GENEVA, Oct 22, 2012 (AFP) — Lance Armstrong's epic fall concluded Monday with the loss of seven Tour de France titles, leaving cycling with a gaping hole in its record book and grasping for a way to move past a drug-tainted era.
“Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling … He deserves to be forgotten in cycling,” Pat McQuaid, president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), said in Geneva as he called the scandal “the biggest crisis” the sport had faced.
In a highly anticipated announcement, seen by some as a key marker of the UCI’s determination to battle doping in the sport, the UCI backed the US Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to erase Armstrong’s entire career since August 1, 1998.
It was the final blow to Armstrong’s increasingly fragile reputation as the cancer survivor who beat incredible odds to win cycling’s premier race every year from 1999 to 2005.
Although Armstrong himself had gone to ground on Monday, a change on his Twitter profile hinted he had accepted his fate.
The phrase “7-time Tour de France winner” evaporated from his @lancearmstrong profile, along with a reference to triathlon, in which he is also now banned from elite competition as a drug cheat.
Otherwise, Armstrong had no comment as the World Anti-Doping Agency, cycling federations, race organizers, and former riders broadly welcomed the UCI decision as an inevitable step.
“WADA is encouraged that the UCI feels it can use this case as a catalyst to thoroughly clean up its sport and remove any remaining vestiges of the doping program that have clearly damaged cycling over the last decade,” WADA president John Fahey said in a statement.
USADA chief Travis Tygart said cycling must seize this moment to end a code of silence that allowed doping to flourish.
“There are many more details of doping that are hidden, many more doping doctors, and corrupt team directors, and the omerta has not yet been fully broken,” said Tygart, whose agency painstakingly built a damning case against Armstrong based on testimony of witnesses, including former teammates who themselves admitted cheating.
Armstrong’s remarkable cancer back story and Tour triumphs had been key to restoring cycling’s tattered image after a string of high-profile doping scandals in the 1990s.
For years he vehemently denied doping, but in August he said he would not fight USADA’s charges, paving the way for the agency to go public with its report.
In all, 26 people — including 11 former teammates — told USADA that Armstrong and his team used and trafficked in banned drugs and also used blood transfusions, and that Armstrong pressured others to do so.
[ ALSO SEE: ARMSTRONG'S BEST TOUR DE FRANCE FINISH: 34TH ]
Armstrong stands to lose more than his sporting reputation.
He has already lost a stream of sponsors — with sunglasses manufacturer Oakley joining the exodus on Monday — and now he will face demands to return performance bonuses and perhaps even prize money.
Texas insurance company SCA Promotions confirmed it would seek to recoup at least $7.5 million paid out in bonuses to Armstrong under a contract with Tailwind Sports, owner of the American’s former US Postal Service team.
“Mr. Armstrong is no longer the official winner of any Tour de France races and as a result it is inappropriate and improper for him to retain any bonus payments made by SCA,” said SCA lawyer Jeffrey Dorough, who confirmed the company would consider legal action.
The scandal goes beyond Armstrong, however, with McQuaid angrily rejecting charges that the UCI turned a blind eye, or even facilitated, doping during the American’s glory days.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has said Armstrong’s Tour victories are unlikely to be re-awarded — because so many of those who finished behind him have also been linked to doping.
McQuaid, who succeeded Hein Verbruggen as president of the UCI after Armstrong’s seventh and final Tour victory in 2005, is credited with boosting the body’s anti-doping program, notably with the pioneering blood passport scheme.
However, the Irishman was under pressure to answer how Armstrong and his teams managed to dope for so long without being detected.
Verbruggen stepped down in 2006 but remains honorary president. He ran the UCI during Armstrong’s golden era, when some say Armstrong and his teammates evaded dope tests either by hiding or being tipped off in advance.
The Dutchman has also been accused of protecting Armstrong — even accepting a donation to cover up a positive dope test. McQuaid on Monday said the UCI “absolutely deny” that Armstrong bought off the body.
Amid calls for the UCI to distance itself from Verbruggen, Scot David Millar — who served a two-year doping ban before becoming a clean-sport advocate — said the UCI should take responsibility for the Armstrong scandal.
[ ALSO SEE: TRAVIS TYGART: THE MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN ARMSTRONG ]
“Mr Verbruggen didn’t hold David Millar’s hand when he was sticking a needle into himself, no more than he held any of the USPS riders’ hands when they were sticking needles into themselves,” McQuaid said.
“They took that decision, and then they did it in a very covert way, trying to beat the system.”
Armstrong Chronology
1992: Armstrong competes in Barcelona Olympics, turns pro.
1993: Wins world championship, USPRO championship, and a stage in his first Tour de France.
1996: Enters year as world’s top-ranked cyclist. In October, has surgery and chemotherapy to treat testicular cancer that has spread to lungs and brain.
1997: Forms charitable foundation to benefit cancer research, resumes training.
1998: Wins Tour de Luxembourg, Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt and Cascade Classic.
1999: Wins first Tour de France title riding for US Postal Service team—just second American to win the Tour.
2000: Wins second Tour de France title. Publishes It’s Not About the Bike about return from cancer.
2001: Wins third Tour de France title.
2002: Wins fourth Tour de France title.
2003: Wins fifth Tour de France title.
2004: Armstrong accused of doping in book written by David Walsh and Pierre Ballester. Wins sixth Tour de France title.
2005: Wins seventh Tour de France title and retires.
In August, French sports daily L’Equipe reports tests on urine samples allegedly taken from Armstrong during the 1999 Tour and frozen were positive for erythropoietin (EPO). Armstrong denies doping.
2006: Armstrong cleared of allegations stemming from a 1999 drug test. In July, Floyd Landis wins the Tour but is stripped of title after failing a drug test.
2008: Armstrong says he’ll return to pro cycling.
2009: Breaks collarbone in first-stage crash of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon in March. In April, French anti-doping agency says Armstrong failed to co-operate with drug tester. Finishes third in the Tour de France.
2010: Landis admits he doped when riding with USPS team and accuses teammates including Armstrong of doping. Armstrong denies the allegations.
2011: January Sports Illustrated article quotes Armstrong’s 1995 teammate Stephen Swart as saying Armstrong was “the instigator” of EPO use by some team members. Armstrong lawyer denies allegation.
After competing in Australia’s Tour Down Under, Armstrong again retires.
In May, former teammate Tyler Hamilton tells CBS News that he and Armstrong took EPO during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tours de France.
2012: In February, US prosecutors drop criminal probe into Armstrong and other cyclists without bringing charges.
On June 29, US Anti-Doping Agency officially charges Armstrong with doping and trafficking of drugs, suspends him from competing.
In July, Armstrong files lawsuit in federal court in Texas against USADA.
On August 20, federal judge dismisses Armstrong’s lawsuit.
On August 23, Armstrong says he won’t take case to arbitration. USADA chief Travis Tygart says Armstrong will be stripped of all of results dating back to August 1, 1998 and banned from cycling for life.
On October 10, USADA submits its report to the International Cycling Union, unveiling evidence collected in probe of Armstrong and the USPS team.
On October 17: Embattled Armstrong steps down as chairman of cancer charity Livestrong as sponsors Nike, Trek, Anheuser-Busch, and others dump endorsement deals with him.
On October 22: world cycling’s governing body confirm USADA ban. Stripped of Tour de France victories and other career wins.
Lance Armstrong’s fact file after the International Cycling (UCI) on Monday upheld a US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) decision to ban him for life and strip him of his record seven Tour de France victories.
Now, only the Texan’s results before August 1998 stand.
Major wins: none
Stage wins:
Tour de France: two stages (1993, 1995)
Tour de Luxembourg: 1998
Tour DuPont: 1995, 1996
Other races:
World champion 1993
US Champion 1993
Clasica San Sebastian 1995, Fleche-Wallonne 1996
