Cycling may go into a decline Armstrong’s fall from grace affects not just him but the sport itself, says his cyclist buddy in interview

Cycling may go into a decline

Armstrong’s fall from grace affects not just him but the sport itself, says his cyclist buddy in interview

As news came in Friday, of Lance Armstrong being stripped of his Tour De France titles after refusing to clear himself of doping charges, his former Team Sky buddy, John-Lee Augustyn, could feel cycling itself going into a steep decline. Speaking to DNA, Augustyn lamented the fact that Armstrong’s fall from grace would leave the sport literally much poorer. “It’s not just about him. Actually, it’s quite sad for the sport which needs money and salaries for professionals. And it’s not at all good news for the sponsors who will stay away.” Augustyn agreed that this scandal would also obscure the moving story of Armstrong’s battle with testicular cancer. “I think surely now he’ll be remembered for the wrong reasons. That’s sad, because people still respect the way he battled cancer to return to the sport. I mean you really have to have a strong mind to do that.” As the past flashed through his mind, one incident stood out in particular for Augustyn. “We all enjoyed a good time together and shared jokes on tour. There was a very funny incident during the Giro (d’Italia). In Italian they say ‘die, die!’ which translated into English means ‘come on, come on!’ So he (Armstrong) kept on yelling, ‘I am dying, I am dying!’,” said Augustyn, aware of the tale’s poignancy in the current context.