AUSTIN: Lance Armstrong yesterday looked increasingly isolated, as sponsors stampeded away from endorsement deals after a damning doping report and public opinion began to turn against the shamed cyclist.
Nike, who previously maintained their support for the seven-time Tour de France winner, admitted that the evidence against him was now “seemingly insurmountable” and accused the Texan of misleading them for more than a decade.
The sportswear giant’s decision on Wednesday triggered a domino effect, with a string of other firms, including brewers Anheuser-Busch and Trek bicycles, on whose machines Armstrong won cycling’s greatest race, following suit.
Most sponsors, however, said that they will continue to support Livestrong, the cancer foundation that Armstrong founded 15 years ago that has raised nearly $500m to help fight the disease. Armstrong is set to speak at a gala fundraiser today in Austin, Texas, to celebrate Livestrong’s 15th anniversary, in what could prove to be an emotional first appearance in the spotlight since the scandal emerged.
The fact that so many sponsors have now ditched Armstrong was seen as inevitable, given that 11 of his former team-mates testified against him, detailing what the USADA said was sport’s most sophisticated and wide-ranging doping programme.
Sunglasses-maker Oakley said it would wait to see whether the world governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratifies the US agency’s conclusions before making a decision about its sponsorship with Armstrong. David Carter, a sports business professor at the University of Southern California and executive director of USC’s Sports Business Institute, said Nike in particular could no longer afford to stand by the rider as it had other disgraced sports icons.
Similarly, the president of the non-profit watchdog CharityWatch, Daniel Borochoff, said Livestrong’s future depended on the organization distancing itself from the scandal.
Investment advisor Eric Davis, 50, said he “wanted to believe” that Armstrong was innocent, but with the recent reports “there’s no escaping the fact that he did it.”
Others grudgingly admitted that their hero cheated, although also pointed out that the good he has done for cancer prevention, treatment and awareness mitigated his cheating.
REUTERS
