Lance Armstrong vs USADA: Are Armstrong's Tour Titles Really Under Threat?

There are some fairly bold assumptions being made in the wake of Lance Armstrong’s declaration that he would not contest the US Anti-Doping Agency charges that have been leveled against him.

USADA has immediately declared that Armstrong will receive a retrospective life ban that is backdated to August 1998 and USADA boss Travis Tygart has declared that Armstrong will be stripped of all titles and medals received since that date, including his seven Tour de France titles, according to ABC News (Australia).

Sounds simple.

But is it?

Neither USADA or their global body WADA has the power to strip Armstrong of anything—that is the sole prerogative of the relevant controlling body, which for Armstrong is the International Cycling Union (UCI).

And there’s the rub.

The UCI have voiced a number of strong reservations about the USADA case, most importantly that USADA has no jurisdiction to bring charges against Armstrong and that the UCI alone has the right to pursue charges.

If you’re keen to find out in detail the background to the disagreement between USADA and the UCI you can read more at SI.com.

Armstrong maintains his innocence. In his statement, issued on August 23, he dismisses USADA’s case,

"

The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s just not right.

"

Unsurprisingly, USADA and WADA see things differently. They are taking Armstrong’s decision to walk away from the case as an admission of guilt.

WADA boss John Fahey is quoted by News.com.au as saying,

"

The simple fact is that his refusal to examine the evidence means the charges had substance in them. Under the rules, penalties can now be imposed.

"

But even if we assume that the UCI suddenly sees the errors of its ways and strips Armstrong of his titles, who will they award them to?

Looking at the top ten finishers of the 2005 Tour, the first rider whose reputation remains squeaky clean is Cadel Evans—who finished eighth!

In second place was Ivan Basso, who was implicated in the Operation Puerto case. Third-placed Jan Ullrich was similarly implicated, as was fourth-placed Francisco Mancebo.

Fifth-placed Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for an autologous blood transfusion. Sixth-placed Levi Leipheimer tested positive for ephedrine and more recently is believed to be one of the riders lining up to testify against Armstrong in return for leniency after he confessed to doping.

Seventh was Michael Rasmussen, who was suspended for dodging doping controls. Ninth was Floyd Landis—‘nuff said on that one. The final spot in the top ten was taken by Oscar Pereiro, who tested positive for the asthma medication salbutamol, but was given retrospective permission to use it by the UCI.

It’s pretty obvious that even if he did use performance enhancing drugs, it’s unlikely that he had an unfair advantage in this field.

Lance Armstrong is anything but stupid. If he’s walking away from the USADA probe, it’s probably because he’s figured out that it can’t hurt him. Only the UCI or the race organisers—the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO)—can take away his titles.

Don’t expect him to walk away if they bring charges.