Lance Armstrong... greatest doper there was or ever will be

Have i missed something - i assumed it would be the UCI that would be the ones that decided whether to strip him? The guardian is reporting that the usada has done so - why do they have the power to do this?

here's the answer to your question..

..Travis Tygart, USADA's chief executive, left no doubt that was the next step. He said Armstrong would lose the titles as soon as Friday and be hit with a lifetime ban, even though he is retired and turning 41 next month.

Tygart said the UCI, the sport's governing body, was "bound to recognize our decision and impose it" as a signer of the World Anti-Doping Code.

"They have no choice but to strip the titles under the code," he said.
-Montreal Gazette