Thomas Dekker snaps back at Lance Armstrong after Pogačar comments: 'The bully is back in full force'

Lance Armstrong managed to stir things up once again on the first rest day of the Tour de France. The former American cyclist, whose seven Tour de France victories were stripped after he admitted to doping, stated on his podcast that “Tadej Pogacar knows damn well what the real record is.” Former pro Thomas Dekker has his own take on the matter.

"He's going to win this Tour, isn't he? His fifth. And after the finish, we're all going to hear—including ourselves—that Tadej Pogačar has tied the all-time record for Tour victories and joined that exclusive club of five," Armstrong said in THEMOVE.

"Well, guess what? He doesn't believe any of that himself. He doesn't believe it. He knows full well what the real record is, so don't count on him taking a year off after that. I really hope he goes for it," says Armstrong, who hopes that Pogacar will also go for seven or eight victories.

Dekker watched it in amazement, he explains on the “Live Slow, Ride Fast” podcast with Laurens ten Dam and Stefan Bolt. “And no one dares to say a word about it, right? Because that’s not really what it’s about anymore. No one’s thinking about that anymore. But wait a minute—is it a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down for Armstrong? I’ve already made up my mind.”

"Yeah, a big thumbs-down, of course," Dekker nods. "He's flying around in his private jet again, and he's got his finances back on track... And yeah, in America you just start a podcast, and before you know it, you’re flying all over the place again,” says Dekker. “It was all very humble. And that’s how he slowly but surely managed to worm his way back in. And now? Well, the bully is back in full force. Like, ‘Well, guys, here I am again!’”

"He's not in any position to act so arrogantly about this. Because this isn't about cycling itself, or those seven victories. I think we've said that many times already. Everyone back then did what they had to do to win, but he really hurt people."

That’s what Dekker is all about. “The mobile home Floyd Landis ended up in. The way Tyler Hamilton was completely destroyed back then. Armstrong deliberately set out to destroy people who, in his eyes, were getting in his way. Look, I agree that he won those seven Tours. That was simply the reality back then. But they were officially stripped from him. So what’s the point of bragging about that now?”

The debate looks set to run and run as Tadej Pogacar continues to dominate this Tour de France.