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The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency erased 14 years of Lance Armstrong's career Friday - including his record seven Tour de France titles - and banned him for life from the sport that made him a hero to millions of cancer survivors after concluding he used banned substances.
Armstrong, who retired a year ago, said Thursday that he would no longer challenge USADA.
USADA said it expected cycling's governing body to take similar action, but the International Cycling Union was measured in its response, saying it first wanted a full explanation on why Armstrong should relinquish titles he won from 1999 through 2005.
The Amaury Sport Organization that runs the world's most prestigious cycling race said it would not comment until hearing from USADA and the UCI.
Armstrong, an athlete who became a hero to thousands for overcoming cancer and for his foundation's fight against the disease is now officially a drug cheat in the eyes of his nation's doping agency.
In a news release, USADA said Armstrong's decision not to take the charges against him to arbitration triggers the lifetime ineligibility and forfeiture of all results from Aug. 1, 1998, through the present, which would include the Tour de France titles he won from 1999 through 2005.Armstrong has strongly denied doping and contends USADA was on a "witch hunt" without any physical evidence against him.
To read Armstrong's full statement, click here.