
Tainted glory —
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong had denied numerous doping accusations, but in 2012 the International Cycling Union banned him from competition thanks to evidence of career-long drug use.

To dope or not to dope —
Scott Mercier, pictured on the left, was a cyclist who refused to dope. That decision cost him his professional career.

Postal delivery —
Armstrong joined the U.S. Postal Service team in 1998, riding for it for six years. Mercier also signed in 1997 but chose to quit after refusing to dope.

One-off talent —
Mercier says Armstrong, pictured here in a 1998 charity race, was "the star and one of a kind."

Mercier says he "didn't have any options" when he left the U.S. Postal cycling team after one season.

Tour de France winner? —
Armstrong went on to win seven Tour de France races, though he was subsequently stripped of the titles.

Despite the different trajectories their respective careers took, Mercier has become a close friend of Armstrong, describing them as "Lance and the anti-Lance."

Food for thought —
Mercier and Armstrong go on long rides together near their homes in Colorado, discussing memories of the sport and where it should head in future.

Different paths —
Mercier is now a financial adviser, and Armstrong said he did not follow his compatriot's anti-doping path because "there was no field waiting for Scott Mercier, no factory: Wall Street was waiting."

Height of his fame —
Armstrong waves during a parade in his honor in 1999.

Drawn conclusion —
Armstrong is immortalized in a graffiti "doping" artwork in Los Angeles in 2013.



