MANILA, Philippines – The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Monday, October 22 a lifetime cycling ban on Lance Armstrong, and stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles as recommended by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

“Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling,” said UCI President Pat McQuaid in a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

“UCI is listening and is on your side, we’ve come too far in the fight against doping.. cycling has a future and something like this must never happen again,” he added.

UCI made the announcement on the basis of a USADA report which went public earlier this month with 1,000 pages of evidence and testimony, including statements from 11 former Armstrong teammates, that were used to issue punishments in August when Armstrong refused to contest charges.

USADA has called Armstrong’s doping the “most sophisticated” ever.

“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 chief executive Travis Tygart said.

“Lance Armstrong did not merely use performance-enhancing drugs. He supplied them to his teammates. He was not just a part of the doping culture on his team. He enforced and re-enforced it.”

Armstrong has yet to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

Read the full back story here. – with reports from Agence-France Presse