EDMONTON- The aftermath of Lance Armstrong's confession that he took performance enhancing drugs is being felt in Edmonton.
After much consideration, a well known mural in Old Strathcona will be removed.
United Cycle, located on Gateway Boulevard and 76th Avenue, has decided to take down its painting of the disgraced cyclist. The mural is showcased on the outside of the building and will be removed in the spring when the weather improves.
The painting went up during the store's grand reopening in 2009, as a way to honour Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles. Staff say it meant a lot to the store and their customers at the time.
"It was a big celebratory time and obviously the win brought a lot of good recognition to the cycling community and we were proud to celebrate it," explained Kelly Hodgson, United Cycle's Marketing Events and Campaign Coordinator.
In light of Armstrong's confession, the store no longer thinks the mural is appropriate.
"(There was) a lot of good conversation, you know, people are on both sides with this. One is saying 'Well, everybody does it so why is it such a big deal?' And the other side, there's a lot of people that think sport is pure, right? And it's about honesty and integrity and when it's not that, then people have some negative opinions about it," Hodgson explained.
The owners plan on having a new mural painted when the current one comes down but, there is no word on what may go up in its place.
© Global News. A division of Shaw Media Inc., 2013.