Sports Illustrated dubs Armstrong 'Anti-Sportsman of the Year'

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Lance Armstrong tops the list of names for Sports Illustrated's 'Anti-Sportsman of the Year' with British track cyclist Philip Hindes also nominated.

The American earned the title of 'Sportsman of the Year' in 2002, having won his fourth-straight Tour de France title. At the time, Armstrong dubbed it "the year of the team," with US Postal dominating the three-week race from start to finish.

With the culmination of the United States Anti-Doping Agency's investigation into Armstrong and his associates, and the handing down of the 'reasoned decision' document in October this year, light was finally shed on what was described as "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen". The UCI then backed USADA's decision to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France wins and the handing down of a lifetime ban for repeated anti-doping violations.

Sports Illustrated suggests that Armstrong have his 2002 award "revoked", saying that his legacy in the wake of evidence "crumbled faster than his steroid-fueled thighs used to take him up France's Pyrenees Mountains; former teammates admitted that not only had Armstrong constantly used steroids, but also that he practically forced his teammates to do the same. Not that he'll admit to any of it."

Meantime Hindes, a member of the gold-medal-winning team sprint squad from Great Britain at the London Olympic Games, earned cycling's second nomination for the dubious honour.

Hindes had the task of leading out teammates Sir Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny when the German-born member of the team got off to a wobbly start in Great Britain's qualifying heat against Germany. Hindes then appeared to deliberately ditch his ride before the first bend with Hoy and Kenny reacting quickly to appeal for a re-start which was granted.

"So I crashed, I did it on purpose just to get the restart, just to have the fastest ride. It was all planned really," Hindes said
when interviewed following the incident.

By the time the 19-year-old fronted the post-event media conference, and the team had collected their gold medal for their defeat of France in the final, he denied that the fall was deliberate.

"No. I just went out the gate and just lost control, just fell down," he claimed. "My back wheel slipped and totally lost control and then I couldn't handle the bike anymore and just crashed."