Lance Armstrong says not afraid of any USADA report

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lance Armstrong, branded a drug cheat by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said he was "not afraid" of any report USADA might make to the International Cycling Union, according to AFP.

"No, no, I'm absolutely not afraid," Armstrong said after he was joined by hundreds of fans for a seven-and-a-half-kilometer (4.7-mile) training run up Mount Royal, the peak that rises in the midst of the Island of Montreal.

The U.S. cycling icon and cancer survivor had invited Montrealers to join him for the run via Twitter, and the large turnout demonstrated his continuing appeal despite USADA's announcement that it was banning him for life and stripping him of his seven Tour de France titles.

"My name is Lance Armstrong, I'm a cancer survivor... and yes, I won the Tour de France seven times," Armstrong said Wednesday, Aug 29, drawing applause and smiles from delegates at the World Cancer Congress.

"And for those who don't know what I'm talking about, I love you," he added cheerily.

Armstrong touched only lightly on the issue in his remarks to the cancer congress, and vowed that it wouldn't affect his charitable work.

He told conference delegates that there is still "too much to be done" in the fight against cancer. "I won't be distracted," Armstrong added, alluding to the doping scandal.

His Livestrong campaign has already collected nearly $500 million for cancer research and helping people cope with the disease. And Armstrong announced that his foundation would donate an additional $500,000 to a joint initiative aimed at increasing access to cancer care throughout the world.