“Declaring ‘enough is enough,’ Lance Armstrong says he will not fight charges brought by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, a stunning decision that will cause him to be stripped of the seven Tour de France titles that turned him into an American hero,” as USA Today is reporting.
“USADA confimed late Thursday it will strip him of all results since Aug. 1, 1998 and ban him from all competition for life. Armstrong said his decision did not mean he would accept USADA’s sanctions. His lawyers threatened a lawsuit if USADA proceeded, arguing the agency must first resolve a dispute with the International Cycling Union over whether the case should be pursued.
“‘It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes,’ USADA CEO Travis Tygart said. ‘This is a heartbreaking example of how the win-at-all-costs culture of sport, if left unchecked, will overtake fair, safe and honest competition.’”
The rest of the article is here.
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I think he’s going out without disgrace. Never once did he test positive, but USADA continued to hound him based on others accusations. LiveStrong will live strong.
Now we have to wait and see if USA Cycling will take his Nevada City Bicycle Classic title away from him.
There’s a pretty good article on Outside magazine that suggests Livestrong may be more about Lance than cancer research. The number of accusations has continued to grow including by teammates.
Innocent until proven guilty.
Teammates that have been caught and punished for cheating, such as Landis, have the same credibility as felons offering testimony in exchange for reduced sentences. None.
Until there is demonstrative proof, I’ll continue to believe him innocent of doping.