So when Armstrong confessed on Oprah the other night, I could not have cared less. It was a non-event for me. I was not surprised, nor was his admission a confirmation of what I had suspected for years. I had essentially not formed an opinion about it. I was only mildly curious as what effect it might have on my ability to follow the sport. In other words, would American viewers turn away from the sport and cause the executives of NBC Sports to drop all their great cycling coverage? Would I have to rely upon my subscriptions to Velo and Road Bike Action and, I suppose, the Internets, to feed my thirst for knowledge?
The answer to that will be learned over the next few years, and I'm not going to make any predictions here. It's like trying to guess who is going to pan out in the NFL draft. You just can't tell, which is why the Chiefs drafted Todd Blackledge.
However, in what is hardly more than a footnote to the larger Lance Armstrong controversy, the whole thing hit me in a way I had not imagined.
I am a Levi Liepheimer fan. Liepheimer is a terrific racer with an impressive resume. He has won three editions of the Tour of California and one US Pro Cycling Challenge, which is essentially the Tour of Colorado. These are some serious races against many of the best from the European circuit and with elevation changes that rival the Alps. And unlike the Alps, I've driven over Independence Pass and the thought of climbing it on a bicycle and, perhaps more terrifyingly, descending the other side, is incomprehensible to me. And it's the second climb of the day during the Colorado race.
Liepheimer also cheated. He is currently serving a six month ban for doping while a member of Armstrong's U.S. Postal team.
In other words, my opinion of Liepheimer is, well, complicated. Just like so many are conflicted by their opinion of Armstrong. Sure, there are people who always view these things as black and white, but for most of us, it isn't that simple.
Armstrong has done a lot of good. He popularized the sport we love so well. Then there is Livestrong. He is not lying when he hides behind the fact that everyone was doping at the time he did so. That does not, however, make it right.
Liepheimer does a lot of good too. His annual charity ride, Levi's King Ridge Gran Fondo, sells out in advance and in addition to being a celebration of the sport and a financial boon to his adopted home in Northern California, it raises a lot of money for charity. It is also on my bucket list.
So, while I don't feel the same way about Armstrong, I know how his fans must feel. And, well, who hasn't heard of Lance Armstrong? He has a lot more fans than Levi.
A more immediate concern is that Liepheimer was fired from his Omega Pharma team. Also my favorite team, largely because Liepheimer, who more-or-less supports other riders on the European circuit, is a member.
The team has other great riders, who I suppose I will be following more closely this season. One is Tom Boonen, a multiple Paris-Roubaix winner and a master of the Spring Classics: One or two day races that are often a lot more fun to follow than the Tour de France.
Tom Boonen. Who also used to be a U.S. Postal teammate of Lance Armstrong.
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