Surprise, surprise, surprise

Lance Armstrong's much hyped plans for an independent drug-testing program have been scrapped. Why here at the Clarion Content, we can barely believe it! Anti-doping expert Don Catlin told The Associated Press that after months of negotiations, both sides, Armstrong's and the drug-testing expert's, realized the program wasn't workable. We hardly find it amazing that an anti-doping expert renown for being clean and straight can't find a way to conduct a drug-testing program with Lance Armstrong.

Because it is not like Lance Armstrong follows that classic pattern of illicit performance enhancement users; achieving for years on one level, like middle of the pack of world class tour cyclists, to then suddenly best in the pack after 1999. Armstrong's Tour de France finishes were middle of an albeit fantastic pack for six, seven, eight years in a row, then suddenly after 1999 spiked to a unparalleled seven straight wins. A medical miracle, or growth hormones, steroids, blood doping, something else, who knows? Lance knows. Too bad he and anti-doping expert Don Catlin couldn't work a testing program out to make sure the rest of Armstrong's career is clean(ish.)