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.