>>> the long battle over doping allegations aimed at lance armstrong came to a bitter end today, one of the most famous athletes of the past decade, did something very unusual for him. here's nbc's anne thompson .
>> reporter: it was among the greatest accomplishments in the history of sports , seven consecutive victories in the tour de france , one of the most physically gruelling contests in the world. today the u.s. anti-doping agency stripped lance armstrong of those titles for choosing not to defend himself in arbitration against charges he used performance-enhancing drugs to win.
>> usad declared a fatwah against lance armstrong many years ago and after he passed every single test that was administered, didn't fail a one and they couldn't prove him guilty, they've now asked him to prove himself innocent.
>> reporter: in his statement last night, armstrong blasted the usada process as an "unconstitutional witch hunt " and he never admitted to doping. in may, armstrong voiced his frustration on current tv .
>> these things take a ton of time attention and energy. they suck the life out of you.
>> reporter: travis tygart, head of usada, says the case is strong with more than a dozen witnesses.
>> we don't make any decision to bring a case lightly. the evidence we've said before in this particular case was overwhelming.
>> reporter: yet the sports governing body , the international cycling union , says it's not doing anything until it gets a full explanation from usada. david, is this fair?
>> well, it's the usual process.
>> reporter: david epstein is a senior writer at " sports illustrated ."
>> usada also had blood tests from 2009 that they say were indicative of blood manipulation. so i think they would have contended, had this gone forward, that that is a positive test .
>> reporter: it's armstrong 's personal battle against cancer and his foundation symbolized by those plastic yellow bands that have made him an icon. live strong officials say online donations today were 30 times greater than yesterday.
>> i think our supporters and namely cancer survivors and their family members feel a debt of gratitude to lance, ultimately his legacy is going to be about what we accomplish as a cancer community. that's what we're focused on.
>> as for those who might claim armstrong 's seven yellow jerseys the symbol of victory on the tour, each rider has been accused of doping in his career, only one was cleared. david?
>> anne thompson , thanks very much.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/48784679/
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