drug wars
The closing chapter: Lance Armstrong severs all formal ties to Livestrong,tweets cheeky photo
Lance Armstrong has voluntarily severed all formal ties with the Livestrong Foundation. On the heels of the doping investigation that resulted in the removal of Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles, he stepped down as chairman of the charity on October 17, as well as resigned from the board of directors on November 4.
Most likely, the decision for Livestrong and Armstrong to completely disassociate comes in an effort to prevent further damage to the cancer-fighting organization's reputation.
As the Associated Press reported, "Livestrong spokeswoman Katherine McLane said Monday that Armstrong 'remains the inspiration' and is still its largest donor with nearly $7 million over the years."
Fans and spectators, however, remain divided.
On Sunday, Armstrong tweeted a photo of himself lazing beneath his framed Tour de France jerseys, though the wins themselves have been permanently erased from the record books by the International Cycling Union.
Some followers wrote back in support, while many others commented on the tastelessness of the photo.
Catch up on all of CultureMap's Armstrong/Livestrong coverage here:
Things are great...
... then we hear rumors.
It gets serious...
... and even more salacious.
And finally, it all gets very, very real.