Lance Armstrong Thumbs His Nose at International Cycling Union, USADA and WADA

In a move designed solely to extend the middle digit to the International Cycling Union, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency, Lance Armstrong has tweeted a provocative picture with the message “Back in Austin and just layin’ Around.”

The picture shows the disgraced former champion laying casually on an enormous couch in front of seven Tour de France yellow jerseys. There is one for each of the seven Tour victories (1999-2005) that he has since been officially stripped of.

Apparently, even though Armstrong has removed the reference to his wins from his Twitter profile, he hasn’t completely accepted the punishment handed to him by USADA and the UCI—although he does appear to be taking it laying down.

This photo is the closest thing to a public comment that Armstrong has made since Pat McQuaid excommunicated him in his, at times, vicious and ultimately self-serving denouncement.

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There is no place for Lance Armstrong in cycling. Our message is...cycling has a future. It will find a new path forward. We will start that journey today by recognising USADA. (via The Telegraph).

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Even though it is looking increasingly unlikely that Armstrong is going to challenge the UCI ratification of the USADA decision, it is clear that Armstrong is a long way from accepting the verdict.

And while he may yet have to hand back his Olympic medal, it would take a brave UCI official to turn up to take the jerseys off Armstrong’s wall.

I’d pay to see the video, though!