body-container-line-1
24.10.2014 Sports News

Lance Armstrong suspended from charity event

By Allsports.com.gh
Lance Armstrong suspended from charity event
24.10.2014 LISTEN

Armstrong - banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in August 2012 after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs - was hoping to take part in this weekend's third annual Gran Fondo Hincapie in Grenville.

And while it is not an official race, it is a sanctioned event, meaning Armstrong is ineligible with the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping rules stipulating a banned athlete cannot participate in any capacity.

"USA Cycling has been asked by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to look into the Hincapie Gran Fondo in the face of questions concerning rider eligibility," USA Cycling said in a statement on Thursday.

"USA Cycling has informed USADA that the Gran Fondo Hincapie constitutes a cycling 'activity' that is 'authorized' by USA Cycling as those terms are used in the World Anti-Doping Code and in the Anti-Doping provisions of the UCI (International Cycling Union) Cycling Regulations.

"Under these provisions, an athlete's suspension bars participation in an authorized activity such as this. The UCI has confirmed USA Cycling's interpretation. The World Anti-Doping Code vests jurisdiction in UCI and in USADA to determine whether an athlete has violated the terms of any suspension, as well as to assess any sanctions that might accompany an adverse determination."

Former US Postal Service team-mates George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde and Kevin Livingston are set to take part.

body-container-line