# Why does the USADA have jurisdiction to strip Lance Armstrong of his Tour de France titles? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 24, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454 "2012-08-24T04:23:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/21 "2012-08-28T00:42:41Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > The Tour de France occurs every year. It’s obviously not an Olympic sport. Mystery solved. Plus its French! Who cares about them? AFAICT what the Tour really is is a practiced retreat for a messenger service through the mountains and countryside should the Germans ever get uppity again. Since the French owe us huge favors from WWII, it galls them for an American to keep kicking their asses in a race only they care about, hence the allegations. Or something. I don’t get why people even give a shit about it. Its doped dudes on bikes and shit, yo. They are all doing it, so…the playing field is leveled. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/22 "2012-08-28T00:45:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > You know as well as I do that the mods will not stop someone from bring rude and condescending. If you want to call out someone for that type of behavior, you have to do it yourself. > > It’s quite obvious what of your response was rude and condescending. It was when you treated him like he was too stupid to click the link. It’s obvious to anyone who can read that it says absolutely nothing about whether Tour de France is an Olympic sport, and thus doesn’t answer his question. Duh! Is _that_ rude? Or just a correct response to an ignorant question? ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/23 "2012-08-28T01:26:41Z")
I think it’s ok to react to stupidity and laziness with condescencion. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/24 "2012-08-28T01:45:40Z")
What? You’re saying The Tour _de_ France is not an Olympic event? :eek: Mon Dieu, Sacré-Coeur! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/25 "2012-08-28T02:08:05Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > What? You’re saying The Tour _de_ France is not an Olympic event? :eek: > > Mon Dieu, Sacré-Coeur! Well, when the story first broke I kept reading headlines that said “Armstrong stripped of titles, banned from Olympic events (sometimes Olympic sports)” I thought to myself, “TdF isn’t an Olympic event. Or is it?” Armstrong doesn’t really do Olympics (well, the one medal). For all I know, and since the Olympics and TdF share anti-doping organizations, enforcement, etc, that certain sporting events got designated, “amateur, professional, Olympic” -level or something, and in some way under “Olympic” jurisdiction. Big fucking deal. “When one can’t answer the question, one should keep one’s stupid mouth shut.” ~ Confucius. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/26 "2012-08-28T13:30:04Z")
Only, if only, there were a multitude of websites in existence to allow you to find an answer to your question, instead of whining for a whole day about how nobody answered your question adequately and getting pissed at everyone for not doing so. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/27 "2012-08-28T14:14:42Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > Only, if only, there were a multitude of websites in existence to allow you to find an answer to your question, instead of whining for a whole day about how nobody answered your question adequately and getting pissed at everyone for not doing so. I didn’t say a damn thing. What’s your hardon for me? I pee in your wheaties once or something? Take me to the pit or tattle to a mod and quit acting so childishly. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/28 "2012-08-28T17:21:18Z")
From **Gary Kumquat** ’s quoted rule above: > [@](#): > > If USADA rules there is a doping offence, imposes a lifetime ban and says he should be stripped of his wins then this applies worldwide. It is then for the UCI, as cycling’s governing body, to await the decision and issue the formal notice stripping Armstrong of his wins which it must do to comply with the WADA Code. All prize monies must be repaid too. So the USADA _doesn’t_ have the actual authority to strip Armstrong of his wins? They recommend but can’t act themselves. Is this right? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454/29 "2012-08-28T17:48:31Z")
The USADA doesn’t run the Tour de France, thus they do not have direct authority to strip him of the titles. However, UCIs agreement with WADA states that they agree to abide by the USADA decision. It’s a bit more formal than a recommendation that UCI can simply choose to ignore. They could ignore it, but there would be serious fallout. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-usada-have-jurisdiction-to-strip-lance-armstrong-of-his-tour-de-france-titles/632454.md?page=1)