Cycling Officials Say Armstrong Can’t Ride in Charity Event

Cycling’s American governing body said Thursday that Lance Armstrong’s lifetime ban from the sport for serial doping prevents him from participating as planned in a charity bike ride in South Carolina this weekend, Velo News and Bloomberg report. USA Cycling said the Gran Fondo Hincapie is an “authorized activity” under its rules and thus out of bounds for Mr. Armstrong.

The noncompetitive charity ride was to have reunited Mr. Armstrong with several of his former U.S. Postal Service teammates, including organizer George Hincapie. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, whose 2012 report on Mr. Armstrong’s cheating led to the ban, had asked USA Cycling to determine whether his participation would violate the ban.

Mr. Hincapie said event officials had contacted “what we believed was the appropriate governing body” last month and received permission to invite Mr. Armstrong, but he added, “We will of course comply with the [USA Cycling] ruling.”