Former cyclist Lance Armstrong has stepped down as chairman of the cancer charity he founded to distance it from the doping scandal that promises to cost him his seven Tour de France titles.
At the same time, Nike said it could no longer ignore the growing evidence of his illicit behaviour as one of the cycling world's top athletes and dropped its sponsorship of him.
Armstrong said: "To spare the (Livestrong) foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career, I will conclude my chairmanship."
He will continue to serve on the board.
Armstrong is set to lose his record seven Tour de France titles after the publication of a 1,000-page report by the US Anti-Doping Agency last week.
The report said that Armstrong took part in and organised an elaborate and sophisticated doping scheme on his way to his unrivalled success on the Tour.
Armstrong, 41, has always denied he took banned substances during his glittering career but decided not to challenge the USADA charges against him.
He founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The organisation launched the Livestrong brand in 2003 as it widened its cancer patient-support services, and the foundation is now known by both names.
