It’s welcome back to the Belfry

BALLESTEROS

THE Belfry is back – and not before time.

Yesterday’s announcement that it will host the UK Championship in August as part of the European Tour’s revamped schedule brings with it the hope that one of the country’s most iconic courses could be here to stay.

So many memories were made at the West Midlands course in the four incarnations of the Ryder Cup played there. Seve Ballesteros driving the 10th in 1985, then kicking off with Paul Azinger four years later; Phillip Price taking down Phil Mickelson in 2002...

It is 12 years since the Belfry hosted the most recent of its 17 Tour events. The circumstances may be unique but please don’t let it be as long until the next one. mother, who did, helped falsify his details on triathlon entry forms to enable him to compete underage.

And so set.

Armstrong admits first taking banned performance-enhancing drugs at the age of 21 and continuing to do so throughout his career, despite wondering aloud whether they caused his testicular cancer.

That devastating diagnosis came after he had been taking human growth hormone.

Regardless, when he returned to the saddle, he went back to the needle and EPO – his favoured rocket fuel – without a second thought.

Why?

“This is not going to be a popular answer but EPO is a safe drug,” he said.

“There are far worse things you can put in your body.”

Armstrong, apparently, did not care for how he was portrayed when the final film was put together.

Perhaps he did not recognise the man in front of the lens.

If he loves the guy in the film, why can’t everybody else?

Sadly for Armstrong that never going to happen.

He was happy enough to undergo blood transfusions when he rode – it was just a pity he could not have had a personality transfusion while he was at it.

amoral compass was is