I've been a huge Armstrong fan since I was a teenager. I watched him win le Tour every time, and I have newspaper clippings from each win. So it's with a small personal investment I read about the doping case against him now.
A Few Weeks ago
If you had asked me a few weeks ago what I thought, I would have said I was very skeptical about him not doping. I mean everyone else he beat was, so he would have to be some super-human to beat dopers if he was clean. That just seemed unlikely. Really I didn't care though. It was years ago and the cycling culture has been changing for the better weekly. I wasn't really sure that USADA spending money hunting him down was really worth it.
And Now?
I still stand by what I said above, but I've lost a lot of respect for Lance. See it's one thing to dope when there is only existentially a decision (do it or end your career isn't much of a decision), it's a totally different thing to intimidate and ruin other's careers.
What Should Change
Really I think that any change needs to go higher that just Lance. Pat McQuaid and the UCI need a major shake up. The culture that was allowed to flourish is ultimately their fault and it looks like they get to walk away with no punishment.
Ulitmately I'm just a bit sad that a sport I have loved for more than 20 years is having it's name pulled through the mud yet again. I'm hopeful that the new Pro's are clean (at least most of them) and that doping culture is slowly being irradiated, but it can't come fast enough for me.
I don't want to read another story about a winner, or any rider doping. Such a waste.