Paul Kimmage on the Lance Armstrong doping ban - Newstalk radio interview 24 Aug 2012

Journalist and author Paul Kimmage discusses Lance Armstrong's doping ban on Newstalk radio's Off The Ball show.
24th August 2012.
All audio copyright Newstalk radio.
www.newstalk.ie
Note: this video is not a Newstalk production.

[@HassleCat]

Kimmage was angry because he thought clean riders were at a huge disadvantage because of doping. He rode mostly clean, as did others. When he publicly challenged Armstrong years ago, Kimmage showed real courage. He was not willing to go-along-to-get-along. Good man.

[@daveavalon]

Fair play to Paul Kimmage. Strong man to keep it going

[@TheAvarusAnimus]

Fair play Paul!!

[@skimywhistler25]

Lance was right about the chair, but what nobody knew at the time, was that he was sitting on the chair!! ( When he told Paul Kimmage he was not worth the chair he was sitting on!!)

[@reganovich]

He uses cancer as a metaphor..METAPHOR. Thats a huge difference. Well done Paul Kimmage for having the guts to confront the armstrong juggernaut

[@tazio2]

KImmage was right all along

[@ramaroodle]

Tyler Hamilton's book is so detailed that there can be no doubt about Armstrongs guilt, but it was the culture of the sport as well as the total complicity of the governing body. As Kimmage says, it's not about Lance, it's about the sport.

[@DerekJRobinson]

Fair play to kimmage the only man with balls to question Armstrong

[@JasonRoggasch]

Live strong is dying an ugly death because of Lance

[@CunningStuntsGoFast]

kimmage exposed the cancer in this sport . brave man to risk his job and career

[@katiemiaana]

Lance owes Kimmage an apology,

[@1stPlaceDirector]

Listen to the interviews of Frankie Andreau,Tyler Hamiltion and Floyd Landis (Lance's US Postal teammates). They speak of how Lance knew that drugs were needed in order to not be left behind, so he jumped on the bandwagon too. Lance took what other riders were doing and brought it up to another level. It went from a covert activity to an epidemic in the peleton, where a culture of drugs existed and anyone not going along became an outcast and was blackballed. That's creating a culture.

[@cinemadelica]

Not the only--think Greg LeMond. Betsy and Frankie Andreu. Emma O'Reilly. There were others both in front of and behind the scenes.All came under heavy attack by Armstrong.

[@edd184]

well done paul kimmage

[@dancedissadent2]

Kimmage is as great a hero to cycling

[@1stPlaceDirector]

My argument is not when EPO hit the scene. Cycling is a team sport. Just because Lance didn't win the tour right away, doesn't mean that he wasn't using. He was a workhorse for other riders before he got his chance to be the team leader on a Tour de France team. You don't just win the Tour simply because you are taking EPO. Remember that Lance won the Pro World Championship road race in 1993, so his rise began at the drug era start. You should look up the facts yourself for a complete story.

[@1stPlaceDirector]

The details of Lance's drug use is a lot more clear in 1999 and thereafter, thanks to the testimony of virtually all of his teammates (Andreau, Landis, Hamilton, and now Hincapie,etc). There is evidence from former teammates on his Motorola squad as far back as 1993, when Lance won the World Championship. The Festina scandal was probably the first most public scandal that really let the public know there was a huge problem. I'm not saying Lance was the first to dope, just the level he took it to

[@flabhandski]

Also David Walsh

[@Xxplosive1987]

I remember watching the original interview and thinking what a prat...... How wrong was I, apologies Kimmage you know your stuff

[@1stPlaceDirector]

Your response does not seem to recognize that Lance was not a 'follower', but instead was a ringleader in regards to EPO drug use among cyclists. He created a culture of drug use for more than a decade amongst the pro cycling community. He was not just 'caught up' in a drug culture. He was the drug culture! He eventually became the most powerful cyclist and his word would make bicycle companies tremble to run afoul of him. Maybe you should read up more about the cycling scene that existed.

[@1972dsrai]

What about all the other cyclists who were doping? Same question applies to David Walsh. Both these guys were so focussed on Armstrong, but failed to mention that he was far from alone in what he was doing, but you might not know that if you listen to either of them. Armstrong didn’t kill anyone, he may have pissed a few people off and insulted a few, but caused misery?

[@feastonmyload]

"... and one rule the cancer Martyr" hahaha!

[@dieselcummins9638]

Paul, sue the pants off Armstrong!

[@rossphillips2321]

and the uci are trying to sue kimmage. strainge dnt you think

[@daveyork0]

Kimmage, antidoping and the integrity crap killed cycling

[@erlpen2016]

if lance was using cancer to make himself look like victim,when all along he was doping, then i don't think it was bad calling him that...

[@MrStonecold69]

if you want to go to war lets go to war

[@MrFranco1888]

Calling him a cancer martyr is shocking. This bawbag had a personel vendetta, he wasn't doing it for the good of the sport.

[@1stPlaceDirector]

Yes, I have been trying to figure out what your point is, and all I can see is that you kept putting words in my mouth and trying to make it appear that I was arguing a point that I am not, or on some sort of anti-Lance campaign, which I am also not. I'm simply taking a open-minded analysis of the facts. You are trying to mitigate Lance's wrongs unreasonably, hoping to fool people who haven't done enough research to know the facts.Lance had almost a cartel-like control over the cycling world.

[@1stPlaceDirector]

Don't be silly and put words in my mouth. Of course, drugs existed and were used by the peleton for years, but a drastic increase of drug use occurred with the invention of EPO, combined with the timing of Lance hitting the scene and being the type of person he was. He knew drugs were being used by his top competitors and he also wanted to win very badly. Unfortunately, he threw all morals aside and decided to beat them at their own game and do it even better. Lance became the leader.

[@MrFranco1888]

Armstrong was doing what everyone else was doing. But, calling him as cancer martyr is low.

[@sbobmc]

kimmage verse Armstrong on celebrity knockout I will allow it ,Armstrong gets juiced up and kicks his arse making kimmage a real celebrity . every12 year kid into cycling of kimmage's age knew about drugs in cycling ,its embedded in cycling history

[@purechina]

No positive doping results, no confirmation. Get off your high horse Kimmage.

[@iiiiibalanceded]

THE uci allowed this to happen

[@erlpen2016]

don't you think that you are placing blame in the wrong place? what about armstrong, tyler, landis and other cyclists who didn't care enough about the sport and doped to win their races?

[@1stPlaceDirector]

You are arguing something that is not in disagreement. I know EPO was used before 1999. But when EPO stated, Lance was there and probably used it too. You are tying to argue in a way that puts words in people's mouths, that they are not even saying. You are filling up the forum with worthless talk going nowhere and making no significant points. I think you are missing my point, which is that there are different degree of rotten apples and Lance was probably the rottenest, because of his power.