Bradley Wiggins, the reigning Tour de France champion, expressed his utter shock and dismay at the amount of evidence that has been leveled against the former seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in the report published by the US Anti Doping Agency while admitting that he could have been dragged into the doping cycle as well, owing to peer pressure had he developed in any other cycling system other than the British.
The USADA released the doping report on Lance Armstrong where he is accused of not only doping on a large scale but also of being the ring leader in an all encompassing doping conspiracy. Wiggins cited how his former team mate at Team Sky Michael Barry admitted to being a dope cheat and testified against lance Armstrong in the inquiry by the USADA.
Wiggins stated that it is not only about Lance Armstrong or any one in particular, but about the culture that has grasped the sport. He added how he could relate to the likes of Michael Barry. He admitted that having made his debut almost 10 years back as a fresh, young 22 year old and with the peer pressure of having the likes Lance Armstrong as a team mate in the US Postal team was bound to have had its effects, where doping was practiced in a systematic basis.
He also mentioned that once a person makes a decision, he has to bear with it for the rest of his life, but that doesn’t mean he will have to be persecuted for it. He admitted that no one should face the consequences of a lifetime ban for a mistake they made long back. He also went on to add that the sport is a lot clean at this moment, and the doping culture, is slowly but steadily getting ousted.