Lance Armstrong has given up.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Armstrong effective surrendered his seven Tour de France titles Thursday, announcing he was giving up his years-long fight against accusations that he cheated to repeatedly win cycling's greatest race.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Chief Executive Travis Tygart said late Thursday he was still waiting to hear directly from Armstrong but added that the cyclist's decision not to proceed in an arbitration process will leave Armstrong stripped of all of his Tour titles and 2000 Olympic bronze medal and result in a lifetime competition ban.
"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough,'" Armstrong, 40, wrote in a statement emailed to The Times and other news agencies.
"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."
The famous cyclist consistently denied allegations of illegal doping by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. He was also accused of using, possessing, trafficking, and giving to others performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong called it a "one-sided and unfair process" move against him after losing a legal bid Monday to stop the probe.
According to CNN, Armstrong has said the cycling union and not the USADA should conduct the arbitration in his case.
"If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA's process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and -- once and for all -- put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance," Armstrong said in a statement Thursday. "I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair."
"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 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 -- finished with this nonsense," Armstrong said.
Armstrong said he plans to help people "affected by cancer" and is "looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction," according to CNN.
"Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances," he said "I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet."
Armstrong fought back testicular cancer to win the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005, according to CNN. He raised millions via his Lance Armstrong Foundation to help cancer victims and survivors, an effort illustrated by trendy yellow "LiveSTRONG" wristbands that helped bring in the money.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Chief Executive Travis Tygart said Thursday he was still waiting to hear directly from Armstrong.
"It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes," Tygart wrote in a statement. "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. 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."