Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after the sport's world governing body, the UCI, accepted the findings of the United States Anti-Doping Agency's investigation.
Armstrong refused to co-operate with USADA, who earlier this month published a 1,000-page report which concluded the Texan and his United States Postal Service team ran "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen".
In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code, the UCI had 21 days to respond, until October 31, and president Pat McQuaid announced on Monday the world governing body would accept USADA's findings and ratified the sanctions imposed on Armstrong. It means the Texan has been stripped of all results since August 1, 1998 and banned for life.
At a media conference in Geneva, McQuaid said: "(The UCI) will not appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and it will recognise the sanctions that USADA has imposed.
"The UCI will ban Lance Armstrong from cycling and the UCI will strip him of his seven Tour de France titles. Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling."
Eleven former team-mates of Armstrong testified against him to USADA, receiving six-month bans. These suspensions were also ratified by the UCI, which thanked the riders for giving evidence against Armstrong.
McQuaid added: "The UCI will also recognise the sanctions imposed on the riders who testified against Lance Armstrong; UCI indeed thanks them for telling their stories."
The UCI, particularly the leadership of McQuaid and honorary president Hein Verbruggen, who was president at the time of Armstrong's record run of Tour success, have met criticism over the USADA investigation.
Allegations have been made against the UCI, which McQuaid dismissed.
"UCI has nothing to hide in responding to the USADA report," he said. "The UCI has called a special meeting of the UCI management committee next Friday to discuss this report and the measures which the UCI wishes to put in place in order that we are never faced with such a situation in the future."
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