UCI finally lance the boil

The name Lance Armstrong is to be expunged from the record books after cycling’s world governing body yesterday accepted a recommendation to strip the American of his seven Tour de France titles and ban him from the sport for life.

The UCI ratified the sanctions recommended by the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA), who concluded Armstrong and his United States Postal Service team ran “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen”.

The battle against doping is still to be won, the UCI were warned, and despite intense criticism UCI president Pat McQuaid insisted he would not be resigning for the perceived failures of his organisation in tackling the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme believes the race must not have a victor from 1999 to 2005 after Armstrong’s punishment and called on the Texan to return his winnings.

Prudhomme said: “The formal decision has to be taken by the UCI but for us, we must have a clean record. This period must be marked by the absence of winners. The UCI rules are clear. When a rider is disqualified, he must pay the prize money back.”

A special meeting of the UCI’s management committee will take place on Friday to discuss the “exact sporting consequences” of the decision, including whether the titles and prize money will be re-distributed.

The International Olympic Committee will await Friday’s UCI meeting and further information before a decision is made on the bronze medal Armstrong won in Sydney in 2000.

Following the release of USADA’s reasoned decision document, the World Anti-doping Code, the UCI had 21 days to respond, until October 31.

But rather than taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the UCI accepted the findings of USADA, with McQuaid stating “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling”.

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart welcomed the UCI decision and called for the world governing body to break free from the past by challenging omerta, a code of silence within the peloton which allowed doping to flourish.

Tygart said: “There are many more details of doping that are hidden, many more doping doctors, and corrupt team directors and the omerta has not yet been fully broken.”

Briton David Millar, who describes himself as an “ex-doper” but is now on the World Anti-doping Agency’s athletes’ commission, reiterated his call for the UCI to be held to account.

“They (the UCI) always denied there was a problem and even now they are denying they had knowledge of it, and I think that’s the next big step,” Millar said. “The buck has to stop somewhere and I think the UCI have to assume that responsibility.”

Millar pointed to the rule governing a 50% hematocrit level as an acknowledgement that use of the blood-boosting agent EPO was prevalent in the peloton. However, there was at that time no test for EPO.

McQuaid accepted Millar’s point and admitted it was nigh-on impossible to rid the sport of drug abuse, but was adamant the cycling is heading in the right direction.

“The only thing we could do until such time as the system gave us a test for EPO was to try and limit the levels of EPO,” McQuaid said. “Unfortunately, you’re right, that gave carte blanche to cyclists to use EPO to certain amounts, to certain limits.”

The Irishman added: “We’ve come too far in the fight against doping to return to our past.

“Cycling has a future and something like this must never happen again.”