Late on August 23, renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong announced that he would no longer be continuing his fight against charges brought by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which included allegations that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs and underwent illegal blood transfusions throughout the course of his career. As a result of declining to challenge these accusations in arbitration, Armstrong will be stripped of his numerous Tour de France titles, and will be banned most elite-level sporting competitions.
Armstrong’s concession comes despite his numerous protests against the USADA’s arbitration process, which he has publicly denounced as an unfairly biased “witch hunt.” He pointed to the nearly 300 drug tests he took throughout course of his career – all negative – as evidence of his innocence, noting “What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?” Armstrong’s attempt to challenge the jurisdiction of the USADA’s arbitration panel failed in federal court earlier this year.
At least 10 witnesses – including former teammate Floyd Landis (who had beend previously stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title by the USADA after losing an arbitration battle originating after he tested positive for testosterone) – had been lined up to testify against Armstrong in the proceedings. The USADA derives its authority from Congress, and is charged with protecting and upholding the integrity of Olympic sports. Notably, the USADA has prevailed in 58 of the 60 cases brought before it
USADA President Travis Tygart was quick to make a public statement, calling the evidence against Armstrong “overwhelming,” and noting “[i]t is a sad day for all of us who love sport and athletic heroes. This is a heartbreaking example of how win-at-all-costs culture of sport, if left unchecked, will overtake fair, safe and honest competition, but for clear 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.”
In addition to the public relations nightmare, Armstrong faces potential legal troubles from sponsors/promoters as well (such as the U.S. Postal Service and SCA promotions), who could be positioned to demand the return of tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship monies paid to Armstrong throughout the course of his career.
At this point, Armstrong intends to resume
“committing [himself] to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, particularly those in underserved communities.”
As Armstrong faces sanctions, will ban include triathlons?
Lance Armstrong Ends His Fight Against Doping Claims