Shamed Armstrong refuses to concede defeat

Disgraced American cyclist has refused to concede defeat after tweeting a picture of himself relaxing surrounded by his tainted Tour de France jerseys.

The Texan was stripped of his record tour titles after an investigation by the US Anti-doping Agency found him guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs.

But the image seems to be Armstrong's way of sticking two fingers up at the authorities, especially since it came with the caption "Back Austin and just layin around...."

The image shows the framed jerseys adorning the walls; each is picked out by an individual lightbuilb with a pair of curtains left open in order to put them on display.

Last month the International Cycling Union agreed with the sanctions recommended by the USADA that Armstrong and his US Postal Team ran "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen."

All Armstrong's results from 1998 were stripped from the record books, including his seven consecutive Tour de France victories.

The 41-year-old was banned for life.