Disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong could be forced to repay the winnings he accumulated from clinching the Tour de France title a record seven times.
The 41-year-old, who has been accused of running "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme the sport has ever seen" by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, has officially been stripped of his Tour de France titles by the UCI and banned from competing in the sport for life.
"The UCI rules are clear," BBC Sport quotes Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme as saying. "When a rider is disqualified, he must pay the prize money back.
"We hope that there is no winner in these editions. A formal decision must be taken by the UCI but for us, very clearly, there must be a blank record."
It is believed that Armstrong has collected up to £2.4m in prize money from his Tour de France wins between 1999 and 2005, some of which the American is thought to have shared with his US Postal teammates.
Danielle Joynson
