Should Lance Armstrong Have Been Banned From Cycling Forever?

Lance Armstrong was formally banned from cycling forever this week by the US Anti-Doping Agency for allegedly using performance enhancing drugs. If USADA CEO Travis Tygart gets his way, the Livestrong founder will also be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, but since he doesn’t run the International Cycling Union, he can’t formally make that decision. He’ll need to present the evidence he has against Lance along with his official recommendation to tear up the record books.

The battle between Armstrong and the USADA was widely predicted to turn vicious, but prior to the racer’s arbitration hearing, he decided to give up the fight and move on after more than a decade of denying drug allegations. If you take it from the USADA, the inaction should be viewed as a sign of guilt. If you take it from Armstrong, however, he’s been given hundreds of drug tests without failing even one single time over the course of his racing career, he's been the subject of several special investigations, and at some point, he had to put his foot down and stop bending over to please an “unconstitutional witch hunt.”

According to ESPN, the USADA claims it has ten of Lance’s former teammates who are willing to testify against him, but thus far, only two, both of whom have admitted to using performance enhancing drugs, have been revealed. There’s also supposedly two blood samples that are consistent with someone who may have been doping, but they don't amount to concrete proof.

Armstrong would like the public to see today’s decision as the culmination of an aggressive smear campaign. The USADA would like the public to see today’s decision as the natural end result for a longtime cheater. How do you see it? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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