Thoughts on Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong was a global brand, he represented courage, a never say die attitude, he had beaten cancer and had won a record 7 Tour de France cycle races, making him a legend in the sport.

He also started a charity called LIVESTRONG that was focused on supporting people with Cancer.

But what he have learned in the last few days was that this was all built on drug abuse, during a seven year period Lance Armstrong conducted the most complex and largest drug use program in cycling history.

Whilst I don’t agree with drug use in sport, I can understand it, especially if others are using them too.

But what I cannot accept, and this is what I believe Lance Armstrong fails to understand, is that like many people it’s his his arrogance, his bullying tactics where he tried to destroy some of the people who challenged him, his complete lack of remorse.

It’s clear he is sorry, but sorry for getting caught, not for having done it.

As a leader he lacks integrity and honesty, everything he does seems to be for the benefit of Lance Armstrong and not for the greater good. Even his charity seems to have been created as a smoke screen for his drug abuse, to make us see him as a hero, rather than the selfish drug cheat that he is.

He is not a role model for our children, or someone that people should look up to.

In today’s self first, consumer world he might believe that this behaviour is okay, but I for one will not forgive or forget.

Lance claims his lifetime ban from sports is a death sentence, which he claims to be unfair.

I disagree, in sports careers are short, and for 7 years which is a sporting lifetime for top cyclists, he blocked anyone from winning the Tour de France through his drug use, this was like a death sentence to the careers of the other top cyclists. But there is no mention of this in any of his interviews, he doesn’t care about others only himself.

He is not a leader, he is not a role model and we should strike his name from the records.