The Lance years: A litany of shame

The US anti-doping agency stripped cycling icon Lance Armstrong of his record seven Tour de France titles yesterday and slapped him with a lifetime ban from competition.

Armstrong announced on Thursday that he was dropping his legal challenge against USADA over claims he cheated and used performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling’s most prestigious race from 1999 to 2005.

The 40-year-old, who battled to the top of his sport after beating life-threatening cancer, maintained his innocence but said he had grown weary of the fight and the strain it had put on his life.