A boil is Lanced.

[bon3yard]

At last...though he maintains his innocence natch. What happens to the 7 titles now, do they automatically get handed to the runner-up in each case(presuming they havent also fallen foul of the doping tests)?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/19365234

[DaveR]

As I understand it, Armstrong is saying that USADA don't have the power to strip him of his titles, which sounds right - presumably it would be the UCI, who regulate international cycling, and they have been supportive of Armstrong in the recent past.

[Mick Mac]

Radio 5 said this morning that the USADA won a court case to confirm they have autorisation to strip him of his titles back to 1998.

They will probably then go down the pecking order to the guy who came 113th, to get the first clean cyclist.

Personally I'm suspicious of any cyclist who wins the Tour de France. I have my doubts whether its possible to win it "clean".

[womanofdulwich]

No dissing Brad-I'm sure he was clean.

[????]

yeah, dangerous ground Mick.

[bon3yard]

I agree, no Britisher worth his salt would stoop to the murky depths of his foreign counterparts*

*See also diving in football(an ousiders prerogative)

[Mick Mac]

I like Bradley. I hope he is clean. I'm suspicious of the whole Tour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_at_the_Tour_de_France

If you scroll to the bottom of ther attached link, it has a table of the results of 1998-2012 Tour with colour coding for the doping charges. White is clean, there are few in the top 10 over the years who are still considered clean and most of the winners are doping, and with Lance Armstrong now sure to be coloured in, its clear its a very difficult race to make the top 10 without "help".

Its unwise to have blind faith in any winner of the Tour IMO.

[????]

...lots of internet Buzz about drugs in Spanish sport including Nadal and, gasps, Barca!

[Mick Mac]

It could get Messi.

[bon3yard]

Blimey, first financial ruin and now the possible discrediting of a newly bouyant sporting nations recent achievements. Bit of a ballache for the dusky Iberians and no mistake.