DALLAS (CBS SPORTS.COM) – The seven Tour de France titles stripped from Lance Armstrong will not be awarded to any riders, and the disgraced American and his teammates should return their prize money, cycling’s governing body ruled Friday.
Acknowledging “a cloud of suspicion would remain hanging over this dark period,” the UCI said the list of Tour winners will remain blank for the years from 1999 to 2005.
“This might appear harsh for those who rode clean (but) they would understand there was little honor to be gained in reallocating places,” the UCI said after a board meeting in Geneva.
The UCI said Armstrong and “all other affected riders” in the case should return their prize money. That amounts to almost $4 million in Tour money from Armstrong.
Armstrong attorney Sean Breen declined to comment on the prize money demand.
The UCI’s decision not to award Armstrong’s Tour victories to other riders was welcomed in a statement from the Tour de France’s organizers.
“This decision fully coincides with the wishes expressed by the organizers of the race ten days ago,” the statement said.
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