Lance Armstrong Gives Up 7 Titles: Why? Ask Fans
Although the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has not presented any new evidence, Lance Armstrong has ended his fight against the charges that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
The surrender comes after over a decade of denying the accusations, and will result in the loss of his impressive titles.
"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough,'" said the cyclist in a statement written on his website, LanceArmstrong.com.
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"For me, that time is now," he continued. "I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999."
Armstrong is known as one of the most accomplished athletes in recent history and won the Tour de France an unprecedented seven consecutive times.
In a swift response to Armstrong's statement, the USADA said it would not only strip him from his titles, but ban him from competitive cycling altogether.
"It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes," said USADA's chief executive officer Travis Tygart in a statement released on Reuters.
"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 added.
If the USADA strips Armstrong of his titles, the 40-year-old cyclist would perhaps become one of the highest-profile athletes to face such a sanction.
Armstrong remained adamant that he never used performance-enhancing drugs, and added that there was no physical evidence to support what he referred to as Tygart's "outlandish and heinous claims."
"Today I will turn the page," Armstrong wrote in his statement. "I will no longer address this issue regardless of the circumstances."
Armstrong's legions of fans are left wondering why the legendary cyclist relented in his battle against doping accusations. While many believe he is innocent, some are questioning the athlete's honesty, while others speculate that Armstrong's legal team's costs have grown too much, forcing him to abandon efforts to defend himself against the USADA.
Subsequently, Lance Armstrong became a trending topic on Twitter Friday morning.
"What a load of b- for poor @lancearmstrong," wrote Twitter user Will. "Don't blame him for walking away, how long/many times does he have to defend himself?!"
Shane posted, "Lance Armstrong gets all his titles taken off him without any positive drug tests? #crazy"
"Something isn't right @lancearmstrong," wrote Shane. "If I'm innocent I'm fighting until I die! Just tell the truth, because by your actions, you cheated."
Regardless of why the athlete gave up his fight, the world of cycling is in an uproar over the case against Armstrong and is demanding that the USADA explain the details of their charges.
