Lance Armstrong removes Tour titles from Twitter bio
Profile changes after governing body of cycling strips him of titles
Having won seven Tour de France titles is no longer part of Lance Armstrong's Twitter profile.
5-time Tour champion backs Armstrong
Five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain says he believes in Lance Armstrong's innocence after the American cyclist was stripped of his seven titles from the race.
The decision to strip Armstrong and ban him for life for doping leaves Indurain among four riders with a record five titles.
Indurain told Radio Marca in Madrid that the entire case was "bizarre" since Armstong never tested positive for doping.
Indurain says "it is strange they take away his Tours because of the testimonies of some teammates."
The Spanish cyclist says he expects Armstrong to challenge the governing body's decision, which it is based on a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report that included testimony from 26 individuals.
— The Associated Press
As late as Monday night, Armstrong's bio on the social media site included a mention of his seven Tour wins from 1999-2005, but reference to the race was removed hours after he was stripped of the titles by the International Cycling Union and banned from the sport for life for his involvement in what the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency described as a massive doping program.
Early Tuesday, Armstrong's profile said: "Raising my five kids. Fighting Cancer. Swim, bike, run and golf whenever I can." Previously, the profile said: "Father of 5 amazing kids, 7-time Tour de France winner, full time cancer fighter, part time triathlete."
The Twitter change was the only immediate reaction from Armstrong to the UCI's decision to take away his titles.
Armstrong has been a prolific user of Twitter and has nearly 3,800,000 followers on his page. His most recent tweet was on Oct. 17 when he announced he would stand down as chairman of the Livestrong cancer-awareness charity he founded.
Armstrong has steadfastly denied doping, but chose not to fight USADA in one of the agency's arbitration hearings, arguing the process was rigged against him.
On Monday, the UCI emphatically threw its support behind USADA, ending a saga that brought down the most decorated rider in Tour history and exposed widespread cheating in professional cycling.
"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling, and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling," UCI president Pat McQuaid said. "Make no mistake, it's a catastrophe for him, and he has to face up to that."
Tour de France organizers said they will not give Armstrong's former titles to other riders, leaving a seven-year gap on the honor roll of the sport's biggest event during an era the USADA report showed was rife with doping.
1-time Armstrong teammate admits doping
Another former teammate of Lance Armstrong has admitted using banned performance-enhancing drugs.
Retired Norwegian rider Steffen Kjaergaard said Tuesday that he had used EPO and cortisone, and was immediately suspended from his job at the Norwegian Cycling Federation.
"I have long thought that it was best for cycling as a sport that I took this [secret] to the grave. But the last weeks have made me change course for my own sake and tell the truth," Kjaergaard said.
The 39-year-old Kjaergaard said he decided to come clean because of doping revelations in recent weeks involving the U.S. Postal Service team, and that he "couldn't bear the lie anymore."
Kjaergaard rode with Armstrong in the U.S. Postal Service team when the American won the Tour de France in 2000 and 2001. He said he wasn't aware of any of his teammates using banned substances, "but I assume there were others."
Kjaergaard won several Norwegian championships but no major international races before retiring in 2003.
— The Associated Press