Armstrong drops drugs fight: cycling legend to lose Tour de France titles

[Desi Cartman]

US Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart says the agency will ban Lance Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles for doping. 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 Armstrong on Thursday night local time dropped any further challenges to USADA's allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling's premier event from 1999 to 2005. Armstrong says USADA doesn't have the authority to vacate his Tour titles. However, Tygart told The Associated Press that USADA can do it. Advertisement Tygart called the Armstrong case a "heartbreaking" example of a win-at-all costs approach to sports. Armstrong, who retired last year, declined to enter arbitration - his last option - because he said he was weary of fighting accusations that have dogged him for years. He has consistently pointed to the hundreds of drug tests that he has passed as proof of his innocence. "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". Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/armstrong-drops-drugs-fight-cycling-legend-to-lose-tour-de-france-titles-20120824-24qk5.html#ixzz24QjVS6Sr

WOW this is some news

[superstar]

Sad :( He was an inspiration to many and will continue to be.

[Precambrian]

For a man who battled cancer to do this, comes a bit of surprise... I wonder there is more to it than just exhaustion... Never really bought into TDF really...

[EnterTheVoid]

At least he will be in good company, along with the likes of Marion Jones, Ben Johnson etc etc.

[nikred]

Not Armstrong, please. :((

[The Dark Horse]

Wow,..

[Manny_Pacquiao]

too little, too late. nobody cares anymore.

[Swing_n_Speed]

And who's gonna be awarded all those titles now? Jane Ullrich who trailed Lance in second position for a number of races is also banned. Nearly everyone does it.

[Crookbond]

TBF to USADA is acting like a Jacka**. Lance Armstrong's full statement http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstongs-statement-of-august-23-2012

AUSTIN, Texas - August 23rd, 2012 - 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. I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADAÃÔ charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADAÃÔ motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene. If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADAÃÔ process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and once and for all put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. 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? From the beginning, however, this investigation has not been about learning the truth or cleaning up cycling, but about punishing me at all costs. I am a retired cyclist, yet USADA has lodged charges over 17 years old despite its own 8-year limitation. As respected organizations such as UCI and USA Cycling have made clear, USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges. The international bodies governing cycling have ordered USADA to stop, have given notice that no one should participate in USADAÃÔ improper proceedings, and have made it clear the pronouncements by USADA that it has banned people for life or stripped them of their accomplishments are made without authority. And as many others, including USADAÃÔ own arbitrators, have found, there is nothing even remotely fair about its process. USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honor its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers expense. For the last two months, USADA has endlessly repeated the mantra that there should be a single set of rules, applicable to all, but they have arrogantly refused to practice what they preach. On top of all that, USADA has allegedly made deals with other riders that circumvent their own rules as long as they said I cheated. Many of those riders continue to race today.' The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. ItÃÔ an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. ItÃÔ just not right. USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles. 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. We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront. There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart. 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. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet.

[India-KXIP fan]

Lol everyone in cycling is doping especially the winners. He got caught later cause it is sophisticated drugs but samples are kept for later if ways to test are found. There's even blood doping in cycling. So it evens out, Armstrong still the best in Tour De france although he's not the greatest cause he was incompetent in the other 2 majors and never won those 2 tours in his career. He was only good in france.

[f.b.m]

Lol everyone in cycling is doping especially the winners. He got caught later cause it is sophisticated drugs but samples are kept for later if ways to test are found. There's even blood doping in cycling. So it evens out' date=' Armstrong still the best in Tour De france although he's not the greatest cause he was incompetent in the other 2 majors and never won those 2 tours in his career. He was only good in france.[/quote'] Are they genetically predisposed to doping?

[Lurker]

Abbe Desi Mama, kya hua? Bada rone waala topics share kar reha hai these days? Pahle Euthnasia ab ye. On the topic, this is one of those incidents in life that shakes one's belief to the core. Lance was a huge inspiration and if he cheated that would make people lose faith in not only him, but a lot of inspirational figures.

[Desi Cartman]

Abbe Desi Mama' date= kya hua? Bada rone waala topics share kar reha hai these days? Pahle Euthnasia ab ye. On the topic, this is one of those incidents in life that shakes one's belief to the core. Lance was a huge inspiration and if he cheated that would make people lose faith in not only him, but a lot of inspirational figures.

Since SJ is on sick leave, I have to fill in and report important news

[Lurker]

Since SJ is on sick leave' date=' I have to fill in and report important news[/quote'] Shukrwaar aur Jumma dono din ek saath kharaab kar rahe ho. :whack:

[triam]

I think professional sports should just allow doping.

[Desi Cartman]

Shukrwaar aur Jumma dono din ek saath kharaab kar rahe ho. :whack:

arey jumme ke naam na lo , adhey icf-er tumhay fir se mulla jee bolaingay aur baaki ke mere jaise Jumma chumma de de search karaingay

[Lurker]

arey jumme ke naam na lo ' date=' adhey icf-er tumhay fir se mulla jee bolaingay aur baaki ke mere jaise Jumma chumma de de search karaingay[/quote'] Thats a win-win scenario then. Log mujhe mullah bulayenge to tum apni thread-band-karo hawas ki pyaas bujhaane ke liye religion ka naam lekar thread band kar dena. Jumma chumma waale thread mein saare haramkhor tharkis, including me, will show up and do chewtiyapa. Atleast then it will look like it is a Friday. Right now it seems AK Hangal will walk in here anytime saying - Itna sannata kyun hai bhai?

[Khalpat]

Thats a win-win scenario then. Log mujhe mullah bulayenge to tum apni thread-band-karo hawas ki pyaas bujhaane ke liye religion ka naam lekar thread band kar dena. Jumma chumma waale thread mein saare haramkhor tharkis, including me, will show up and do chewtiyapa. Atleast then it will look like it is a Friday. Right now it seems AK Hangal will walk in here anytime saying - Itna sannata kyun hai bhai?

Lurker bhai change your Avatar now. Kab tak Akele Hum Akele Tum hoga. Ab Aayi Milan Ki bela ka poster lagao.

[Lurker]

Lurker bhai change your Avatar now. Kab tak Akele Hum Akele Tum hoga. Ab Aayi Milan Ki bela ka poster lagao.

Khalpat miyaan Jumma aapko mubarak. Allah kare Gorakhpur din raat tarakki kare! Jai Baba Gorakhnath Ekdam se change kar diya hoon Avatar. Topical hai Bombay, aur hamara doosra pyaar bhi, issiliye Bombay based bhi. Waise aapne kabhi jikr nahin kiya apni mohabbaton ka? Chaliye shahar ke baar mein hi bata dijiye :--D

[Crookbond]

Are they genetically predisposed to doping?

:hysterical: