If Not Armstrong, Who Won the Tour De France (Or Tour D’Utopia) From 1999 to 2005?

Lance Armstrong finished first, but, as long as the USADA gets its way, his wins will be stricken from the record.

The UCI does not seem to want to change the record books though. This issue could be fought tooth and nail through the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the coming months and indeed years.

I thought I would have a look at the seven Tours won by Armstrong and see who should succeed to the title.

I think most observers would agree that it would almost negate any value in having “caught” Armstrong if, for example, any of the titles passed to Jan Ullrich.

In the ideal world (which we all know does not exist) the UCI would want the “tainted titles” to go to riders whose reputations were unblemished – who had no issues about performance enhancing drugs, EPOs, HGH, blood doping etc. No mention of a rider below is to imply, in the absence of a “conviction” that they were a doper, but rather that they fall short, however slightly, of a squeaky clean and unblemished reputation.

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Should Sporting Record Books Be Altered? The Lance Armstrong Conundrum

Lance Armstrong is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable sportsmen the world has ever seen. Not only did he win seven consecutive Tours de France, but he did so after recovering from cancer. He was given a less than 50% chance of survival, but recovered to win over and over again probably the most arduous major sporting event in the world.

His reign from 1999 to 2005 left few neutral. Many saw him as a heroic figure – showing that cancer did not mean the end of a useful life and that sufferers could throw off the disease, and excel in what they did. He set up a foundation which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research and to help cancer sufferers and their families. You can read more about Livestrong here.

As well as doing all of that, he was able to pedal up, over and down the mountains and plains of France faster than anyone else. He could only be Superman!