocrit levels.

There is some debate on the internet about the effectiveness of HemAssist and whether or not it ever gained widespread use in pro cycling.

Sports Illustrated also reports that Lance Armstrong failed no less than three tests suggesting the use of exogenous testosterone.  Armstrong’s testosterone:epitestosterone ratio (T:E) was elevated in three urine samples tested between 1993 and 1996.

In order for a rider to test positive for steroid use, both the “A sample” must be confirm by a second “B sample”. In each of the three occasions, Armstrong’s B sample failed to confirm the positive steroid result. This is why Armstrong “technically” never failed any of these steroid tests. Some experts say that it is extremely unusual for the B sample not to confirm the A sample and even rarer to happen on three separate occasions to the same athlete pointing to problems with the test itself.

The use of performance-enhancing drugs appears to be rampant especially in pro cycling. It is not surprising that one of the most dominant cyclists in the history of the sport would come under suspicion. Lance Armstrong has been under attack for years and has been able to maintain his fan base and public admiration. It remains to be seen if the federal investigation into his alleged drug use affects his iconic status in the sporting world. After all, it is more fun to suspend reality and pretend that Santa Claus exists.