Drug cheat Lance Armstrong is set to be stripped of seven Tour de France titles stretching back to 1999.
The American cyclist has faught a long running battle with the cycling authorities but has decided to end his appeals to retain the seven  titles he won between 1999 and 2005.
The US Anti Doping Agency have pursued the case against Armstrong with former team-mates Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton testifying under oath that drug taking was widespread in the sport.
For decades the Tour de France has been tainted with accusations of drug taking with officials believed to have covered up in order to retain lucrative sponsorship and broadcasting deals with Armstrong’s battle against cancer taking the sport to a brand new audience.
The SPL are involved in a similar process as they investigate claims that Rangers issued side contracts to players in addition to the contracts registered with the SPL and SFA.
Various former Rangers players and sympathisers have claimed that retrospective punishment is inappropriate since titles were won fairly on the park but the SPL have the power to overturn results involving any players whose full earnings weren’t declared.
Commenting on the Armstrong case Travis Tygart of the USADA: “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.”
Armstrong has denounced the actions of the USADA as outlandish and a charade but will no longer contest their findings.
The shamed cyclist stated: “USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles.
“I know who won those seven Tours, my team-mates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours.
“We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront.
“There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart.”
Despite reaching the tape first at the 100 metres final at the Seoul Olympics Ben Johnson was not awarded the gold medal.
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He obviously doesnt go to his local lodge eh?
Strip them of all titles, all Scottish cups and all league cups. All games should be awarded to the other team. European clubs should be lobbying UEFA for monies lost to improperly registered players. Kill them now. No sympathy, no excuses. Put the mangy dog down.
Although I agree with you its a bit unfair to Mankie dogs.
“The titles were won fairly and squarely on the park”. What’s wrong with these people?
How can you win something fair and square when your using players you can’t afford to pay? Morons.
lance armstrong has never failed a drugs/doping test..
http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstrongs-statement-of-august-23-2012
Maybe he should rebrand himself as “the” Lance Armstrong.