Men who showed why extremism fails

Any comparison between Lance Armstrong, the 40-year-old Texan stripped of seven Tour de France titles at the end of a decades-long doping scandal, and Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik may seem incongruous but they have at least one thing in common.

Breivik, 33, was sent to jail for a maximum term yesterday when judges declared him sane enough to answer for the murder of 77 people last year. An unrepentant Breivik gave the Oslo court a clenched-fist salute before being sent down.

Armstrong, after years of shrugging off doping accusations — and viciously attacking those brave enough to make them — threw in the towel yesterday and said he would not fight them any longer. This surrender has been taken as a tacit admission and, according to the World Anti-Doping Code, he will be stripped of his seven Tour titles, the 2000 Olympic bronze, and all other titles, awards, and money he has won since Aug 1998. He will be barred for life from competing, coaching, or having any official role in any sport that subscribes to the World Anti-Doping Code.