(Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
In what might be the most bizarre way possible to conclude the more than a decade long saga of doping allegations against 7-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, the cyclist just told Men’s Journal that he was done fighting against accusations of performance enhancing drugs. Only months after a federal investigation into illegal use of drugs was dropped, Armstrong said that if the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) were to investigate him and strip his titles if found guilty, he wouldn’t fight back.
It appears that Armstrong is through defending his reputation. VeloNation quoted the original interview:
“In my mind, I’m truly done. You can interpret that however you want,” he said in a long Men’s Journal interview, being released this week and dealing mainly with his bid to win an Ironman. “But no matter what happens, I’m finished. I’m done fighting. I’ve moved on. If there are other things that arise, I’m not contesting anything. Case closed.”
We’re sure that this revelation is only going to spark renewed interest in whether he did or didn’t use drugs, but the thing that strikes us as so strange is how far this attitude is from the one that has been the hallmark of the fiery Texan. For years any accusation of impropriety has been met with such vehement opposition from Armstrong that in some ways it seems more odd to see him metaphorically throw his hands in the air as if to say ‘do what you will.’
The entire article is fantastic and worth reading. Check it out here.
