When my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, my life became a Tim Burton movie- gloomy and dark. I didn’t feel like going home. For the next three years, she fought bravely, fighting a one-sided fight, but she finally had enough three years later.
I was already into the sport of cycling for a decade then and was inspired by the story of Greg Lemond, the 3-time Tour de France winner who, after winning his first Maillot Jaune in 1986, was accidentally shot and was minutes away from death but came back to win his second and and third Tours after that. And I thought it was great story.
Then came Lance Armstrong, a cocky and abrasive kid who many said would be cycling’s next great. Indeed, he was and he showed it by winning the World Championships in 1993 as the youngest champion ever. But then in 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had already spread to his lungs and brain. He was given a 20% chance to live.
Just like what he did to his sporting rivals, Lance stared cancer in the face and lived. Not only that, in 1999, he started a winning streak of 7 consecutive Tour de France victories. His victory not only made cycling mainstream, it inspired people, especially in the cancer community, to believe that cancer is not only beatable, but you could rise above your capabilities after you’ve beaten it.
As a cyclist who had a family member fighting cancer, Lance’s story became a respite from the chemotherapies, doctor’s visits and the side effects of the treatment, which became a daily routine in our lives. I read his book, “It’s Not About the Bike” not once but twice, because it made me hope that my Mom could be like Lance.
While Lance was winning in those 7 years, there were accusations that he doped all the way to the top. The logic was that, if his rivals, who came in 2nd or third behind Lance were caught using PED’s, then they could not have been beaten by some who was clean!
Lance was tested a gazillion times but he never tested positive. Yet, the accusations persisted. There were investigations that went nowhere but finally, the USADA said they had the goods on him. I’m not going to discuss the merits of the case anymore, I’m sure you’re as informed as me.
I always believed that Lance had used PED’s, but I can’t back it up then. Even if he did, it doesn’t matter to me anymore. It could have when he was winning but 7 years after his 7th Tour, it doesn’t feel right anymore. You can tell by how the public, not the media, responded. Cold cases are fine if you’re chasing Ted Bundy, but Lance, the person who raised $500 million for cancer and gave hope to millions more?
If he is stripped of his titles and is banned from cycling for life, he can always come here in Cebu and join our races. The Lance I remember is the guy who scaled mountains faster than anyone else and more importantly, the person who brightened my life in those 3, difficult, years.
Just like you, I have already made up my mind a long time- Lance Armstrong will forever be a champion.