Armstrong zaps Tour titles from Twitter profile

A picture taken on October 23, 2012 during a show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, shows the Twitter website of U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong. The phrase "7-time Tour de France winner" evaporated from his @lancearmstrong profile, along with a reference to triathlon, in which he is also now banned from elite competition as a drug cheat. / JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

MELBOURNE, Australia Having won seven Tour de France titles is no longer part of Lance Armstrong's Twitter profile.

As late as Monday night, Armstrong's bio on the social media site included a mention of his seven Tour wins from 1999-2005.

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Lance Armstrong stripped of all titles back to 1999

But references to the race were removed hours after he was stripped of the titles by the International Cycling Union and banned from the sport for life for his involvement in what the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency described as a massive doping program.

Early Tuesday, Armstrong's profile said: "Raising my five kids. Fighting Cancer. Swim, bike, run and golf whenever I can." Previously, the profile said: "Father of 5 amazing kids, 7-time Tour de France winner, full time cancer fighter, part time triathlete."

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The Twitter change was the only immediate reaction from Armstrong to the UCI's decision to take away his titles.

Armstrong has been a prolific user of Twitter and has nearly 3,800,000 followers on his page. His most recent tweet was on Oct. 17, when he announced he would stand down as chairman of the Livestrong cancer-awareness charity he founded.

Armstrong has steadfastly denied doping, but chose not to fight USADA in one of the agency's arbitration hearings, arguing the process was rigged against him.

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Lance Armstrong

On Monday, the UCI emphatically threw its support behind USADA, ending a saga that brought down the most decorated rider in Tour history and exposed widespread cheating in professional cycling.

"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling, and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling," UCI President Pat McQuaid said. "Make no mistake, it's a catastrophe for him, and he has to face up to that."

Tour de France organizers said they will not give Armstrong's former titles to other riders, leaving a seven-year gap on the honor roll of the sport's biggest event during an era the USADA report showed was rife with doping.

[xcski321]

Lance continues to handle this with poise and dignity. We all find ourselves in situations. It is how we handle the situations, that our character is revealed.

Silence is an admirable part of Valor.

[996Ducati]

Lance was only a so so rider until he started cheating and doping up. As a result, almost his entire professional career was a fraud. Where's the dignity in that? I have to give Lance credit for having poise of a con man because he's been able to fool so many people like XCSKI321 for such a long time and apparently continues to do so.

[matt6052]

Seems the second-place finishers should be entitled to their recognition as tour winners, and the extra money too.

[matt6052]

Then of course there is all the revenue they would have earned through product endorsements if they had been declared winners too.

[xcski321]

Wow, are you out of it. They tested Positive for drugs. Claims by the riders....the whole pro circuit is doing it. Armstrong is the Scapegoat and Fallguy. Why aren't they taking the Green, White, and Polka-dot jerseys too? Oh, there is no Sensationalism !

[ellensmithee]

Lance Armstrong! Full-time liar! Full-time drug user! Full-time cheater!

[ellensmithee]

Shove off, you filthy cheater! Glad to see you finally got busted for the liar you are.

[996Ducati]

Good riddance Lance. The cycling world does not need a lying and cheating doper like you! For the sake of your pathetic fawning followers who still blindly believe that you are somehow innocent and your 5 kids who will have to live with your stigma, you should man up and admit what you have done. For those of us who ride and compete without using drugs you are nothing but a colossal loser who deserves to disappear into oblivion.