Lance Armstrong ends fight against doping charges

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has announced he will no longer fight drug charges from the US anti-doping agency (USADA).

In a statement, the 40-year-old maintains he is innocent, but says he is weary of the "nonsense" accusations.

The USADA says it will ban Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles.

"I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair," said Armstrong of the USADA proceedings.

Armstrong retired from cycling in 2005 after the last of his seven successive Tour de France titles, although he returned to the sport between 2009 and 2012 as part of the Astana and then RadioShack teams.

The USADA alleges he used banned substances as far back as 1996, including the blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO), steroid and blood transfusions.

On Monday, Armstrong failed in his attempt to block the charges in a a US federal court.

- BBC.co.uk