Lance Armstrong Barred from Chicago Marathon

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon lost some star power, Friday.

Biking superstar Lance Armstrong, who recently was stripped of seven Tour De France titles because of allegations of doping, will be barred from competing in the October event, according to Runners World.

"We got the news (Thursday)," said Mark Fabiani, Armstrong's spokesman, according to Runner's World.

Chicago officials are upholding a ruling made by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that says Armstrong must be banned for life from all sports, including marathons and triathlons. Armstrong regularly competes in both formats.

"The Bank of America Chicago Marathon adheres to USA Track and Field rules, which includes following the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) regulations, the testing agency of the marathon," a statment from Marathon official read. "USADA’s lifetime ban prohibits Lance Armstrong from entering races sanctioned by USA Track & Field, which applies to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, as well as all competitions governed by USATF. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has had no direct contact with Lance Armstrong, nor had he submitted a formal registration to participate in the race."

Armstrong was found guilty of doping by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in August. He said he would not fight the charges any longer.

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