Lance Armstrong will be stripped of his unprecedented seven Tour de France titles after the cyclist released a statement announcing he will not continue to fight the drug charges by the national anti-doping body the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
On his website Armstrong posted a heavy-going statement explaining his decision to finish fighting the allegations:
“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. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart’s unconstitutional witch hunt. 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.
“The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colors. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In-competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?”
In June 2012 allegations were made against Armstrong alleging blood samples he had given during 2009 and 2010 were “consistent with blood manipulation including EPO and/or blood transfusions”, meaning Armstrong was submitting someone else’s blood for drug testing.
Travis Tygart, USADA’s chief executive, said that in addition to having his titles stripped, Armstrong would be hit with a lifetime ban from cycling effective from Friday, with the implication that his refusal to continue fighting the charges are an automatic admission of guilt.
Heavy. What do you believe?
Via Vancouver Sun
Photo by Bryn Lennon for Getty Images
