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发帖数: 187 | 1 (CNN) -- Famed cyclist Lance Armstrong faces the prospect of losing seven
Tour de France titles and his fabled championship legacy after he ended his
fight against charges of illegal doping.
Armstrong, who has consistently denied allegations of illegal doping, made
his announcement to stop battling the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's "one-sided
and unfair process" move against him after losing a legal bid Monday to stop
the probe.
The cyclist's decision prompted the anti-doping agency to say it will slap a
lifetime ban on Armstrong and strip him of his wins since 1998 after
deciding not to contest the charges.
But there's a question whether the USADA has authority in the case and
whether international agencies might have to weigh in before Armstrong would
face the prospect of losing his titles.
Lance Armstrong victim of vendetta?
2011: Armstrong teammate speaks out Seven-time Tour de France champion
Lance Armstrong has denied numerous accusations of doping over the years.
Look back at his record-setting career. Armstrong, 17, competes in the Jeep
Triathlon Grand Prix in 1988. He became a professional tri-athlete at age
16 and joined the U.S. National Cycling Team two years later. In 1995,
Armstrong wins the 18th stage of the Tour de France. He finished 36th
overall and finished the race for the first time that year. Armstrong rides
for charity in May 1998 at the Ikon Ride for the Roses to benefit the Lance
Armstrong Foundation. He established the foundation to benefit cancer
research after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. After
treatment, he was declared cancer-free in February 1997. Armstrong leads
his teammates during the final stage of the 1999 Tour de France. Armstrong
takes his honor lap on the Champs Elysees in Paris after winning the Tour de
France for the first time in 1999. After winning the 2000 Tour de France,
Armstrong holds his son Luke on his shoulders. Armstrong rides during the
18th stage of the 2001 Tour de France. He won the tour that year for the
third consecutive time. Armstrong celebrates winning the 10th stage of the
Tour de France in 2001. After winning the 2001 Tour de France, Armstrong
presents President George W. Bush with a U.S. Postal Service yellow jersey
and a replica of the bike he used to win the race. Armstrong celebrates on
the podium after winning the Tour de France by 61 seconds in 2003. It was
his fifth consecutive win. Jay Leno interviews Armstrong on "The Tonight
Show" in 2003. After his six consecutive Tour de France win in 2004,
Armstrong attends a celebration in his honor in front of the Texas State
Capitol in Austin. Armstrong arrives at the 2005 American Music Awards in
Los Angeles with his then-fiancee Sheryl Crow. The couple never made it down
the aisle, splitting up the following year. Armstrong holds up a paper
displaying the number seven at the start of the Tour de France in 2005. He
went on to win his seventh consecutive victory. As a cancer survivor,
Armstrong testifies during a Senate hearing in 2008 on Capitol Hill. The
hearing focused on finding a cure for cancer in the 21st century. In 2009,
Armstrong suffers a broken collarbone after falling during a race in Spain
along with more than a dozen other riders. Young Armstrong fans write
messages on the ground using yellow chalk ahead of the 2009 Tour de France.
He came in third place that year. Armstrong launches the three-day
Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. The event was
organized by his foundation. In May 2010, Armstrong crashes during the
Amgen Tour of California and is taken to the hospital. That same day, he
denied allegations of doping made by former teammate Floyd Landis. Ahead of
what he said would be his last Tour de France, Armstrong gears up for the
start of the race in 2010. Armstrong finishes 23rd in the 2010 Tour de
France. He announced his retirement from the world of professional cycling
in February 2011. He said he wants to devote more time to his family and the
fight against cancer. Armstrong's son Luke; twin daughters, Isabelle and
Grace; and 1-year-old son, Max, stand outside the Radioshack team bus on a
rest day during the 2010 Tour de France. The frame of Armstrong's bike is
engraved with the names of his four children at the time and the Spanish
word for five, "cinco." His fifth child, Olivia, was born in October 2010.
In February 2012, Armstrong competes in the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Panama
City. He went on to claim two Half Ironman triathlon titles by June. He got
back into the sport after retiring from professional cycling. Lance
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Photos: Lance Armstrong over the years The International Cycling Union has
opposed the anti-doping actions by claiming it has jurisdiction. That
position has been recently backed by USA Cycling, the official cycling
organization recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee. The cycling union
said Friday it won't comment until the anti-doping group issues "a reasoned
decision" explaining its stance.
Armstrong has said the cycling union and not the USADA should conduct the
arbitration in his case.
"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," Armstrong said in
a statement Thursday. "I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-
sided and unfair."
Legacy at stake: Lance Armstrong's legal fight against doping charges
Armstrong has been an icon for his feats and celebrity, bringing more status
to a sport wildly popular in some nations but lacking big-name recognition,
big money and mass appeal in the United States.
He fought back from testicular cancer to win the Tour from 1999 to 2005. He
raised millions via his Lance Armstrong Foundation to help cancer victims
and survivors, an effort illustrated by trendy yellow "LiveSTRONG"
wristbands that helped bring in the money.
The cyclist's one-time high-profile relationship with singer Sheryl Crow
kept him in the public eye.
But Armstrong has been dogged by doping allegations in recent years, with
compatriot Floyd Landis -- who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title
after failing a drug test -- making a series of claims last year.
After the Monday court ruling, Armstrong said "enough is enough" in the face
of his battle with the USADA and its CEO, Travis T. Tygart, whose
investigation he describes as a farce. The USADA is the official anti-doping
agency for Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic sports in the United States.
"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," Armstrong said.
Armstrong said he plans to help people "affected by cancer" and is "looking
forward to an end to this pointless distraction."
"Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of
the circumstances," he said "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."
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
Travis T. Tygart, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEOThe USADA has accused Armstrong
of using, possessing, trafficking and giving to others performance-
enhancing drugs, as well as covering up doping violations. It alleges he
took steroids throughout his career, saying it has testimony from former
teammates to support the charges. It has refused to reveal who provided the
evidence.
Tygart called this "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," he said in a statement.
But Armstrong has support. Johan Bruyneel, his former team manager, said he'
s "disappointed" that the case reached a point where Armstrong is "no longer
willing to participate in USADA's campaign against him"
"Lance has never withdrawn from a fair fight in his life, so his decision
today underlines what an unjust process this has been," he said.
Armstrong came out fighting in May 2011, in the face of fresh allegations
made on CBS News' "60 Minutes" show by another American, Tyler Hamilton.
In the CBS interview, Hamilton -- who retired in 2009 after twice testing
positive himself and who, earlier this month, was stripped of his 2004 gold
medal by the International Olympic Committee because of doping -- said he
first saw Armstrong use EPO in 1999.
EPO, or erythropoietin, boosts the number of red blood cells, which carry
oxygen to the muscles.
Armstrong has said in court documents that he has never had "a single
positive test" in the 500 to 600 drug tests he's taken in his more than two
decades in cycling.
"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," Armstrong said in Thursday's statement.
"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?"
In February, Justice Department prosecutors said they closed a criminal
investigation after reviewing allegations against Armstrong. They had called
witnesses to a federal grand jury in Los Angeles, but apparently determined
they lacked evidence to bring a charge that Armstrong used performance-
enhancing drugs.
In a June letter to Armstrong, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, the
USADA said it collected blood samples from Armstrong in 2009 and 2010 that
were "fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or
blood transfusions."
Armstrong sued the USADA to stop the investigation, arguing it did not have
the right to prosecute him.
But a federal judge on Monday dismissed Armstrong's lawsuit after ruling the
court did not have jurisdiction.
U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks acknowledged "the appearance of a conflict on
the part of both organizations creates doubt the charges against Armstrong
would receive fair consideration in either forum." But that doesn't mean
federal courts should intervene, the judge said, adding that "these matters
should be resolved internally, by the parties most affected."
"If these bodies wish to damage the image of their sport through bitter
infighting, they will have to do so without the involvement of the United
States courts," Sparks said.
Armstrong said he had hoped that a federal court would stop what he calls
the 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." |
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