As referenced in the 2012 V-Moment of the year article and ensuing discussion, it was a most Vawesome year for cycling. It’s been hypothesized here and on cycling sites with more integrity that the fantastic racing of 2012 may be, at least in part, attributed to a cleaner peloton. Unless you watched the Tour de France you’d think the days of foregone conclusions and three week coronations are quickly becoming a thing of the past. It is in this vein we bring to you the Anti-V Moment of 2012: Lance Armstrong’s ceasing to fight the charges against him.
Now usually, we try our best not to delve into the seedy side of cycling. There is just way too much cool about our sport to focus our collective energy and attention on asshats. Besides, we’ve got bikes to ride. But the COTHO’s public announcement that he would no longer fight, er, defend himself against allegations of systematic doping, money laundering, blackmail, intimidation, and international douchebaggery has to be the biggest Anti-V moment of the year, if not in the history of pro cycling.
The COTHO could have feasibly taken one of three tacks as the winds of pressure, evidence, and public opinion continued to blow against his house of cards. Tack one would have been to continue lying, bribing, and digging an ever deepening hole as he steadfastly proclaimed his innocence. This obviously hadn’t been working for the past 10-odd years but at least it allowed him to maintain his base of supporters. Even as it became more difficult for him to maintain the façade he still had a sizable group of survivors, apologists, journalists, and mis-guided cycling fans who believed.
Tack two would have been to come clean (pardon the pun) and admit to the whole sordid mess he created but he didn’t have the ball to do this either. Who knows what his reasons are for not being honest? Best guesses are he’s rationalizing a set of excuses ranging from mitigating his financial liability, evading criminal implications, and blaming the corruptness of the sport. Maybe he’s trying to save face in some twisted way. But for as cliché as Tyler Hamilton even admitted in his tell-all; the truth will set you free. The COTHO could have stood in front of those microphones and cameras and said “Hey, you know what, I doped. I made some poor choices and lied to everybody and for that I’m deeply sorry.” Had he done so his detractors would probably still be his detractors and he would have given his supporters a legitimate reason to continue supporting him but at least everybody could say he fessed up and there is some integrity in doing that.
Alas, he took the Anti-V tack. He stopped defending himself, er, lying without admitting to anything and seems to be hoping to just fade into the background. In essence, he’s taking his toys and going home. What’s striking about this is that it is contrary to what we’ve come to understand about the guy. If anything, we’ve come to know him as a fighter, both in life and on the road. But this latest, and hopefully last maneuver was just plain weak. (Notice I’ve added the categories of “Evanescent Riders” and “In Memoriam” to this article in addition to “Awards”. The first two are much more fitting.)
Perhaps it belies the true nature of the man. A nature that involves intimidation, serial emotional and physical aggression and even violence. A nature that includes socially isolating his victims, arguing them into submission, and propagating rumors, gossip, and lies about them to sway public opinion in his favor. A nature that involves amplifying the mistakes of others in order to strengthen his own self-image. A nature whereby there are many innocent bystanders who are too fearful of repercussions to come forward themselves. The nature of a man who may be trying to compensate for his own insecurities and feed his own narcissism and megalomania. The nature of a simple bully who ultimately shows himself to be a big pussy.
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@strathlubnaig
I am enlightened and will rent it at the earliest opportunity...
Marko, nice piece......definitely the final closure after 10yrs+ of lies and deceit, just a shame he could not go out like a man and admit it.
While that was definitely the lowest point, the year in my opinion had some other anti-V moments: Schlek the elders doping that still doesn't have a result after 3 hearing, Veino winning the Olympics made even more suspicious by Urans comical head turn, Ferrari taking out Cav in the sprint swerving dramatically across the road, Rabobank abandoning cycling to name but a few.
Overall though a great year..looking forward now to 2013.
I hope this end to COTHO is truly the end & I no longer have to discuss him & his actions with non-cycling folks. I'm quite weary of those conversations. When I now see him in his younger days I have trouble squaring that dude with what he has become. At some point he seemed likeable.
I've always liked "A Christmas Story." Been watching it since I was a kid & the marathon is kind of annoying, but it's still funny & still holds lots of great memories for me. Farkus!!!
International douchebaggery should be added to the list of punishable crimes in the highest international courts. Sean Avery should be convicted of this, though I think he's mainly done this only on one continent, so maybe that doesn't count? Hopefully he's played in Europe so he can be convicted.
Well done, Marko and spot on on all accounts....international douchebaggery is an instant classic!
@roger
well said, Roger! I've gotten pretty wrapped in all the gossip, but your outlook would be a healthier standard to go with.
@the Engine this is one of many classic scenes, but certainly this is the most famous one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RgCbcT8eEU
Crap I still cant embed, stuff....whats wrong with me? Anyway, try this link
Well said Marko, you laid it right out there. Let us now ride forward in 2013. As @roger said, it dosen't touch us as long as we are out riding and having fun.
Fragile. It must be from Italy.
I was so unsurprised by the Reasoned Decision I feel like I had an inside peek. But I didn't, am I the only cycling fan that pictured the dopage As exactly as described by by Tyler? The UCI executive should be shot with a ball of their own bullshit, because they fuckin' knew man. Like Taylor in Platoon said, "it's in the fuckin' eyes man."
in that vein.
@Ron
I have to disagree. He was born a COTHO. Steve Hed said he was the most obnoxious shitbag he'd ever met but was so talented he sponsored him. I wonder if he now regrets that? Anyhow, I always believed it it's too good to be true it usually is. I liked that Dallas News called him Texan of The Year; albeit for the wrong reasons and 'a steely-eyed liar'.
Enuff said
He is the arch Anti-V, there will probably never be another one like him. As to why he stopped defending himself, even if you put aside the cowardice of not wanting to have the sponsors sue him for return of bonuses, there is a more serious reason.
He would have wound up being someone "bitch" in a penitentiary somewhere and I am not sure his "ball" could have survived that. He had originally stated under oath that he had no doped in the original investigation. If he continued to lie he would have been have had to lie under oath again and the evidence is pretty convincing. He he came clean he would have admitted to purjuring himself and that would have led him straight to incarceration. He had only one choice and that was to do nothing.
Having said that the shitbag dug his own hole so I hope he stays there for many years to come, and with a bit of luck we will all forget about him and he will become a non-celebrity, a fate, which I suspect for him, is worse than death!