When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Sources

Lance Armstrong Gives Up Fight Against Doping Charges, Could Be Stripped Of 7 Tour De France Titles

SLATE.FR, LE FIGARO (France), ASSOCIATED PRESS (U.S.)

Worldcrunch

The cycling world was awash with speculation on Friday that American cyclist Lance Armstrong could be stripped of his seven consecutive Tour de France titles, after announcing he was giving up the fight against doping charges from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Le Figaro reports that only the Swiss-based International Cycling Union (UCI) can strip Mr. Armstrong of the titles, which he won from 1999 to 2005. By early Friday afternoon, the ICU had not yet commented on the latest development in the case.

If Armstrong were to lose his titles, international cycling authorities will face an unprecedented challenge to attribute the victorious Tour de France yellow jersey to other cyclists, some of whom are also caught up in doping scandals.

Slate.fr reports that for some years, in order to obtain a truly "clean" winner, authorities would have to go beyond the 20th-place finisher.

So what now? Give the titles to Beloki (banned), Ullrich (banned) and Basso (banned)? A whole decade of a sport I love tainted. #armstrong

— Dave Harrison (@dave_harrison) August 24, 2012

In a statement released on Thursday before the midnight deadline for him to challenge the USADA accusations, Armstrong announced that "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now."

"I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair," he added.

The Associated Press reports that USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said the UCI was "bound to recognize our decision and impose it" and that the cyclist would lose all of his titles and face a lifetime ban, despite being retired.

Armstrong lashed out at the USADA in his statement, writing that it had "broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade it to honor its obligations."

The cyclist came up clean in hundreds of drug tests over the course of his career, but he was dogged by allegations of doping as early as 1999. The USADA took Armstrong's decision not to pursue arbitration as an admission of guilt, according to the Associated Press.

Armstrong's had built a reputation as a champion athlete who popularized cycling in the United States, defeated testicular cancer and went on to found an organization devoted to cancer research that sold millions of yellow plastic "Livestrong" bracelets.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Green Or Gone

Confronting Climate Change And The Taliban In Afghanistan

Amid a severe drought, Afghan scientists are asking the international community to engage with the brutal regime.

Photo of a man and his goats walking on a dried out river in Afghanistan

A man tends to his flock of goats on in a dried out river bed outside Kandahar, Afghanistan

Ruchi Kumar

This past December, a fleet of colorful swan-shaped boats lined the muddy banks of Qargha Lake, a reservoir on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. The boats’ owner, 50-year-old Shah Maqsoud Habibi, said his business has vanished, along with much of the lake, a once popular weekend destination for war weary Afghans.

Over the past few years, a series of droughts have gripped the country, causing reservoirs and other water bodies to dry up. “If there is no water, there is no business for me, and without work, I cannot feed my family,” said Habibi.

Local residents share similar concerns. “I have lived here for 16 years, and this is the first time I am seeing the lake empty,” said 21-year-old Rashid Samim. For two years, he hasn’t been able to properly water his apple and cherry orchards or his modest potato farm, leading to smaller yields.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

The latest