Armstrong opts against appeal

Lausanne - Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong missed the deadline to lodge an appeal over being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for systematic doping, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced.

Armstrong has been wiped from the record books with all of his achievements since August 1998 binned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) after he was accused of being at the heart of sports' biggest ever doping scandal.

The UCI notified the Texan on December 6 that he had until December 27 to appeal his lifetime ban.

Armstrong, who has always denied doping, had already announced in August that he was dropping his legal challenge against the allegations made against him by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), who had been waiting on the result of any appeal, could now demand that Armstrong returns the time-trial bronze medal he won at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.