Cycling

Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France no less than seven times, but saw his entire record go up in smoke due to positive doping tests. The American is therefore an expert on sports and doping, and he casts his eyes on Slovenian Pogacar's current dominance in this Tour.

Only a crash or illness could keep 25-year-old Tadej Pogacar from his third Tour victory. Vingegaard and Evenepoel acknowledge that Pogi is a class too strong. Too strong? That is not to the liking of Lance Armstrong, who watches the Slovenian yellow jersey wearer with critical eyes.

After all, Armstrong thinks Pogacar should keep a more low profile at the Tour de France to avoid fuelling speculation around doping himself. Pogacar's attack on the Col du Noyer was the straw for Lance. The Slovenian also admitted afterwards himself that he was unsure why he had done so.

"It was absolutely unnecessary to attack like that. It only increases the attention. If there is any speculation at all, this doesn't help. You also don't make any friends with it. Not in the peloton and not in the media. I would advise him to lay low a bit more. Sometimes you have to think about perception and the image (that others have of you, ed.). As a rider, you have to remember that this is not exclusively a sports competition. It is also a political event," Armstrong said.

"You know, I have been in his position and people have also tapped my shoulder then and said it was not necessary. I am convinced that this does not help. All Pogacar has to do now is just stay on the bike. He is going to win the Tour de France, it is over."

(FVDV for Tagtik/Illustration picture: Picture by gawain78 via wikicommons public domain)

Lance diz que as atitudes do Pogacar como a de hoje faz com que ele tenha inimigos no pelotão, o ciclismo além de ser uma corrida é também um esporte "político"#TDF2024 #ciclismonaespn pic.twitter.com/XX3YNVuphM

— O País Do Ciclismo #tdf2024 (@opaisdociclismo) July 18, 2024