18 Jan 2013

Armstrong stripped of 2000 bronze

8:19 am on 18 January 2013

Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his 2000 Olympic bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee.

The disgraced American cyclist has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life by the International Cycling Union after riders testified that he took drugs.

He is due to appear on US television later today and reports say he will confess.

Armstrong's expected admission of doping will be a "striking" moment but the Tour de France will still thrive, the race director says.

Tour director Christian Prudhomme told reporters after a presentation for the 2014 Tour 'Grand Depart' that doping is the enemy, not cycling, and certainly not the Tour de France.

The first stage of this year's Tour will be between Leeds and Harrogate when the English county of Yorkshire hosts the Grand Depart.

The July 5th start will be followed by stage two between York and Sheffield, and then Cambridge to London on day three. The race then returns to mainland Europe.