Lance Armstrong Doping Controversy
- 12 years ago
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said on Thursday he would no longer fight doping charges by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
The agency swiftly responded by saying it would strip him of his titles and ban him from competitive cycling.
Armstrong is one of cycling's all time greats, and an inspiration to millions around the world.
After beating testicular cancer, he went on to win the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times in succession, from 1999 to 2005.
He emphatically denies the charges against him, yet maintains he no longer has the will to counter the accusations.
Writing on his website Armstrong says: "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough. For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999."
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency affirm they have at least 10 former teammates and colleagues of Armstrong who will testify he used doping drugs during races from 1999 to 2005.
They also maintain that blood samples taken from Armstrong between 2009 and 2010 are "fully consistent" with doping.
In a written statement released to Reuters, Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, says: "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, but for clean athletes, it is a reassuring reminder that there is hope for future generations to compete on a level playing field without the use of performance-enhancing drugs."
Armstrong's position is further challenged by former teammate and deposed Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, who has accused Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs and also teaching others how to avoid being caught
The agency swiftly responded by saying it would strip him of his titles and ban him from competitive cycling.
Armstrong is one of cycling's all time greats, and an inspiration to millions around the world.
After beating testicular cancer, he went on to win the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times in succession, from 1999 to 2005.
He emphatically denies the charges against him, yet maintains he no longer has the will to counter the accusations.
Writing on his website Armstrong says: "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough. For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999."
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency affirm they have at least 10 former teammates and colleagues of Armstrong who will testify he used doping drugs during races from 1999 to 2005.
They also maintain that blood samples taken from Armstrong between 2009 and 2010 are "fully consistent" with doping.
In a written statement released to Reuters, Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, says: "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, but for clean athletes, it is a reassuring reminder that there is hope for future generations to compete on a level playing field without the use of performance-enhancing drugs."
Armstrong's position is further challenged by former teammate and deposed Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, who has accused Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs and also teaching others how to avoid being caught