"You don't win seven Tours by eating lettuce and spaghetti"

"Why on earth would I be surprised that Armstrong doped? There are no heroes in cycling. And no Supermen either. But drugs meant the riders with the most money were the best."

JESÚS MANZANO

23/10/2012

Former Spanish cyclist Jesús Manzano, who almost died after an ill-fated blood transfusion, has declared that cycling is now in disarray due to the revelations that Lance Armstrong won his seven Tours de France by taking performance enhancing drugs.

Manzano, who used to ride for the Kelme team, gave an interview to AS in 2004 in which he gave details of how cyclists took drugs and managed to pass drugs tests.

"Armstrong was laughing at everyone, it's a total disgrace," he said in an interview with Spanish television station 'Cuatro' on Tuesday.

The Armstrong Case: "Why on earth would I be surprised that Armstrong doped? There are no heroes in cycling. And no Supermen either. It's very difficult to win the Tour de France seven times in a row. Who was Armstrong's doctor? [Michele] Ferrari. Who is Ferrari? The best doctor in the world. You can't turn a donkey into a racing horse. But drugs meant that the riders with the most money or the best doctors were the best. "

Armstrong's stronghold on the Tour: "You don't win a Tour in one day, you win it over 21 days. So, you're not just doping for one day. What Armstrong achieved wasn't normal, and he's a liar because he was laughing at everyone. Not just at the Spanish riders, but at everyone. It's an absolute disgrace."

The Tour prize money: "Where's all the money he won from the Tour gone? Just as [Alberto] Contador had to return his prize money [the Spaniard won the Tour in 2010 but was then found guilty of doping, handing the title to Andy Schleck], Armstrong should have to as well. If there's any fairness in the sport, then everyone has to be punished in the same way."

In reference to Contador: "You don't win seven Tours by eating spaghetti and lettuce. And if you eat a steak you don't test positive for clenbuterol [the drug Contador was found guilty of taking]. You would have to have eaten the entire cow, and no-one eats an entire cow."

Future of Cycling: "It has to start again from scratch, and everyone involved in the sport has to resign, starting with the directors, and new people have to come in and take over. But nothing will change.