MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — A defiant Lance Armstrong yesterday rebutted the US Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) claims that he is a drug cheat, telling throngs of supporters at a Montreal cancer conference: "I won the Tour de France seven times."

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

Armstrong briefly addressed the allegations at the World Cancer Congress in Montreal, saying to applause: "My name is Lance Armstrong, I'm a cancer survivor... and yes, I won the Tour de France seven times.

"And for those who don't know what I'm talking about, I love you," he added cheerily.

Armstrong's Livestrong campaign has collected nearly $500 million for cancer research and helping people cope with the disease.

He told conference delegates that there is still "too much to be done" in the fight against cancer that "we can't be distracted", alluding to the doping scandal. "I wont be distracted."

Later Armstrong was to go for a seven and a half kilometer (4.6 mile) run in the city, and invited Montrealers to join him.