Lance Armstrong can no longer be referred to as one of the most accomplished cyclists after the International Cycling Union made its announcement on Monday, Oct. 22.
Armstrong is suffering the consequences for doping. The Court of Arbitration for Sport, the most powerful court in sports, stripped Armstrong of his Tour titles and banned him from Olympic sports.
“Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling; he deserves to be forgotten in cycling,” said Pat McQuaid, president of the cycling union, as reported by The New York Times. He spoke at a press conference in Switzerland to announce the ICU’s acceptance of the court’s decision after a 202-page report full of evidence against Armstrong.
“But in the past he said that he, his teammates and those riders who competed against him would always know he won those seven Tours,” wrote The New York Times. “In his biography on his Twitter page, he still calls himself the seven-time Tour de France winner.”
The United States Anti-Doping Agency is pleased with the union coming to recognize and accept Armstrong’s punishments for doping. The penalties were first implemented after the cyclist stopped fighting back against the accusations in August.
Armstrong’s popularity has been plummeting. He stepped down from his position as chairman of his charity, Livestrong. He lost practically all sponsors, including Oakley sunglasses, which was one of his longest sponsors. Nike and Trek Bicycles have also distanced themselves from Armstrong.
On top of the International Cycling Union’s decision, the International Olympic Committee has been reviewing Armstrong’s case to decide whether or not it will strip the once national hero of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics as well.
The New York Times reported that Christian Prudhomme, the Tour’s race director, stated in a news conference that Armstrong will be erased from the Tour’s record books. Prudhomme, himself, also no longer considers Armstrong a Tour champion.
Because of the immense presence of doping during Armstrong’s years of racing, no cyclist will be promoted in the standings to be the new champion of the Tours from 1999 to 2005.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/sports/cycling/armstrong-stripped-of-h…