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| International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid speaks to media during a news conference on the Lance Armstrong doping scandal in Geneva, Switzerland, on Oct. 22, 2012. Cycling's world governing body UCI on Monday ratified the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) decision to strip cyclist Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and ban him for life. (Xinhua/Wang Siwei) |
GENEVA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Cycling's governing body UCI announced here on Monday that it has ratified the sanction that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) imposed on cyclist Lance Armstrong, including a lifetime ban from the sport and stripping his seven Tour de France titles.
UCI president Pat McQuaid said the UCI will not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," McQuaid told a press conference, calling today a "landmark day for cycling".
"This is not the first time cycling has reached a crossroads and has had to begin anew. ... It will do so again with vigor," he said.
UCI will also ratify the sanctions imposed upon the riders who testified against Armstrong.
"UCI indeed thanks them for telling their stories," McQuaid said.
In the end of August, USADA stripped the 41-year-old retired cyclist of his results dated back to August 1, 1998, including his unprecedented seven Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005.
USADA issued an 1,000-page report on Oct. 10, explaining its reasons for stripping Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and banning him for life from cycling.
The report, which included witness testimony from 11 former teammates in U.S. Postal cycling team and Discovery cycling team, who accused Armstrong of cheating through the use of EPO, blood doping and other drugs and pushing his teammates to do the same.
McQuaid told reporters that he has made the fight against doping as his priority since he took office in 2005 and it remains his priority.
He said the UCI's management committee will hold a special meeting on Friday to discuss the USADA report and the measures which the UCI wishes to put in place to prevent the organization from facing such situation again in the future.
"Something like this must not happen again," he said.
Whether Armstrong's prize money will be taken back and whether his titles will be redistributed will also be discussed at the meeting.
He insisted the sport has a future, saying that today's young riders do not deserve to be branded or tarnished by the past or to pay the price for the Armstrong era, but he admitted that it's impossible for cycling to be totally free from doping.
"I'd probably, to be honest with you, would say no, because I don't think in any aspect of society there are no cheats," he said.
McQuaid admitted that cycling is facing the biggest crisis, however, he explained it with Chinese characters for "crisis", which composed of two characters with one representing "danger" and the other "opportunity".
he said he saw Armstrong's case an opportunity to help the sport move forward.
McQuaid also told reporters that he won't resign from the post.
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