US Anti-Doping Agency set to strip Armstrong of seven Tour De France titles

Washington, Aug 24(ANI): The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) would strip seven-times Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong from his titles after the champion cyclist declared he was finished fighting the drug charges that threaten his legacy as one of the greatest cyclists of all time.

Travis Tygart, USADA's chief executive, made it clear Armstrong would also be hit with a lifetime ban on Friday.

Armstrong dropped any further challenges to USADA's allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling's premier event from 1999-2005 on Thursday night, and declared USADA has no authority to strip him of his titles.

However, Tygart maintained USADA has every authority to strip Armstrong from his titles, and described the Armstrong case a 'heartbreaking' example of a win-at-all costs approach to sports.

The International Cycling Union, which had backed Armstrong's legal challenge to USADA's authority, hasn't still commented on the issue.

Armstrong, who retired last year, declined to enter arbitration, which was his last option, because he said he was exhausted of fighting accusations that have dogged him for years.

"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now," the CBS quoted Armstrong, as saying in a statement.

Armstrong branded the USADA investigation an 'unconstitutional witch hunt.'

"I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999," he added.

"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," he said.

USADA reacted quickly and treated Armstrong's decision as an admission of guilt, hanging the label of drug cheat on an athlete who was a hero to thousands for overcoming life-threatening testicular cancer and for his foundation's support for cancer research. (ANI)