Seven time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong was stripped of his titles and received a life time ban from the sport from the US Anti-Doping Agency.
Armstrong decided to quit his fight against the US Anti-Doping Agency and accept their punishment. The fall of this giant from the sport of cycling was shocking to many but to a former teammate who lives right here in Vermont it was not a surprise in the least.
"Yeah and for me I've known that for years," former pro-cyclist Andy Bishop said.
Bishop raced with Lance Armstrong on a professional team from 1991-1993 and for the cyclist who says he's spent his entire career without doping it was frustrating to watch Armstrong and other athletes reap the benefits of an illegal performance enhancing drug called EPO.
"Ultimately I did not get along with Lance on them team and that mentality of win at all costs," Bishop said.
But for this father of two to see Armstrong's titles stripped does give him hope for a better future in the sport.
"There are a whole slew of riders who want to do it clean," Bishop said.
But there's almost no questioning the impact Armstrong has had on the sport in America.
"It exploded," Earl's Cyclery and Fitness owner Roger Frey said.
At his store that includes the Livestrong brand Armstrong created of which 10% of profits go to cancer research. Frey says the brand was never a top seller for him but he has no plans to stop supplying the product to his customers.
"The Livestrong Foundation is greater than him," Frey said.
"Much of it has been built on lies and falsehood and cheating," Bishop said.
That's the kind of foundation bishop's son is glad to see struck down.
"It hasn't been fair to people like my dad who never cheated at all," Baxter Bishop said.
