Lance Armstrong should have listened to this parenting wisdom:
The punishment for lying will always be worse than the punishment for the action.
Taking responsibility for our actions is a fundamental value. As parents, it’s how we teach fairness, empathy and ethics to our children. It how we learn to understand the consequences of our choices so we can make better choices in the future. Taking responsibility is how we honour apologies; how we allow ourselves to forgive and move forward.
The world of alleged lies is crashing down around Lance. Nike—a brand based on elite performance—has dropped their relationship, not only because of the doping, but because of the decade of lies. More than likely, people would have forgiven the transgression at first—most people believe the sport is rampant with drug abuse at the highest level. We’d forgive and move forward. Ten years of lies is different.
Poor choices happen. But lies and deceit reveal something different about our character. It reveals a deeply engrained selfishness that can’t be trusted.
Parents know this. That’s why the punishment for lying is always worse.
Adventures of a Really Cool Dad 
I always told my children that no truth could be as bad as the lie covering it up. Armstrong brought so many others down with him it’s a pity. He pulled the rug out from a whole generation of racers. Still, we must be aware that it wasn’t just the US team. It’s rampant in the sport.
There’s a whole lesson to be learned about values. By all accounts, doping is rampant in cycling even though the governing agencies claim to be trying to stop it. While I don’t condone it, I understand an athlete lying to cover up their own behaviour, and falling from grace when exposed. But when calculated lying destroys other people and the liar stands by and watches, the whole issue — the scandal, the lies, the failures, the community — becomes much, much worse.
When you say “a whole generation of racers”, you’re right. For many years, every cyclist, young and old, will have a cloud of suspicion hanging over them. The lies have brought down Lance, but the culture of liars — greedy, manipulative liars — will hurt the sport more.
Thanks for sharing.