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Armstrong’s Tour victories to have no new winner

Lance Armstrong AP

(Oct 27), Philippine Daily Inquirer

GENEVA – The 1999-2005 Tour de France races will have no winners attributed to them, embattled world cycling officials announced Friday, ordering doping-tainted icon Lance Armstrong to repay his prize money.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) this week effectively erased Armstrong from the cycling history books when it decided not to appeal sanctions imposed on the American by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

A damning report by USADA last week concluded that Armstrong helped orchestrate the most sophisticated doping programme in the history of sport.

An UCI management committee on Friday “acknowledged that decisive action was needed in response to the report”.

Armstrong will now lose all of his results from 1998, the year he resumed racing after successfully battling cancer, and a year before the first of his seven consecutive yellow jersey wins from 1999-2005.

Read More Here

(Oct 21), from Sunday Herald Australia newspaper

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Lance quits his charity

(Oct 18), from the MX Australia newspaper

LANCE Armstrong resigned as the chairman of his Live-strong charity overnight as three of his biggest sponsors — sportswear giant Nike, bike manufacturer Trek, and the brewers of Budweiser — terminated their contracts with him.

Armstrong distanced himself from the cancer-fighting organization so it could focus on its mission, not the doping scandal.

“To spare the foundation any negative effects a s a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career. I will conclude my chairmanship”

- he said on the Lance Armstrong Foundation‘s website

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Just before that appeared, Nike announced it had terminated its contract with him.

“Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him.” – the company said in a statement.

“Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs in any manner.”

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Today, cycling firm Trek, which made the bicycles Armstrong rode to seven Tour de France titles, said in a statement:

“Trek is disappointed by the findings and conclusions in the USADA report regarding Lance Armstrong. Given the determinations of the report. Trek today is terminating our long-term relationship with Lance Armstrong. Trek will continue to support the Livestrong Foundation and its efforts to combat cancer.”

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Budweiser brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, which used Armstrong to pitch another of its beers, also severed ties, as did energy food marketing firm Honey Stinger, which is removing his image from packaging.

The announcements come a week after the US Anti-Doping Agency released a 1000 page report detailing why it stripped the cyclist of his seven Tour titles.

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We Just didn’t do it: Nike

(Oct 16), from the MX Australia newspaper

From the Guardian UK

NIKE raised eyebrows last week for supporting alleged doping cheat Lance Armstrong despite overwhelming evidence but the sportswear company denied it paid $485,000 to cover up a positive drugs test.

The United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) report that details why the cyclist was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles described it as the most sophisticated doping program in sports history.

The USADA’s explosive “reasoned decision” focused on people who have claimed for years Armstrong used banned drugs but were threatened by the champion’s legal team.

They include Kathy LeMond, the wife of American cyclist Greg LeMond, who testified under oath in 2006 that Nike paid former UCI president Hein Verbruggen $485,000 to cover up a positive drug test.

Betsy Andreu, wife of Armstrong’s former friend and team mate Frankie Andreu, said: “Lance didn’t do it alone. How else could he pull off the biggest fraud in the history of sport? He had big corporations backing him, the cycling governing body, UCI, defending him, and the media ignoring the evidence”

Nike has a history of publicly supporting embattled athletes, including serial cheater Tiger Woods in 2009 and Lakers star Kobe Bryant when charged with sexual assault in 2003.

But the company “vehemently” denied paying Verburggen to cover up a drug test result.

“Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs.” the company said in a statement.

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Lance Armstrong stripped of seven Tour de France titles, given lifetime ban from Olympic sports as he drops appeal of doping charges

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Disgraced cyclist (Photo Credits: Cycling News)

(Aug 24) Disgraced cyclist will no longer fight charges he led sophisticated doping  conspiracy, will not have to hear former teammates testify against him, but now  leaves himself vulnerable.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has ruled on pending cases by banning Armstrong from cycling FOR LIFE.  Armstrong said that he is not contesting the decision.  The USADA also stripped him of all titles, including the 7 Tour de France titles.  Armstrong meekly demurred that perhaps the USADA does not have the power to do so, but the agency asserted forcefully that it has in fact all the powers to do just that.

”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 sent to The  Associated Press. He called the USADA investigation an “unconstitutional witch  hunt.”

“I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair  advantage in winning my seven Tours since

1999,” he said. “The toll this has  taken on my family and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I  am today – finished with this nonsense.”

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Armstrong insisted  his decision is not an admission of drug use, but a refusal to enter an  arbitration process he believes is improper and unfair to athletes facing  charges.

“USADA cannot assert control of a professional international  sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles,” he said.

“I know who  won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone  I competed against knows who won those seven Tours.”

“There is  zero physical evidence to support (the) outlandish and heinous claims. The only  physical evidence here is the hundreds of (doping) controls I have passed with  flying colors,” Armstrong said.

“Today I turn the page. I will  no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit  myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title:  serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved  communities,” Armstrong said.

Read More Here in New York Times

Related articles

• Lance Armstrong part of cycling’s ‘most successful doping program,’ USADA says (news.blogs.cnn.com)
• Armstrong Career Drug-Fueled ‘Start to Finish,’ USADA Says (bloomberg.com)
• Excerpts From The Recent USADA Report That Make Lance Armstrong Look Like An Asshole [Lance Armstrong] (deadspin.com)
• How Armstrong bullied whistleblowers (iol.co.za)
• Lance Armstrong stepping down as Livestrong chairman (metronews.ca)
• Nike ending contract with Lance Armstrong over doping allegations (thescoopblog.dallasnews.com)
• Nike Statement on Lance Armstrong (nikeinc.com)