Revocation of seven historic Tour de France victories and life ban: this is the verdict of the US anti-doping agency (Usada) announced the drastic measures against one of the greatest champions in the history of cycling, after Lance Armstrong himself surprisingly declared that he no longer wanted to oppose the accusation of having resorted to illegal substances for years.
The acknowledgment of Usada boss Travis Tygart was immediate: «It is a sad day for all those who love sport. This is a heartbreaking example of how the culture of winning at all costs, if left unchecked, trumps fair, safe and honest competition." Result: titles away and career stop.
Armstrong had thrown in the towel earlier in a note: “There comes a time in every man's life when one must say: enough is enough. For me this moment is now. I have faced allegations of cheating and having an unfair lead in winning my seven Tours since 1999. In the last three years I have undergone two federal criminal investigations following the unconstitutional witch hunt of Travis Tygart. . "I know who won those seven Tours. No one can change that, especially Tygart." Then, the announcement of what will remain his only future commitment: "I will do what I started before winning the first Tour: to help families affected by cancer".
Armstrong argues that his is not an admission of guilt, but the refusal to submit to a process that he considers unfair. Usada, on the other hand, is convinced that it has proof that the champion – 40 years old, away from the slopes since 2011 – has made use of prohibited substances since 1996, including Epo and steroids. Usada's line was immediately embraced by Wada, the World Anti-Doping Agency.
