We bid you adieu, Lance, but you’ll still need to answer the critics

This post appeared on Crikey Sports

Overnight seven time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong bid adieu a second time to the race that has defined his career. A career he has congealed into a tetchy international profile.

Like a graduating high school student looking to cause havoc on muck up day Armstrong, a former cancer sufferer, managed to irk tour officials during the warm-up to the final stage, from Longjumeau to the Champs Elysees in Paris.

His RadioShack team traded in the red and grey tops they have donned throughout the tour in favour of black tops with the number ‘28’ emblazoned on them. The team made the switch to raise awareness for Armstrong’s Livestrong foundation – the number ‘28’ representing the 28 million people currently battling cancer worldwide.

Officials stepped in and soon after the Radioshack team reverted back to the official uniform. Armstrong seemed to draw out the incident for as long as possible to achieve ultimate exposure.

For the record Armstrong completed the tour 39 minutes behind winner Spanish rider Alberto Contador. Despite Armstrong failing to challenge the general classification or take out a stage win, his RadioShack team did manage best overall team across the 20 stage grand tour.

Armstrong will now focus his attention on discrediting the allegations made by his disgraced former teammate Floyd Landis. Landis admitted to lying about using performance enhancers and claimed that Armstrong was a not only a participant in the practice of blood-doping but that he taught others including Landis how to administer doping programs.

Armstrong has been at the centre of doping allegations for his entire career, firstly by European press, more recently in the American press and now as a result of the Landis allegations, a US Federal inquiry.

During his career Armstrong has built – on the foundations of competing in and winning tours as a ‘clean’ athlete - the Livestrong brand into an international juggernaut. No doubt the Livestrong Foundation has provided assistance to countless cancer suffers worldwide, invested millions into cancer research and advanced the prolife of the disease.

My question is this – if during his retirement it is revealed that Armstrong has been guilty of blood doping then his recognition and achievements in the sport of cycling will evaporate - but what impact would such a development have on the legacy and charitable achievements of his Livestrong Foundation?

If Armstrong was found guilty of doping then the Livestrong Foundation was built on a false premise. Would investors have committed to the Armstrong campaign knowing that he had abused and cheated the sport?

Armstrong was cheered and revered on every stage during his final tour. He suffered setbacks, crashing numerous times in the early stages, which effectively ruled him out of contention in the general classification.

But Armstrong dug in and completed the tour in his customary polarising manner. I expect Armstrong to be just as polarising in retirement as he was climbing the Pyrenees.

If you think it’s worthy and can spare the ink please email your thoughts, opinions to litresofink@gmail.com