It’s not so much that the Lance Armstrong story was too good to be true. Now it might just be too good to let go.

Even after investigators unveiled a scathing report portraying him as an unrepentant drug cheat, Armstrong continues to confound his public with rivaling images: A rapacious, win-at-all-costs athlete or a hero who came back from cancer.

We’ve all heard his story before: An up-and-coming cyclist gets stricken with testicular cancer at age 25. He’s given less than a 50 percent chance of surviving. Instead, he fights it off and comes back stronger. He wins the Tour de France seven times. Hobnobs with presidents. Dates a rock star and pretty much becomes one himself. Uses his fame and success to raise millions to promote cancer awareness.