The Texan back at the races
The organizers of the Tour de Flanders created a big controversy last week when they invited the disgraced former pro to speak at one of the pre-race events. The decision has met with strong criticism, and it’s not hard to see why. Remembering the fact that the Texan doped for most of his career is really not that hard. However, the organizers stand by their decision.
“With the ‘Tour of Flanders Business Academy’, we aim to invite a top-class speaker to Flanders each year. This can be someone from the world of cycling, but could just as easily be a representative of another sport or another aspect of our society. The very first speaker we have invited is Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong is delighted to be visiting Flanders to tell his story and experience his favourite one-day race live. To him, this will also be a return to cycling and, as far as I am concerned, he is very welcome!” said Wouter Vanderhaute, one of the organizers.
Peter Van Eenoo, head of the Ghent anti-doping laboratory, is one of the loudest critics of the decision. “The Armstrong invitation is absolutely reprehensible. Armstrong has been suspended for life and has not expressed any kind of regret for what he has done in the past. What does it mean to racers who have been cheated and robbed by the Texan and his associates? At stake there is not only the past, but above all the future of cycling,” he told Sporza.
What do you think about the decision? Should Armstrong be welcomed back into the cycling community? Let us know in the comments.
