Have your say on Lance Armstrong.
Lance Armstrong will be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after announcing he will not fight charges brought by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Armstrong made the shock announcement in a statement in which he cited a familiar defence, but said he was "finished with this nonsense".
Read Lance Armstrong's full statement
"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'enough is enough,' the statement read.
"For me, that time is now. 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 (USADA CEO) 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."
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The move by Armstrong paves the way for USADA to strip the 40-year-old of his cycling titles and ban him from competition for life.
The agency confirmed to ninemsn a short time ago that it would be proceeding with the penalties, saying it was 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," the agency added in a statement.
"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 drug".
The agency has always maintained it has overwhelming evidence that Armstrong doped, based on lab results and eyewitness accounts. It is believed that at least three of his former Tour de France teammates were willing to testify against him.
In making his announcement, Armstrong said he would "commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities."
Earlier this week, a US federal judge dismissed Armstrong's lawsuit against USADA, despite the athlete's assertion that USADA lacked jurisdiction to pursue a case against him.
Armstrong had also claimed the agency's arbitration process violated his rights under the US constitution. He could have appealed to a higher court.
Do you believe Lance Armstrong is innocent?
If guilty, should he be stripped of his Tour de France titles?
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