Professional, yet disgraced athlete Lance Armstrong had been pretty quiet since that whole doping scandal in 2012. But he was eager to brag about beating Vice President Mike Pence in a recent bike race in Nantucket. He shared his win on Twitter.
I can’t drop many people on a bike these days but I just blew the fuckin’ doors off Mike Pence on a Nantucket bike path. Day. Made.
— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) August 10, 2019
Instead of congratulations, Twitter users gave him ridicule.
He’s 13 years older than you and was never a professional cyclist.
— Mrs.Liberty (@LibertyJen) August 10, 2019
A younger man who rode a bike professionally passed an older man on a bike. That made your day.... ??????
— Q BossyCowgurl (@BossyCowgurl84) August 10, 2019
Sooo... the guy who cheated to win all his championships now thinks it's winning to ride a bike faster than a 60 year old who wasn't even trying to race him... got it.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) August 10, 2019
Armstrong later clarified that it was all a joke, and charmingly told his naysayers to "lightin' the f*** up."
Some people can’t take a joke or even having a little fun on twitter. Lightin’ the fuck up people. But seriously, I did blow his doors off!! ????
— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) August 10, 2019
Armstrong, who also beat cancer and founded the LiveStrong Foundation, won the Tour de France an historic seven times. But, in 2012, facing an impending deadline from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to admit to having both taken and distributed performance-enhancing drugs (you can see the full list here), Armstrong decided to avoid arbitration and accept the punishment. So, the USADA promptly stripped him of his titles and banned him from the sport for life. He later fessed up to Oprah Winfrey about the whole thing in a defensive interview that did him little favors with his already lost fans.
In May, Armstrong said he "wouldn't change a thing" about how the scandal unfolded. He admits his actions were a "mistake," but it was one he's glad he's made.
"Primarily, I wouldn’t change the lessons that I’ve learned," he said. "I don’t learn all the lessons if I don’t act that way."