Forgetting Mr. Lance Armstrong: He is deprived of all 7 wins

By Anton Sanjoyo, Kompas

"Lance Armstrong deserves to be forgotten. This is a crisis, the biggest crisis ever faced cycling has. "

Pat McQuaid

Lance Armstrong suffered real tragedy for the sport in general, not just a disgrace to the branch of cycling. Echoes of tragedy is very loud and destructive not because of his phenomenal seven Tour de France champion stripped of her, but because Armstrong was already a hero. Armstrong originally was an inspiration to everyone, especially young people as athletes battling terminal cancer, cured, and then rise up as champions.

In front of us now, line up the millions of young people anxious. They ask, are there any honesty in cycling, in sports, and in life? Kelvin, a young rider pioneering new career, wrote an open letter to Armstrong. "Because of you, all the people at my school do not ask if I wear doping or not. They asked doping what I wear and how long I wear it. However, I do not use and never will. Thank you Lance, you have destroyed the sport that I love. "

For the world of professional cycling, this week, is a history of the darkest, as said Pat McQuaid, UCI President, the supreme body of sport bike world. However, athletes are born with the name Lance Edward Gunderson had been a hero in the hearts of many people.

In 1997, a year after being cured of testicular cancer, he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation or the then popularly known as Livestrong Foundation. The foundation is raising money for cancer research, raise awareness of the dangers of cancer, and encourage cancer patients to keep fighting. Working with apparel manufacturer Nike, the foundation then released yellow silicone wristbands were phenomenal. Titled "Wear Yellow Live Strong" yellow bracelet since 2004, it sold over 80 million copies worldwide and accounts for at least 25 million U.S. dollars for the foundation.

Now we know, Armstrong is no longer a hero, he's a loser. All the charges stemmed from USADA. U.S. anti-doping Agency Armstrong was indicted in a systematic and continuous eating doping from 1998 until his retirement last in 2011. Rider with the nickname "The Boss" was always denied. Armstrong even then sued USADA in the Texas court. However, the judge then stop lawsuits Armstrong. Broke, Armstrong later said he would not defend himself anymore. This decision USADA to remove all the titles he earned since August 1, 1998. "The Boss" was also banned from driving for life.

USADA then submit a report to the UCI as thick as a dictionary. The highest body of the world's sports bike then took off seven titles Armstrong in the Tour de France and numerous other titles. In the introduction to that decision on 22 October, McQuaid even said, riders born in Texas, USA, 18 September 1971, it no longer has a place in the world of racing bikes and had forgotten all memories.

However, had she? If we forget Armstrong, we also forget how he and his team at the time, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), has done the worst crime in the world of sports. Hundreds of witnesses and dozens of riders, among them dozens of colleagues in the USPS team, has given sworn testimony conclusively that Armstrong and team doctor Michele Ferrari was the center of doping conspiracies on the USPS team. Armstrong even major figure of the "push" rider-young riders to take part in a doping program Ferrari.

As if magic auspicious, another rider could not resist intimidation Armstrong. Even so, they are then provided testimony to USADA. Just mention the name Levi Leipheimer, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Frankie Andrue, Floyd Landis, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie. Ferrari, rider-rider played all the roles that may be done to protect Armstrong when anti-doping officials came to check.

In his report to the UCI, USADA also reveal modus operandi and Armstrong's USPS team did to outsmart the test officers so none tested positive Armstrong test doping. Various tactics are adapted to the type of doping use USPS consumed and Armstrong. Surprisingly, the basic techniques that are used, in accordance with the recognition of peers Armstrong is modest, ie dodge, hide, or escape from officers doping test.

USPS doping conspiracy network also spread dozens of spies to detect which hotel to stay a test officials. If information is obtained, the USPS team would stay away from the hotel clerk tests. If a meeting with the officers can not be avoided, the USPS team are trained to gain time to allow team doctors did an emergency transfusion to clean up the blood doping. In the report USADA during 1998 world championships, the official test rider transferred first to the other, while the team doctor smuggled a bag of saline infusion (saline) to be transfused to Armstrong. The liquid salt makes blood Armstrong looks normal.

UCI decision Monday to end the story of Cinderella Lance Armstrong, the loser hero. However, sport bike racing should not be dead, should not be destroyed, can not break the dreams of young riders such as Kelvin.