Lance Armstrong has been officially banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Source: Getty Images
LANCE Armstrong is just about officially friendless now - and his shame at being labelled history's worst sporting cheat might not be the worst of his worries.
Now that the UCI, the administrators of cycling, have unequivocally endorsed the United States Sports Doping Agency's verdict that he is guilty of a massive doping conspiracy that has brought the sport to its knees, he may be in deep legal trouble.
Armstrong has neither confessed nor apologised because it would probably be tantamount to convicting himself of perjury and volunteering for a spell behind bars, as well as setting himself up to be sued from several quarters.
Those contingencies are now more confronting.
Despite the massive weight of evidence against him, Armstrong wasn't the only one wondering whether the UCI might have been prepared to offer some wriggle room.
To the detriment of its own fragile credibility, it has always seemed reluctant to abandon -- or even properly scutinise -- the champion once considered the sport's best advertisement.
But controversial president Pat McQuaid is entitled to credit for his powerful "message to cycling: We have a future. We will never be put in this position again."
His organisation has now joined Armstrong's sponsors who deserted him en masse last week, the broader cycling family who desperately want to see their sport's honour and dignity restored, and overwhelming public opinion.
Apart from a dwindling band of loyalists who are entitled to their belief that his anti-cancer work is more important, Armstrong is completely isolated with nowhere left to hide.
"He deserves to be forgotten," McQuaid said.
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