The Lance Armstrong I've followed and read about all these years wouldn't give up now, if he were innocent. He'd follow it up like he did investigating cancer. He'd consider it a challenge, which if won would make the world finally admit that he was right. Every hour riding in the snow and rain in training is worth a few months or a year of fighting, especially when he can afford the best resources money can buy.<p>He's still a hero of mine - he's the consummate professional, checking every tiny box that could possibly affect his performance, despite having some serious physiological advantages that might have left others feeling confident that they had it in the bag. He rode in the worst weather, just because he might compete in that weather. He lived for his life's work like most of us never will.<p>I believe he simply competed in a time where many really good racers were doping, and if you want to check all the boxes, that was one you had to seriously consider.<p>This is not he-said-she-said rumours. It includes 2009 and 2010 blood samples consistent with blood doping. Witnesses aren't enemies, they are some of his closest allies, people who he relied on for tens of thousands of kilometres. At some point the weight of evidence starts to mount up.<p>Keep in mind that the doctors (like Ferrari) who (allegedly) helped him, were experts in their field. They would have known every technique used to catch doping, and would have tested their methods against them. That's how you beat testing - you do your own testing, and if you can mask doping well enough, you use it on your top athletes.<p>Armstrong says he's willing to take people to court for this. If so, he's not only interested in moving on with his life. Moving on with his life would be ignoring it, and moving on.<p>So: still a hero and one of the most amazing athletes ever, but guilty.