US cycling icon and cancer survivor Armstrong is set to be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after he gave up the right to fight serious doping claims by the US agency at an independent hearing.

But Union for International Cancer Control president Mary Gospodarowicz told AFP the “cancer community is behind him.” Gospodarowicz was speaking at the opening of the World Cancer Congress in Montreal. Armstrong is scheduled to speak at the conference today and “donations to his foundation continue” unabated, she said.