Steroids in Cycling

The Dallas Morning News has selected Lance Armstrong as a finalist for it’s “Texan of the Year” award. The Dallas-based newspaper was careful to note that the award is not necessarily given to individuals for their positive contributions. Rather the award acknowledges the impact an individual has upon society whether it is positive or negative. [Read more…]

A former Italian professional cyclist has blamed doping as the culprit in the development of a tumor discovered in his left buttock according to the Italian newspaer Gazzetta dello Sport. Graziano Gasparre, a former under-23 champion in Europe, had the tumor surgically removed during an operation in Reggio Emilia on November 23, 2012. [Read more…]

A former professional cyclist who was convicted of lying about her use of banned anabolic steroids has asked a judge to end the last 11-months of a five-year probation. Tammy Thomas was convicted of federal charges of perjury and obstruction of justice as part of the BALCO steroid scandal. She was sentenced to five years of probation. She has repented and reportedly turned her life around with the help of God and a job as a personal trainer. [Read more…]

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is desperately looking for ways to break its own rules when it comes to stripping Lance Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Armstrong placed third in the Cycling Individual Time Trial. Now, twelve years later, the IOC wants its medal back. The only problem is that the IOC has to find a way around the its own rules. [Read more…]

Scott Mercier was a professional cyclist for the United States Postal Service team prior to the arrival of future, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Mercier claims there was a culture of doping that was already firmly in place at U.S. Postal. His claim significantly weakens attempts by anti-doping organizations to use Armstrong as a scapegoat for the doping problem in pro cycling. [Read more…]

The United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by Lance Armstrong and the United States Postal Service professional cycling team gave the impression that everyone on the team used PEDs. The report compiled evidence and rider testimony that implicated Armstrong and his teammates in the systematic use of PEDs such as erythropoietin (EPO), anabolic steroids (testosterone) and human growth hormone (hGH). [Read more…]

Lance Armstrong has been under fire from all directions since the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) released its report revealing the systematic and organized use of anabolic steroids (testosterone) and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by the United States Postal Service pro cycling team. The report was not only bad news for Armstrong. It also bad news for the entire sport of cycling as hysteria rapidly spread throughout the peloton. [Read more…]

Lance Armstrong told LiveStrong supporters in Austin that he’s seen better times but he’s also seen worse times. In 1996, he was given a 40% chance of survival after diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread throughout his body. After his miraculous recovery, Armstrong had unprecedented success as a professional cyclist. He won seven Tour de France titles and he accumulated a fortune in endorsement income. [Read more…]

Steffen Kjaergaard, a retired professional cyclist from Norway, couldn’t watch all of Lance Armstrong’s teammates confess to doping without joining the party. Kjaergaard admitted using erythropoietin (EPO) and cortico-steroids during his time as a domestique with the United States Postal Service pro cycling team in 2000 and 2001. [Read more…]