Cycling's governing body has stripped famed U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and banned him for life.

The International Cycling Union announced Monday it has ratified the sanctions handed down in August by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which stripped Armstrong of the titles he won from 1999 to 2005.

The USADA released a 1,000-page report of evidence uncovered in its investigation of the retired 41-year-old cyclist, including testimony from 11 former teammates.

Armstrong had denied the allegations for years, saying he had never tested positive for banned substances during his career.

Armstrong lost a number of high-profile corporate sponsors last week in response to the USADA report, including athletic apparel company Nike, beer maker Anheuser-Busch and bicycle manufacturer Trek.

He has resigned as chairman of Livestrong, the charity he founded to raise money for cancer research more than a decade ago after surviving testicular cancer.