The UCI has formally notified Lance Armstrong that he has been stripped off results dating back to 1 August 1998 including the seven Tour de France titles he won between 1999 and 2005.
World cycling's governing body last month ratified the sanction proposed by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which also banned him from sport for life. Subsequently, the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed that it would not be exercising its right of appeal.
According to Reuters, quoting UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani, the former US Postal, Astana and RadioShack rider has three weeks from the date of notification – last Thursday, 6 December – to lodge an appeal against the decision.
However, to say that’s extremely unlikely would be a supreme understatement, given Armstrong’s decision not to take USADA to arbitration back in August ahead of the agency announcing its sanctions against him.
Even once that deadline for appeal expires, the saga won’t quite be over, however. The International Olympic Committee is then likely to take steps to formally strip him of the bronze medal he won in the time trial at Sydney in 2000.
Last week, IOC president Jacques Rogges said: "The IOC today will not move because we need to have the situation whereby the UCI notifies officially Mr Armstrong of the fact that he will be disqualified and declared ineligible and that he should hand over his medal.
"When he will be notified Mr Armstrong will have 21 days to launch an appeal. It is only after that period that the IOC can legally take action."
Some great bikes but some not so great mechanics....
Intrepid investigive journalist uses taxi to get to traffic chaos street but somehow forgets local and important mayoral elections close local...
She went to school?
I've seen Pogacar on 170 and 165 cranks too
I was waiting for a cyclingMikey character to stop in the middle of the cycle route incanting "You will not pass".
There's discussion of that here: https://road.cc/content/news/uk-government-review-motorists-caught-out-c...
Also to reduce the likelihood of payments by insurance companies if they can show that a cyclist victim wasn't wearing a helmet or wearing it...
I have done it but whilst making you feel better, apart from the occasional sore hand, it always inflamed the situation. ...
There's discussion of that here: https://road.cc/content/news/uk-government-review-motorists-caught-out-cycle-lanes-308187
Six months too long.