Lance Armstrong has stepped down as board member of the
Livestrong cancer charity, four weeks after resigning as its chairman
in the wake of losing his seven Tour de France titles over a doping
controversy.
Livestrong chairman Jeff Garvey said in a statement on Monday that
Armstrong cut his ties with Livestrong to spare it from the effects
of the controversy surrounding its founder.
"Lance Armstrong has chosen to voluntarily resign from the Board
of Directors of the Livestrong Foundation to spare the organization
any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding his
cycling career," Garvey said.
Armstrong never failed a doping test and denied doping, but was
accused in a report by the United States Anti-Doping Agency of being
involved in the "most sophisticated, professionalized and successful
doping program that sport has ever seen."
The governing cycling body UCI disqualified him from all events
since 1998, including the seven Tour titles, and banned him for life.
Armstrong, 41, founded Livestrong in 1997 after fighting
testicular cancer. He is said to remain involved in the charity but
not in an official function.
