Thursday night an exasperated Lance Armstrong announced he would stop fighting the U.S. Anti-Doping Agencys charges that he had used performance-enhancing drugs, prompting the USADA to move to strip the legendary cyclist of his seven Tour de France titles.

If the agency succeeds, the highest athletic achievements of the greatest philanthropist in sport will disappear from the record, but experts say Armstrongs personal brand and powerhouse Livestrong foundation are sturdy enough to survive the loss of his Tour titles.

Since founding the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997, Armstrong, a testicular cancer survivor, has helped raise $470 million for cancer research.

Hes aspires to inspire (and) for all the talent he had on the bike, his greatest talent was being a champion of hope, says Sunny Pathak, president of SOS Media and brand manager to several pro athletes. Thats the advice Id give him. Fight the fight you believe you can win.

Armstrongs foundation was responsible for the yellow LIVESTRONG bracelets that were ubiquitous in the mid-2000s, and which have raised roughly $100 million for cancer research on their own.

Corporate support for the Armstrong foundation was just as strong, with sponsors ranging from Nike to Budweiser, and with the LIVESTRONG name gracing the home stadium of Major League Soccers Sporting Kansas City Franchise. American Century Investments introduced a line of mutual funds titled LIVESTRONG Portfolios, which earned strong reviews from investment industry analysts earlier this summer.

Thursday afternoon all three companies announced they planned to maintain their relationships with Armstrong and his foundation, even if he loses his Tour de France titles.

The USADA may sanction Lance and attempt to strip his titles, but no one can take away what hes done for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer, an American Century spokesperson told The Associated Press on Friday.

That decision doesnt surprise McMaster University marketing professor Manish Kacker, who points out that sponsors gravitate to Armstrong not because he defeated other cyclists but because he triumphed over cancer.

Both Armstrong and Livestrong have a real track record in terms of raising funds for cancer, says Kacker, who teaches at McMasters DeGroote School of Business. There might be some people who will pull away from Livestrong, but the charity probably has enough momentum to continue moving forward.

Read more:
Lance Armstrong’s personal brand will still live strong