It's time for cycling to accept a basic truth. For the last several decades its been Keyfabe.
I've watched cycling for 30 years. Back in the 80s, the 90s the 2000s, everyone was doping. And everyone know.
Think back to the Festina affair, the cyclists strike because of a proposed crackdown. Think of the phrases cycling fans happy used about their heroes, "he must have a great doctor" is my favourite. No-one was ever under any illusion.
Because of this, Armstrong is right. If cycling is to be clean, and I believe today it is as close to being clean as any sport, then its time for a Truth and Reconcilliation style process. The sport itself knows exactly who the (very few) clean riders were back then because they were the butt of jokes (Boardman, who else?).
But the fans knew it too. There was no illusion, it was accepted as "real", it was Keyfabe.
French fans still celebrate their own drugs cheats, but discredit others. The hypocrisy is today where Armstrong is stripped of 7 tours while others keep theirs despite the exact same evidence of long term systematic doping against them.
Its time for the line to be drawn, full disclosure, keep the titles but make the fresh start that should have happened in 1998. The sports already cleaned up but now todays riders are being tarnished by an association with the past. Let todays riders admit their past errors, let them continue with no ban if they renounce, life ban if they don't. And make them pay a bond they won't get back for 20 years if they want to keep riding.
This is the only way to make it clear that while the sport has a tarnished history, its still the sports history with achievements which are worthy of admiration and celebration. EPO didn't help Lance Armstrong on the Descent Into Gap, Riders that won in a 99% doped field would have won in an undoped field.
But the real benefit will be for riders today, who can claim they are clean and no longer have to fight allegations against riders from decades ago continually blighting the sport.