![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
It's All Downhill From Here
Jul. 27th, 2006 11:59 pmSo if the news that Floyd Landis won the Tour de France wasn't a surprise to you, then you were probably one of the millions of americans who thought that no american had a chance at winning, and tuned the whole thing out. Why, since we Americans are a little self-centered, would we care when some other bloke wins a cycling race?
it then comes as a very little shock that Landis was tested, and came up positive for steroids. Any American would come under suspicion, especially after the multiple wins by lance Armstrong, which were always under suspicion by the international community.
There were always rumors, and even some who tried to put up evidence that Armstrong was at least using the after cancer medications to his advantage. Still, after being scrutinized for seven years, it became hard to deny that the man was just athletically gifted.
Still, people didn't know Landis, and suddenly he's on the podium accepting the trophy. All the riders who had been picked to win were in the shadow of another American, and this one, Landis, has a hip injury. How could one get through such a grueling race like that? Landis will have much to explain in the next few days as he will try to defend his title. He'll also be under suspicion in every other race he goes into.
I suppose he'll try to show that whatever showed up in the cup is medicinal, keeping his hip from flaring up during the ride, but on more than one occasion people have been stripped of titles and fired just because they took a banned cough medication prior to competition.
Of course, americans are having enough trouble with the use of steroids, everyone from high school athletes to Barry Bonds, that it's no wonder there's suspicion. When there's so much effort to go higher, faster stronger, and the lure is money, it's a powerful influence to take any advantage your given. so far the American public's reaction has been disapproving, but not condemning.
Still, you have to wonder about this race, and the athletes in it. So a man recovering from cancer (albeit in fine shape) can win seven times, then the next year the race is won by a guy with a bad hip? Heck, I get winded after a few minutes on a bike, and I'm thinking of trying out.
I know, I'm American and don't understand games we aren't good at, like soccer. still, our attempt to export snowmobile jumping hasn't been that successful, right?
I'm going to start placing bets that next year's winner is one of the quadriplegics from the movie "Murderball." This after Steven Hawking is thrown out for trash-talking with his speak and spell.
it then comes as a very little shock that Landis was tested, and came up positive for steroids. Any American would come under suspicion, especially after the multiple wins by lance Armstrong, which were always under suspicion by the international community.
There were always rumors, and even some who tried to put up evidence that Armstrong was at least using the after cancer medications to his advantage. Still, after being scrutinized for seven years, it became hard to deny that the man was just athletically gifted.
Still, people didn't know Landis, and suddenly he's on the podium accepting the trophy. All the riders who had been picked to win were in the shadow of another American, and this one, Landis, has a hip injury. How could one get through such a grueling race like that? Landis will have much to explain in the next few days as he will try to defend his title. He'll also be under suspicion in every other race he goes into.
I suppose he'll try to show that whatever showed up in the cup is medicinal, keeping his hip from flaring up during the ride, but on more than one occasion people have been stripped of titles and fired just because they took a banned cough medication prior to competition.
Of course, americans are having enough trouble with the use of steroids, everyone from high school athletes to Barry Bonds, that it's no wonder there's suspicion. When there's so much effort to go higher, faster stronger, and the lure is money, it's a powerful influence to take any advantage your given. so far the American public's reaction has been disapproving, but not condemning.
Still, you have to wonder about this race, and the athletes in it. So a man recovering from cancer (albeit in fine shape) can win seven times, then the next year the race is won by a guy with a bad hip? Heck, I get winded after a few minutes on a bike, and I'm thinking of trying out.
I know, I'm American and don't understand games we aren't good at, like soccer. still, our attempt to export snowmobile jumping hasn't been that successful, right?
I'm going to start placing bets that next year's winner is one of the quadriplegics from the movie "Murderball." This after Steven Hawking is thrown out for trash-talking with his speak and spell.
