Doping Disaster: On the Wheels of a Scandal
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Cycling legend Lance Armstrong, winner of the Tour de France 7 times, and his teammates from the U.S. cycling team have been under investigation for illegal “doping.” They are accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs like amphetamines, anabolic steroids, or EPO (erythropoietin), a substance that boosts endurance by increasing the body’s oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
Using any of these substances can give people an unfair advantage and is considered cheating. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into these allegations.
Although the investigation itself is closed to the public, Armstrong’s former teammate Floyd Landis, who won the Tour de France in 2006 and has admitted to drug use, recently wrote a tell-all book in which he describes drug use in the sport.
A Tarnished Legend
As the most successful member of the U.S. team, Lance Armstrong was a champion. His wins—and dramatic comeback after being diagnosed and successfully treated for cancer—made him a hero to people around the world. The damage that the doping allegations have done to Armstrong’s reputation and to the sport is major.
Society has rules in place to ensure fairness. And so do most professional sports. Parents teach their children to play by the rules, and we expect adults to live up to these standards, too.
But the pressure to win—or to get good grades, or to complete a big assignment—can tempt any of us to bend or break the rules. When the stakes are high, and the competition is intense, shortcuts to gain a competitive edge are tempting. But is it worth it in the end?—especially in the case of illegal substance use, which can do long-term damage not just to reputations, but to people’s brains and bodies…
What do you think: What does it mean to you to hear that someone you look up to might have been riding to victory not on talent, hard work, and focus alone, but by cheating? What does “playing fair” mean to you?
DRUGS ARE BAD FOR YOU!!
(wah-cer-stene) well, in my opinion, not all drugs are bad for you. for example if in correct caffeine i thing is a legal drug. i dont know anything else. oh and one more thing, i like pie
I AGREE 99% DRUGS ARE BAD FOR YOU!!!!
Under investigation – nothing proven yet. This article leaves the impression that Lance is guilty.
Not Proven Yet!
God you guys,
Lance is a good biker.
He can’t just use steroids.
When he was treated for cancer, they had to take a blood sample.
Wouldn’t it have shown up there?
Or even in a urinary sample?
Dumb reporters asking stupid questions that everyone knows the answers to.
–Johnny
Lance is not proven guilty but in this sport almost everyone is taking some “rubish” in order to achieve better performance.
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I think that drugs are bad for you. Just because Lance didnt get proven guilty he is the one that has to live with himself. Its his conscience. I know if i were him i wouldnt be able to live with all the guilt. I think that it is a really big deal when athletes get accused for using drugs because alot of little kids look up to them. Theyre a role model to the world. Not only using drugs as a person in the spotlight you also ruin your reputation and can damage your body. You dont need drugs to make you a better athlete because by using them it can make you a worse athlete. Drugs arent good for you especially when you dont know all the facts. Apparently if your using drugs and say you know all the facts you dont because you wouldnt be using them in the first place.