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Friday, Aug 24, 2012 6:45 PM UTC

Armstrong’s fall from grace may help cycling

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Topics: From the Wires,

Armstrong's fall from grace may help cyclingFILE - This July 29, 2001 file photo shows Lance Armstrong riding past the Arc de Triomphe waving the Texas flag after he won the Tour de France cycling race, in Paris. The superstar cyclist, whose stirring victories after his comeback from cancer helped him transcend sports, chose not to pursue arbitration in the drug case brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. That was his last option in his bitter fight with USADA and his decision set the stage for the titles to be stripped and his name to be all but wiped from the record books of the sport he once ruled. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File) (Credit: AP)

PARIS (AP) — Cycling supporters say that Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace, while sad, may benefit the sport in the future by demonstrating to potential cheaters what can happen to them — eventually — if they dope.

Former Tour de France champion Bernard Thevenet told French newspaper Le Monde that Armstrong’s lifetime ban and loss of his seven Tour de France titles “is really a very strong message to cycling and those around the sport who might be tempted to cheat.”

Cycling’s credibility has been repeatedly battered since the Festina scandal in 1998, when entire teams were ejected from the race.

Greg Keller

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

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  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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