Social media and social network channels experienced an SMM uptick when world-class athlete Lance Armstrong announced his departure from LIVESTRONG.
Geneva, Switzerland – The seven-time Tour de France record holder and Olympian shared a “retweet” from his Twitter account that he has resigned from his role as Chairman and CEO of the non-profit organization LIVESTRONG.
The one-time seat of the LIVESTRONG board of directors, Armstrong released a public statement on October 17, 2012, cross-posting the announcement:
Official statement: @lancearmstrong to Step Down as Chairman of @livestrong bit.ly/P9E17O
— LIVESTRONG (@LIVESTRONG) October 17, 2012
Armstrong has remained a staple in the headlines and has faced public and federal scrutiny amidst allegations of “doping” during his world-renowned stint as the Olympic pearl of the Champs-Elysées. The athlete was renounced by the International Cycling Union (UCI) on Monday, October 22, 2012; following a personally long and arduous defense against ongoing accusations that he had not remained drug-free during training. The athlete continued to pursue upholding his clean history independent of attempts profiling by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
“Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling, and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling,” International Cycling Union prexy of the governing body Pat McQuaid stated publicly.
“Make no mistake, it’s a catastrophe for him, and he has to face up to that.” The USADA released evidence exposing drug usage and stimulant trafficking by Armstrong and his Tour teams and banned the athlete from competing in future events in August 2012. On October 22, the UCI concluded Lance Armstrong was ineligible to receive any acknowledgement for winning his Tour de France cycling titles.
“I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours,” Armstrong said when he elected to cease the battle with the USADA during arbitration this August.
“The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins …” the athlete stated publicly. “Nobody can ever change that.”
Sanctions passed down to Armstrong by the USADA were not appealed by the UCI. World Anti-Doping Agency prexy John Fahey announced in a public statement, “[The] WADA is encouraged that the UCI feels it can use this case as a catalyst to thoroughly clean up its sport and remove any remaining vestiges of the doping programs that have clearly damaged cycling over the last decade.”
What the UCI decision means for Armstrong and his past successes is a shift in historical perception. From the standpoint of Monday’s UCI ruling, the Tour wins are no longer accepted as valid. Armstrong is no longer acknowledged to have ever participated in the 1999 to 2005 Tours. He is perceived as never raising his country’s flag for his wins in victory; and his acceptance of awards from the podium are viewed by the UCI as having never occurred.
Armstrong, 41, denounced any allegations of doping and stated publicly he had passed more than 218 tests administered by UCI, drug testing numbering in the hundreds, and an additional 51 tests by the USADA.
The USADA released a report noting that Armstrong and his teams used EPO, a blood booster; transfusions, and steroids. Eleven former teammates and witnesses, including the athlete’s confidant George Hincapie, stated Armstrong pressured them to take banned substances in the report.
UCI’s counterpoint to strip Armstrong of his title-wins may extend to greater implications for the cancer survivor, including having to return monies paid to him during his Tour successes.
Armstrong’s sidestep from chairman queues after sponsor-dropouts by Anheuser-Busch, Trek Bicycles, and, most recently, Nike, Inc.; each has pulled their support for the athlete. Read more about Lance Armstrong and the decision to step down as chairman of LIVESTRONG at the LIVESTRONG blog.