Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong announced he will end his fight with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency over doping allegations.
The USADA has accused the athlete of using, possessing, trafficking and giving to others performance-enhancing drug and then covering up the violations.
The agency is expected to act swiftly Friday with a lifetime ban from cycling and a loss of all race results beginning from Aug. 1, 1998.
Armstrong made this statement, “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ For me, that time is now.”
Shortly after the latest allegations were leveled Lance posted this denial on his website, “I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one.”
USADA chief executive officer Travis T. Tygart released a statement, “It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes. This is a heartbreaking example of how the win-at-all costs culture of sport, if left unchecked, will overtake fair, safe and honest competition, but for clean 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.”
Armstrong remains firm on one point, “I know who won those seven Tours. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially Travis Tygart.”
Photo Credit: WENN