Lance Armstrong gives up fight against doping charges. Will likely lose Tour titles Vol. BANNED

Here's Armstrong's official statement:

Lance Armstrong's 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 USADA’s charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADA’s 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 USADA’s 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 USADA’s 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 USADA’s 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. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s 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.
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I feel bad for those people who supported Livestrong and this dude off of the premise that he was winning these races in a miraculous and CLEAN fashion after beating cancer. It's all a sham. Doping is nothing new in cycling, and Lance Armstrong just proved that he's no better than the other cheats that came before him.
 
Statement is a load of crap. By giving up he copped to being an outright fraud. Just admit you did it.
 
but didnt dude never fail a drug test??? didnt he pass literally hundreds of druggies without ever popping hot???

if im wrong, let me know..but i hear the number 500 passed tests thrown around alot
 
VA757VA said:
but didnt dude never fail a drug test??? didnt he pass literally hundreds of druggies without ever popping hot???

if im wrong, let me know..but i hear the number 500 passed tests thrown around alot
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I'm not sure if Victor Conte has spoken on Lance's case yet, but with all of the advances in doping its easy to pass to a test. Just look at the Chinese swimmer who demolished the WR in the Olympics.
 
Part of me wants to be disappointed, but at the same time it's still remarkable Armstrong was able to accomplish what he did after cancer.
 
So the only (in America) household name in cycling is officially ******** and chipless? Didn't even realize they were still after him until recently.

Way to ruin Dodgeball, America.
 
What's the evidence against him? If he never failed a test and there's no evidence of him buying something illegal I don't see the issue
 
I'm looking down at my Livestrong band I've had on for, I don't even remember how long now.

Sad day to see him go down like this. Whether he cheated or not, he has done so much to help those with cancer to fight through, and even children all around.
 
I have mixed feelings. He, in all likelihood, was cheating. If he was passing tests so easily, I would imagine many other cyclists were as well.

I have supported Livestrong, probably have spent upwards of $1000 on Livestrong products over the years. To me, it wasn't about Lance Armstrong or something trendy but about cancer research. I donate now more to local organizations who I can see there's a direct benefit from to people in need rather than to these larger corporations and those attached to them like Nike, who is profiting as well.

Oddly enough, I just ordered 3 Livestrong items and got them on Monday. Two were too big and the Free Runs were a little too tight. I was gonna exchange the shorts and keep the sneakers but now I might return them all.
 
what ever happened to "innocent until proven guilty" :smh:
they just keep attacking his creditability after literally hundreds of tests that have come back negative
he'll always be innocent to me
LIVESTRONG :pimp:
 
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If he never failed a test then I have no reason not to believe him

Sucks that it had to go down like this though but honestly I don't blame him
 
poorniko said:
what ever happened to "innocent until proven guilty" :smh:
they just keep attacking his creditability after literally hundreds of tests that have come back negative
he'll always be innocent to me
LIVESTRONG :pimp:
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im jelly ur avatar doesnt black out
 
Sounded like a witch hunt. And they said it themselves in the article "...in a sport rife with cheaters" maybe USADA and WADA and UCI need to clean themselves up first before going after anyone who wins the TdF
 
It's hard for me to believe anything a professional cyclist from the past 15 years asserts. 

What is the motive for USADA to continue, even bring about in the first place, this "charade?"
 
JJs07 said:
I feel bad for those people who supported Livestrong and this dude off of the premise that he was winning these races in a miraculous and CLEAN fashion after beating cancer. It's all a sham. Doping is nothing new in cycling, and Lance Armstrong just proved that he's no better than the other cheats that came before him.
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he never failed a test, the USADA is breaking its own rules going after dude.
 
Can't believe his former teammates are snitching on him, what the **** do they have to gain by ruining his legacy??? :smh:
 
I still think what he accomplished is incredible whether he cheated or not. The whole sport is dirty and it seems like some winning cyclist tests positive every couple months
 
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