Lance Armstrong calls off fight against doping allegations

World champion cyclist Lance Armstrong will be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after declaring he will no longer fight the doping allegations which have blighted his hugely successful career.

Armstrong has repeatedly denied he has used performance-enhancing drugs, but in June (12), he was formally re-charged with taking illegal substances by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

In a bid to fight the accusations, Armstrong filed suit against the agency, and USADA Chief Executive Travis Tygart, claiming they were waging a personal war against him, but a judge in Texas dismissed his case.

Now Armstrong has confirmed he will not file an appeal or try to fight the USADA's allegations any further, but he is adamant the move is not an admission of guilt.

A statement from the athlete reads, "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now.

"I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999... The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today - finished with this nonsense.

"If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA's process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and - once and for all - put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair."