Will Lance Armstrong's legacy survive new doping charges?

Formal allegations from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency threaten to strip the Tour de France champ of his seven titles — as well as his reputation

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency charges that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong used testosterone and blood-doping products to boost his performance — allegations that the cyclist
(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

New allegations from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency threaten to strip sports hero Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles, and also bar him from competing in an upcoming Ironman triathalon. The USADA claims that the celebrated cyclist used "testosterone and blood-doping products" — charges that Armstrong vehemently denies, reminding the public that he has "passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one." Doping allegations have dogged the cancer survivor since his first Tour win in 1999, though it looked like Armstrong was finally in the clear after federal prosecutors dropped a two-year criminal probe in February. But now that the Anti-Doping Agency has leveled yet another charge, fans who have long struggled to keep Armstrong on his pedestal may finally give up hope of his innocence. Can he emerge from this latest scandal unscathed?

He'll survive: It's "too late to completely tarnish Armstrong's image," says Fan IQ. He's eluded every investigation thus far with his reputation intact. His golden story is just too hard to ruin: Cancer survivor, activist, and perhaps the most well-known cyclist ever. Even if he's found guilty, Americans will stick by him. The narrative would just shift to an "us vs. them" argument between the U.S. and the rest of the world, where Armstrong is routinely heckled and doesn't carry the messianic status he does here in the states.

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