Lance Armstrong vs Filippo Simeoni: “A Nasty Doping Story” Tour de France 2004

The rivalry between Lance Armstrong and Filippo Simeoni revealed the darker side of cycling’s doping problem.

Lance Armstrong is a hugely talents cyclist, who dominated professional cycling from 1999 to 2005. He achieved seven consecutive * Tour de France victories. Armstrong’s rise to superstardom came after a “life-or-death” battle with testicular cancer. Fans Worldwide admired his comeback!

Filippo Simeoni, an Italian professional cyclist from 1995 to 2009, was the Italian National Road Race Championships in 2008. His testimony broke an unwritten rule of the peloton.

Simeoni, having used doping products and suspended in 2001 and 2002, gave testimony against Dr. Michele Ferrari, an Italian sports physician who had worked with both Armstrong and Simeoni, in an Italian court. Armstrong steadfastly defended the doctor.

Their rivalry came to a head during the Tour de France 2004. During Stage 18 in 2004, Angrily Armstrong, wearing the Maillot Jaune, vowed never to allow the Italian to have any success and joined an early breakaway group that included Simeoni. Armstrong’s aggressive move was widely criticized as unsportsmanlike and unnecessary. It appeared as a direct challenge to the Italian rider, which effectively ended Simeoni’s chances of winning the stage.

The feud between Armstrong and Simeoni endures as one of the most aggressive in cycling history. It sadly brought significant attention to cycling’s dark side, doping practices and ultimately the sport's competitive culture.

Filippo Simeoni's action set in motion one of the most contentious feuds in the history of cycling. It also puts a spotlight on “doping in professional cycling,” and subsequently the controversies that would later surround Lance Armstrong's entire career.

SPECIAL NOTE: * In 2012, Armstrong had his Tour de France titles stripped after a USADA investigation found evidence of systematic doping. A year later he admitted to using performance-enhancing substances throughout his career.