Armstrong cancer charity could be hurt by cyclist's scandal
Livestrong has raised millions to battle disease but fallout from doping scandal may be costly
The impact of doping allegations levelled at Lance Armstrong does not end on the cycling circuit. The fallout encircles Livestrong, the charity he founded after recovering from cancer.
Launched in 2003 as an online resource for cancer survivors, the charity achieved global brand recognition a year later by adopting a yellow wristband as its hallmark, a concept Armstrong jointly developed with his sponsor Nike.
The rubber bracelets quickly became a fashion accessory - more than 80 million have been sold - and spawned a wave of imitations in different colours from other charities.
Livestrong's branding, however, had special resonance - the man who inspired them had years earlier beaten cancer and even more remarkably gone on to win the Tour de France, and its hallowed yellow jersey, multiple times.
But, with the cyclist's reputation now languishing in sport's doldrums and up against merciless scrutiny in the court of public opinion, experts say the charity he inspired faces a choice: speak up or stay silent?
"Lance Armstrong has gone from being Livestrong's biggest asset to being their biggest liability," said Sol Levine, a director at Qorvis Communications, a Washington-based public relations firm.