The interesting thing about those records is that the annual fee for doping was $15,000, but the ledger shows payments of $75,000 to $100,000, supposedly for Armstrong.
What was Armstrong getting from this doctor that was so different from doping?
We know Armstrong had a relationship with Ferrari, Armstrong has said so (the USADA argument is simply over whether Lance ended that relationship in 2004, or 2006, or 2009 — they seem to argue that he continued paying through 2006, and had some sort of free relationship to 2009; since Lance isn’t talking anymore, we have no idea if the payments after 2004 were settling balances or were for new work).
Could it be that Armstrong, who needed drugs that were banned or similar to banned items, and had special limited exemptions, needed the Ferrari to make sure he didn’t do anything that would fail a drug test? And if so, would that be a sign that he wanted to do everything he could without actually breaking the rules, or would it be a sign he wanted to get away with cheating?
Or is there a conspiracy? Could Armstrong have been using Ferrari because he was very good at what he did, and then Ferrari started blackmailing Armstrong, and that’s why Armstrong’s payments are so much higher than the cost of doping?
Or was Armstrong paying off Ferrari not to talk?
If an entire cycling team is taking drugs, is it a shock that Armstrong would feel compelled to do so as well? Or was an entire team forced to drug themselves against their will because of Armstrong?
When did the use of drugs in cycling stop being part of the cost of doing business, and actually become cheating? Suppose Armstrong had never used drugs, and never won a Tour. Would we be talking about how great he was, or would he be a nobody like all the other nobodies, and would there be some other winner that was being brow-beaten for drug use?
That's obvious
and then Ferrari started blackmailing Armstrong
blackmail only works if you have something to be blackmailed for.
and that’s why Armstrong’s payments are so much higher than the cost of doping?
he may have wanted Dr Ferrari's services exclusively for himself and no other cyclist.