HomeNews & FeaturesLance Armstrong Officially Stripped of 7 Tour de France Victories

Lance Armstrong Officially Stripped of 7 Tour de France Victories

A black day for cycling as the UCI ratifies the verdict of the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA) and formally strips Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and bans him for life.

The president of the UCI, Pat McQuaid said “We will not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will recognise the sanction that USADA gave. The UCI will ban Lance Armstrong from cycling and strip him of his 7 Tour de France titles. Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling.”

While the USADA verdict showed “beyond reasonable doubt” that Lance Armstrong engaged in doping and coverups, Armstrong retained his titles awaiting the UCI response.

This bring closure to the ordeal but by no means an end to the mess as this has further tainted cycling and sponsors are dropping out. It does however send a powerful sign to would-be cheats that even the most untouchable cyclist can eventually be brought down.

Is this the dawn of a new era where competitive cyclists put their trust in in sportsmanship? Speculation is loud that the Pro Cycling is now cleaner than it has been for years. There is plenty of room for improvement, faster testing and convictions are necessary along with improved testing so that the next generation aren’t tempted. This goes along with more clarity in the jurisdiction of different sporting bodies and courts.

Photo © Eugene

Christopher Jones
Christopher Joneshttps://www.bicycles.net.au
Christopher Jones is a recreational cyclist and runs a design agency, Signale. As the driving force behind Bicycles.net.au he has one of each 'types' of bicycles.
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