Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has announced he will no longer fight drug charges from the US anti-doping agency (USADA).

In a statement the American, 40, maintains he is innocent, but says he is weary of the "nonsense" accusations.
USADA says it will ban Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles.

"It's most unlike him to withdraw from a legal argument. But in doing this maybe he is denying USADA the chance to directly put their evidence to him and reach the conclusion that they were probably going to come to.
"He is not admitting guilt but most people will assume in their own minds there is some kind of admission given he is not contesting the charges when his legacy is on the line."

"I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair," said Armstrong of the USADA proceedings.

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart responded: "It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes."
Armstrong retired from cycling in 2005 after the last of his seven successive Tour de France titles, although he returned to the sport between 2009 and 2012 as part of the Astana and then RadioShack teams.
USADA alleges he used banned substances as far back as 1996, including the blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO), steroid and blood transfusions.