Armstrong to lose 7 tour titles

Lance Armstrong will be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, the US Anti-Doping Agency said Thursday after the cycling icon announced he would no longer fight the drug charges that have stained his legacy. USADA said Armstrong will be barred from cycling for life for using performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling’s most prestigious race from 1999-2005, charges that Armstrong has vehemently denied. Armstrong, while maintaining his innocence, announced his decision after a US federal court dismissed his lawsuit against USADA on Monday, paving the way for the agency to continue its case against him. USADA said in June it had evidence that Armstrong used banned substances, including information supplied by former teammates. Armstrong accused USADA of launching an “unconstitutional witch hunt” against him as he declined to pursue procedures that could take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.