Tour wins evaporate from Armstrong Twitter profile

LOS ANGELES (AFP) –

Lance Armstrong puts on the yellow jersey as overall leader on the podium at the end of the 14th stage of the Tour de France cycling race in July 2003. Armstrong, stripped of seven Tour de France titles and cast into cycling oblivion, apparently acknowledged the decision on Twitter.

Lance Armstrong, stripped of seven Tour de France titles and cast into cycling oblivion, apparently acknowledged the decision on Twitter.

The phrase “7-time Tour de France winner” evaporated from Armstrong’s profile on his @lancearmstrong feed on the social networking site, hours after the International Cycling Union said it would back the far-reaching doping charges against him.

Now Armstrong’s profile describes him as: “Raising my 5 kids. Fighting Cancer. Swim, bike, run and golf whenever I can.”

It’s a change from the “Father of 5 amazing kids, 7-time Tour de France winner, full time cancer fighter, part time triathlete” formerly posted.

It was the only immediate reaction from Armstrong on the UCI decision that completed an epic fall from grace, from a cancer survivor who dominated the world’s most prestigious cycle race to a cheat who was at the center of what the US Anti-Doping Agency called “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.”