Published October 22, 2012 11:04AM
PARIS (AFP) — Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said Monday that Lance Armstrong’s entire entourage should be punished following the UCI’s confirmation of the Texan’s lifetime ban for doping.
Prudhomme called the Armstrong Affair “the story of a true talent who strayed, world champion at 21, who dominated everyone in the triathlon and played with fire.”
“It must be said that this is not the only rider (who is involved); we have to look around and also punish the surrounding individuals. It is necessary that convictions go beyond convictions for the champion,” said Prudhomme.
During a press conference on Monday, UCI president Pat McQuaid said it would be up to the sport’s governing body and not Tour organizer ASO to determine the winner of the seven vacated editions of the race. The Tour director on Monday reaffirmed his recent statement that “those dark years must be marked by the absence of winner.”
In its report, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency detailed leading roles played by Belgian Johan Bruyneel, the sporting director of the U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams with which the Texan won his seven titles (1999 to 2005), and Michele Ferrari, the Italian sports doctor banned by the Italian Olympic federation more than a decade ago.