Lance Armstrong... greatest doper there was or ever will be

Just in case anyone missed it.

missed what?
This?

Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate:

I love Lance. Helping out the Aussie battlers.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/sport-superstars-take-aim-at-flood-20110113-19p0j.html

...I think Im over it now though.

International superstars Roger Federer and Lance Armstrong are amongst the high-profile sportspeople contributing to Queensland flood relief campaigns.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong, who has just arrived in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under, is in talks with Australian sprinting star Robbie McEwen to organise the race's peloton to do "something special".
"In this day and age news travels fast. I was just in Hawaii, the images travel the world over so people see it, more importantly than hear about it, they see it," Armstrong said.

Pedalo time trials?

Anyway, why is he riding the TDU? I though/hoped he had finally and irrevocably retired.

Anyway, why is he riding the TDU? I though/hoped he had finally and irrevocably retired.

2 million of these. Putting the $50k into perspective

If I were an Australian taxpayer I'd be asking serious questions as to why government money was being given to an ageing has been, who's likely to be discredited entirely in the not too distant future, to ride a bike around a bit.

On the plus side Paul Kimmage is covering it so there could be fun.

“The phrase used often is ‘Lance Armstrong beat cancer.’ Look, the reality is that Lance Armstrong got lucky, ok? That’s what it is,” he said. “If you survive cancer you’re bloody lucky. You don’t survive cancer because you are better than anybody else or because you do things differently than anybody else, you survive cancer because you are lucky. Lance Armstrong got lucky and if you want to sell luck to people, then that’s fine, and if they want to believe in that, then that’s fine.”

After having a mother that's survived two different kinds of cancer, I'm not sure I fully agree with Kimmage's point of view, a certain amount of personal sacrifice is required - you have to make your own luck as it were.

Though it's not so much about 'beating cancer' as to having the courage to go on with treatments that are really, really fucking horrible.

I don't really think thats a legitimate point of view either, but he's just a relentless troll when it comes to LA.

Didn't I see that video of Lance putting a verbal smack-down on him in this thread? I think it was over a different idiotic cancer comment (much like the above). Kimmage should leave cancer out of it, as it does nothing for his argument.

Although, it does make for exciting reading, which may be the point.

He's sort of right, but yeah, laying it on a bit thick to troll Lance and he has form of talking about cancer inappropriately.

If Kimmage stops talking about cancer, can we get Armstrong to as well?

Thought not. The issue Kimmage has, along with many others, is how cancer is used by Armstrong to act as a cloak that protects him from criticism. He survived cancer and has inspired many others in their fight against it too. That's laudable. He's also a liar, a bully, a control freak and, arguably, perpetrated the biggest sporting fraud in history. That's not so laudable.

I am pretty sure, in one of his less Messianic moments, Armstrong himself also described his survival as being down to luck. Oh that and having the CEO of Oakley (I think) force their health insurance company to pay for Armstrong's treatment. Oddly Lance has never been quite so outspoken over the fact that surviving cancer in the US can be down to having rich and powerful friends.

And they say money can't buy health.

My father (not rich or powerful) survived cancer in the US, in fact I am coninvced that it was because he was in the US that he survived, had he been in the UK, they may not have even caught it in time.

If Kimmage stops talking about cancer, can we get Armstrong to as well?

Thought not. The issue Kimmage has, along with many others, is how cancer is used by Armstrong to act as a cloak that protects him from criticism. He survived cancer and has inspired many others in their fight against it too. That's laudable. He's also a liar, a bully, a control freak and, arguably, perpetrated the biggest sporting fraud in history. That's not so laudable.

Yah, I get that, but every time Kimmage brings it up in such a negative way it only helps Lance. If he wants to get Lance to talk about something other than cancer then he needs to come up with something other than cancer to talk about. I don't think he's helping himself by giving Lance another opportunity to say, "Yah, I was lucky, that's why I've devoted so much time and energy raising money so that everyone stands a better chance of being as lucky as I was." queue the sighs of admiration of all those who have known someone who battled cancer

Queen Mother 101 dead.
Queen 84 not out
Her husband 89 not out.

OK Diana pegged out prematurely but she was assassinated. But yes, wealth brings with it health and old age.

Not positive, but I think you stand a better chance of surviving Cancer in the US and more common illnesses in the UK. Because they (health care providers) are forced to pay for costly, experimental treatments there. This only applies to those wealthy enough to afford healthcare, obviously.

My father (not rich or powerful) survived cancer in the US, in fact I am coninvced that it was because he was in the US that he survived, had he been in the UK, they may not have even caught it in time.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

That's good for your dad though, obviously.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2296368.ece

From 2007, and I think things have changed since - but not drastically.

Queen Mother 101 dead.
Queen 84 not out
Her husband 89 not out.

OK Diana pegged out prematurely but she was assassinated. But yes, wealth brings with it health and old age.

Diana's....dead?!

Sorry Rob. You had to find out sometime.

Was she assassinated or is that just speculation on your part Clive?

Clive ran her over on his expensive fixie. He said it was a cat, but you know...