BANNED FOR LIFE: Lance Armstrong To Be Stripped Of Tour De France Titles Over Doping Charges

[jannyk]

19. Wrong! This is the headline "Lance Armstrong gives up fight against USADA charges"

“There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now,” Armstrong said in a statement released on his website. "I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. 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.”

Armstrong, a survivor of testicular cancer and major fundraiser for research through his Livestrong foundation, had until Thursday night to inform USADA if he would fight the charges, with his last option arbitration. The cycling champion refused that option, saying USADA was ''on a witch hunt" and that the agency didn't have the authority to impose a lifetime ban.

“USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles,” he said. “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.”


Armstrong asked for a permanent injunction in federal court against USADA’s charges, saying the agency did not have jurisdiction and that it was violating his constitutional rights to due process. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks dismissed the case earlier this week. In issuing his decision, Sparks did say USADA’s charging document was of "serious constitutional concern."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-lance-armstrong-usada-doping-case-20120823,0,1326584.story