Former cyclist Jérôme Pineau criticized his ex-teammate Lance Armstrong during an appearance on the podcast Les Grandes Gueules du Sport. Some statements made by Armstrong clearly displeased Pineau. The Frenchman stated that Armstrong “was the biggest cheater.”
It was all a show
Armstrong recently announced in the media that he, Jan Ullrich, and Marco Pantani were treated differently as cyclists, while other doping users were allowed to continue racing. “It was primarily a show,” Pineau begins his rant.
“That’s what Armstrong always did. He was a much bigger cheater. He even managed to convince the head of the UCI.
“Throughout his career, he behaved like a tyrant within his team and was unbearable in the peloton. He was also above all laws. He was the strongest because he cheated more often. He simply bought the system.”
The biggest villain in the history of cycling
“He is the biggest villain in the history of cycling. He corrupted entire generations, including me,” asserts Pineau, now 43.
“Armstrong had the whole political and sports system behind him, but not everyone was like him. I wasn’t like Armstrong, and neither were many cyclists in the peloton. I can’t listen to him talk like that. He has cheated his whole life.”
