Lance Armstrong's contribution to cancer fight hailed by his charity
Lance Armstrong's legacy as a cancer fighter remains "second to none" despite a damning report that labelled him as a serial drugs cheat, according to the president and chief executive of the cyclist's anti-cancer charity.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) accuses Armstrong of having orchestrated "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen" in the report that provided the written reasons behind their decision to strip him of his seven Tour de France titles and to ban him from sport for life.
The 41-year-old from Texas won those titles having overcome testicular cancer and set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation cancer charity, which celebrates its 15th anniversary later this month.
Doug Ulman, the foundation's president and chief executive, said in a statement: "Our long-standing concerns about the impartiality and fairness of Usada's proceedings are compounded today. As a federal judge pointed out, Usada appears motivated more by publicity rather than fulfilling its mission.
"Lance Armstrong's legacy as a cancer fighter is literally second to none. Because of his leadership and vision, the Lance Armstrong Foundation has served more than 2.5 million people affected by cancer over the last 15 years.
"His courage in speaking out about his own diagnosis sparked a cultural shift in this country in how we think about cancer survivors. His leadership helped produce a three billion-dollar investment in cancer research and prevention in Texas in 2007, with the passage of Proposition 15.
"Lance devoted six years to serving this nation on the President's Cancer Panel. His dedication to advancing the fight against cancer in the United States and throughout the world is unparalleled. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and incredibly proud of his achievements, both on and off the bike."
The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), John Fahey, welcomed Usada's report and said in a statement: "The process followed by Usada has at all times been appropriate and careful, and in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code. The UCI now has 21 days to determine whether it wishes to appeal the case. Thereafter, Wada has a further 21 days to determine whether we will exercise our independent right of appeal. In the interim, it is obviously inappropriate for us to make further comments.
"We would like to commend Usada for having the courage and the resolve to keep focused in working on this difficult case for the sake of clean athletes and the integrity of sport."
Levi Leipheimer, one of 11 former US Postal team-mates of Armstrong whose testimonies provided the basis for the Usada report, was suspended for six months for his role in the doping programme and has now also been placed on non-active status by his current team Omega Pharma - Quick-Step.
Armstrong's reputation has been damaged beyond repair following Usada's publication of the reasons behind their sanctions against him.
The Texan decided earlier this year not to contest the Usada charges, but has always denied any involvement with doping and his lawyer Sean E Breen denounced the action as "a patently unfair, rigged process".
But according to Usada's chief executive, Travis T Tygart, there was "conclusive and undeniable proof" of a team-run doping conspiracy at Armstrong's US Postal Service team.
The "reasoned decision" document said: "Usada has found proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Lance Armstrong engaged in serial cheating through the use, administration and trafficking of performance-enhancing drugs and methods and that Armstrong participated in running the US Postal Service Team as a doping conspiracy.
"Armstrong and his co-conspirators sought to achieve their ambitions through a massive fraud now more fully exposed. So ends one of the most sordid chapters in sport's history."
Armstrong took to Twitter following the report's release to say: "What am I doing tonight? Hanging with my family, unaffected, and thinking about this."
The tweet contained a link to a press release highlighting the 15th anniversary gala celebrations of the Lance Armstrong Foundation cancer charity, and ended with the hashtag #onward.