Article
Details
Citation
Dimeo P (2014) Why Lance Armstrong? Historical context and key turning-points in the 'cleaning up' of professional cycling. International Journal of the History of Sport, 31 (8), pp. 951-968. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2013.879858
Abstract
The US Anti-Doping Agency published its evidence against Lance Armstrong in October 2012 after a lengthy investigation and a series of testimonies from his former US Postal Service teammates. This article aims to understand the development processes - local and global - that led eventually to his ‘confession' in January 2013 on the Oprah Winfrey show. By taking a chronological approach from the 1980s onwards, the following key themes will be addressed: the doping state of play when Armstrong began his career; the incremental confessions of other cyclists that helped break down cycling's secret doping culture; the broader organisational changes in anti-doping; the reasons why Armstrong became the focal point of anti-doping efforts; and the implications for professional cycling and anti-doping in the near future. Thus, the aim is to synthesise macro- and micro-level developments to explain the outcomes, and to further understand the consequences of this ‘scandal'.
Keywords
doping; cycling; Lance Armstrong; anti-doping; policy
Journal
International Journal of the History of Sport: Volume 31, Issue 8
Status | Published |
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Publication date | 31/12/2014 |
Publication date online | 03/03/2014 |
URL | |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
ISSN | 0952-3367 |
eISSN | 1743-9035 |
People (1)
Professor, Sport