Lance Armstrong publicly responds to USADA doping charges

Lance Armstrong has made a public response to the charges laid against him by the U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA) for doping violations. “I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one,” Armstrong said.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that it received a 15-page letter that outlined the charges against Armstrong by USADA,  alleging that in 2009 and 2010 it collected blood samples from the former cyclist that are, “fully consistent with blood ma­nipu­la­tion including EPO use and/or blood transfusions.”

USADA’s letter accuses Armstrong with violating anti-doping code by; use and/or attempted use of, possession, trafficking, administration and/or attempted administration of performance enhancing substances, and assisting, encouraging, aiding abetting attempted anti-doping rule violations, and aggravating circumstances.

Armstrong has never tested positive for a banned performance enhancing substance during his career as a professional cyclist or triathlete. He is banned from all competition and could lose his seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong publicly responded to the charges in the following press announcement:

“I have been notified that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars but governed only by self-written rules, intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned. These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity. Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play.

“I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence.”

These new charges come after a lengthy federal investigation against Armstrong (and others) spearheaded by the Food and Drug Administration’s Jeff Novitzsky. No charges were laid during that investigation.