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'Nobody needs to cry for me. I'm going to be great'
The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Wednesday released its reasons for banning seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong from sport.
Follows, a quote-hanger on the scandal.
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'I am gratified to learn that the US Attorney's Office is closing its investigation. It is the right decision and I commend them for reaching it. I look forward to continuing my life as a father, a competitor, and an advocate in the fight against cancer without this distraction,' said Armstrong, after federal prosecutors dropped an investigation centered on whether Armstrong and his teammates cheated the sponsor of their bike racing team with a secret doping programme.
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'The three-person review board has conducted a full evaluation and has made a unanimous recommendation to move forward with the adjudication process in accordance with the rules,' the USADA, after the review board unanimously recommended charging Armstrong.
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'Nobody needs to cry for me. I'm going to be great. I have five great kids and a wonderful lady in my life. My foundation is unaffected by all the noise out there. I think people understand that we've got a lot of stuff to do going forward. That's what I'm focused on and I think people are supportive of that. It's great to be out here,' Armstrong, urging his supporters not to 'cry' for him a day after the USADA's decision to strip his seven Tour de France titles and ban him for life.
'Whatever they asked for I provided'
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There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'enough is enough'. For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA's process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and - once and for all - put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair.
'Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?' Armstrong, saying he would no longer fight an investigation by the USADA, and its CEO Travis Tygart, into the latest round of accusations.
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'... unless the USADA's decision and case file give serious reasons to do otherwise, the UCI has no intention to appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) or not to recognise the USADA's sanctions on Lance Armstrong,' UCI president Pat McQuaid, saying they have no intention of appealing the USADA decision.
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'The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen,' USADA CEO Travis Tygart.
'USA Cycling is aware of announcement in Armstrong case'
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The alleged 'reasoned decision' from USADA will be a one-sided hatchet job - a taxpayer funded tabloid piece rehashing old, disproved, unreliable allegations based largely on axe-grinders, serial perjurers, coerced testimony, sweetheart deals and threat -induced stories,' Armstrong attorney Sean Breen
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'The UCI will examine all information received in order to consider issues of appeal and recognition, jurisdiction and statute of limitation, within the term of appeal of 21 days, as required by the World Anti-Doping Code,' International Cycling Union.
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'USA Cycling is aware of today's announcement by USADA regarding the Lance Armstrong case and is currently awaiting details from USADA regarding the specific actions to be taken against the named individuals,' USA Cycling.
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'I would have been much more comfortable talking only about myself, but understood that I was obligated to tell the truth about everything I knew. So that is what I did,' American cyclist George Hincapie.
'I gave in and crossed the line'
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After years of doing things the right way, I was presented with a choice that to me, did not feel like a choice at all. In the environment that I was in, it felt like something I had to do in order to continue following my dream,' American cyclist Tom Danielson
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'One day, I was presented with a choice that to me, at the time, seemed like the only way to continue to follow my dream at the highest level of the sport. I gave in and crossed the line, a decision that I deeply regret,' American cyclist Christian Vande Velde
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'I accept full responsibility and was happy to come forward and tell USADA my whole story; I want to do my share to help bring this entire issue to the fore and ensure a safe, healthy, and clean future for cycling,' American cyclist David Zabriskie