U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO says Armstrong's decision "heartbreaking"

(Reuters) - The decision by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong not to fight doping accusations was "heartbreaking," U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said on Thursday.

"It is a sad day for all of us who love sport and our athletic heroes," Tygart said in a statement released to Reuters.

"This is a heartbreaking example of how the win-at-all-costs culture of sport, if left unchecked, will overtake fair, safe and honest competition, but for clean athletes, it is a reassuring reminder that there is hope for future generations to compete on a level playing field without the use of performance-enhancing drugs," he said. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; editing by Christopher Wilson)