Armstrong cleared of doping allegations

A two-year investigation into Lance Armstrong, his U.S. Postal teammates and team manager Johan Bruyneel by the U.S. Attorney’s Office has closed with no charges made. The inquiry sought to find out whether the team, sponsored with government funds, engaged in conspiracy, fraud or racketeering via doping. However, the U.S. Anti-doping Agency will use information gathered in the grand jury case to continue its own investigation into allegations of U.S. Postal’s systematic doping.

The case came about when American Floyd Landis admitted to doping in May 2010 and fingered his ex-team. Landis was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for abnormally high levels of testosterone while racing for Phonak. Landis denied doping for years before coming clean. Tyler Hamilton, another American who used to race with Landis and Armstrong as a Postie, also claimed on the TV program “60 Minutes” that Armstrong doped during several of his record seven straight Tour de France victories.

In a released statement Armstrong, who re-retired last season, said, “I am gratified to learn that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is closing its investigation. It is the right decision and I commend them for reaching it.”

Frankie Andreu is another U.S. Postal teammate who has accused Armstrong of cheating with performance enhancing drugs. He and his wife Betsy cooperated with the grand jury investigation. Betsy’s response to no charges being laid? “Our system has failed us. This is what happens when you have a lot of money.”