For whatever reason, France hates Lance Armstrong. Seriously, they haaaate him. They hate him with a visceral disgust that they usually reserve for the Spanish (we’re just assuming that, like the residents here, Europeans hate anyone who lives across a political border from them). They were even discussing whether to make the day Lance broke his collarbone a national holiday. We’re kidding about that, but it’s plausible.
(France would burn these, but it would smell just awful.)
France’s usual weapon of choice against Armstrong is to hound him with drug tests, 100% of which have come back clean. It doesn’t seem probable that cycling’s demigod can win year after year after experiencing a catastrophic bout with brain cancer, but until they can prove otherwise, he did so cleanly.
But now, as Armstrong announced to his LIVESTRONG.COM site, he expects to be banned from the Tour. He didn’t test positive for anything; his transgression was… taking a shower.
As Armstrong explains, he returned to the house in France where he was staying to prepare for the Tour. A drug testing agent was waiting for him there alone, something Armstrong considered suspicious, since he’d never seen an agent conduct a test by himself. Armstrong and his party checked the man’s credentials by placing some phone calls, then let him in after he proved to be legit. Armstrong took a shower, submitted all the requested samples (blood, urine, hair), and sent the agent on his way. That’s all that happened.
But according to the AFLD (France’s anti-doping agency), that course of action was enough to merit a disciplinary hearing. As you can imagine, they probably won’t pass on an opportunity to bar Armstrong from the Tour de France. Will it just be for one year? Permanently? We’ll have to wait and see.
It’s just a shame that such institutional pettiness would manifest itself in a way that deprives a sport’s premier event from featuring its premier participant.
12:49 am on April 12th, 2009
It's just that the French are so unfamiliar with the concept of showering.
4:08 am on April 12th, 2009
haha. supid France. can't win wars. can't win their own race. what an AWFUL country to exist. simply awful.
8:21 am on April 12th, 2009
Lance was tested positive. His luck was that his doping-methods were so enhanced that he got discovered years later.
The french are just mad cause Lance paints himself to be some kind of Jesus of cycling.
8:42 am on April 12th, 2009
I honestly like Lance Armstrong, but he is as dirty as any top athlete in the world today. When he finally gets caught he is going to fall hard.
It is just not possible to compete at a top level in pro sports any more AND be 100% clean. Sad but true.
11:01 pm on April 13th, 2009
This has nothing to do with France. It's standard procedure for an athlete to not be out of the sight of the testing agent no matter what country is the test is performed in. The reason is that the athlete could transfuse his/her blood; or use a catheter to replace the urine in his/her bladder with clean urine; or take masking agents intravenously; or all three if they're fast.Lance KNOWS the procedure, and he still INSISTED upon taking a 20 MINUTE shower in a LOCKED bathroom. If rules are followed, he should be suspended for at least 1 year. Since all professional sport is ABOUT THE MONEY, it is unlikely he will face the punishment that he deserves.
5:23 am on June 16th, 2009
I get a kick out of French haters. I find that 99% of the time they have never been to France. They just go by what they've heard or read. Americans, get over it. We are becoming a united world and the United States is no longer the greatest country in the world. Several other countries have a higher standard of living than Americans do; Luxembourg and Switzerland to name two. As far as Lance Armstrong, I agree with Chris, I'm tired of the hype and all the fawning over Lance Armstrong. He's a man just like any other man. Eddy Merckx could have won 7 Tour de France's but luck ran out for him; one of them being hit in the stomach by a crazed fan. Armstrong had luck very much on his side. By the way Armstrong did not have brain cancer, he had testicular cancer. Americans, get over your excessive patriotism, learn to appreciate other people around the world, not just other Americans.