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“I would be careful about taking advice from him”- F1 Fans react as Valtteri Bottas goes cycling with disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

"I would be careful about taking advice from him"- F1 Fans react as Valtteri Bottas goes cycling with disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong

Valtteri Bottas posted a picture of himself with former Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong on social media on Monday. 

Bottas is a big fan of adventure sports and cycling in particular. His partner Tiffany Cromwell herself is a road and gravel cyclist, who travels the world competing in various events.

The Finn is currently taking a small vacation in the United States, where he seems to be enjoying himself quite a bit. Last week, he posted a picture of himself exposing his entire backside, on social media which went viral instantly. This week, another picture has gone viral, but for very different reasons.

Bottas took to his Twitter and Instagram, to post a picture with former seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. He put up a caption that said, “Out with the locals.”

It was met with mixed response from fans of the 32-year old Alfa Romeo star.

Also read: “The penalty Lewis Hamilton got was already painful enough”- When Max Verstappen stood up for his Mercedes arch-rival in a live press conference

F1 Twitter’s reaction to Valtteri Bottas cycling with Lance Armstrong

Armstrong was a legendary cyclist. He was considered to be the greatest of all time, when he won seven consecutive Tour de France titles between 1999-2005.

However, his reputation got completely tarnished after he got involved in a doping scandal. It led to the American cyclist being stripped off all his Tour de France titles, and the media labeled him as a disgrace.

In 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency named Armstrong as the ringleader  of “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen”.

Since getting convicted with these accusations, Armstrong has lost all of his sponsorships and endorsements. He leads a quiet life now, away from the lights and cameras. However, his picture with ten-time F1 race winner Bottas has sparked an interest among fans of the sport, regarding the 50-year old’s past.

Bottas will travel back to Europe soon to rejoin his team in preparations ahead of the 2022 Spanish GP. The Finnish driver is currently eighth in the Championship, and is enjoying a stellar first season with Alfa Romeo.

Also read: “Hoping to get a good start and then play with Toto Wolff”- Throwback to Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas racing their Mercedes boss around Silverstone

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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