Lance Armstrong Penalised For Breaching Clothing Rules
The struggling cyclist, Lance Armstrong has been further put under criticism as he returns from the Tour de France. The American racer and his team RadioShack are to face disciplinary proceedings as they had been accused for breaching the regulations of riders' clothing last week during the final day of the Tour de France.
The New York Times reported that the racer came out at the final day of the race wearing a Livestrong shirt instead of putting on his team's shirt that has red and grey strips on it. The International Cycling Union (UCI) revealed as the race ended that he had been accused and would be facing fine for breaking the clothing rules.
For Armstrong it was the last time he was to participate in the Tour de France, which has not ended the way the racer wished it to be.
The most successful cyclist of the time had been able to bag Tour de France Championship seven times during his career which is a record yet to be broken. He was diagnosed with third stage of testicular cancer just before he bagged his seventh successive win of the Tours starting from the year 1999 and stretching up to 2005. Owing to the discovery he had to retire from the race world, however the champion was able to defeat the disease and returned to the racing arena earlier in the year 2009.
This year as he was riding the famous tour for the last time he attempted to wear a black Livestrong shirt and got penalised for it.
Livestrong is the foundation that he had launched after the hardships that he had to face during his cancer treatment. This foundation is devoted to help the sufferers and the fighters of the dreadful disease providing them, financial, emotional as well as psychological support and assistance.
The 38-year-old was not permitted to publicise his foundation which was marked with the number 28, referring to the estimated 28 million people around the world living with cancer. The issue delayed the beginning of the race and finally he was not allowed to wear the shirt however he put it on again on the podium at the end of the race.
As the race ended UCI proclaimed that the inappropriate behaviour of RadioShack Team led to a 20-minute delay in the start of the race on the day of its final stage, which was a very irresponsible and immature act from the teams’ side. It also added that this could have disrupted the televised coverage of the race which was luckily saved from happening. UCI stressed that the rider as well as the team managers must be imposed with fine.
They further added that the cause of fighting against cancer was always welcomed by them yet it must have been co-ordinated before time with UCI management as well as with the organisers of the event, “This could have been done whilst remaining within the rules."
RadioShack's Belgian boss Johan Bruyneel and a former rider had been very unhappy with the decision of the event organisers. He had also been in trouble with the UCI for the comments that he put up on his Twitter site saying: "To be a race commissaire you don't need brains, but only know the rules."
In the response of his twitter’s update UCI gave another statement which said that: “Mr Johan Bruyneel gravely offended all the Commissaires working in cycling. His remarks are utterly unacceptable, and Mr Bruyneel will be called upon to answer for his comments before the UCI Disciplinary Commission.”
Well, it was the last race of the legend of Tour de France....
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