USADA Says It Will Strip Armstrong of Tour de France Wins
Photo by goat karma http://www.flickr.com/photos/goatkarma/Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Lance Armstrong says he’s giving up his legal battle over allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs, and now the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency wants to strip him of his Tour de France titles.
Armstrong announced last night that he had grown tired of battling accusations he relied on banned substances to win the Tour de France seven times.
“There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ For me, that time is now,” Armstrong said in a statement.
He maintained his innocence. But he said he would stop fighting the allegations in court.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygert says he intends to strip Armstrong of all seven Tour de France victories and ban him for life from professional cycling.
“It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes. 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,” Tygert said in a statement emailed to reporters.
Armstrong has said the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency doesn’t have the authority to vacate his titles.
Podcast: Download (766.1KB)
