USADA’s Reasoned Decision against Lance Armstrong

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) released a 200-page Reasoned Decision to the International Cycling Union (UCI) that included overwhelming evidence proving Lance Armstrong helped create and lead a massive doping conspiracy, where he used and distributed banned substances such as Erythropoietin (EPO) and Testosterone to his teammates, during most of his cycling career with the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team.

The evidence includes more than 24 sworn testimony from former staff and teammates of Armstrong, some of which were also given doping programs from banned Dr. Michele Ferrari.

The athletes who testified in the case against Armstrong provided detailed descriptions of their doping experiences while being teammates with Armstrong on US Postal. The riders include Michael Barry, David Zabriskie, Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, Frankie Andreu, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde and Jonathan Vaughters.

According to USADA, these cyclists believed their cooperation during the investigation was an important step that would help clean up the sport.

Barry, Leipheimer, Zabriskie, Vande Velde, Danielson, Hincapie were given six-month suspensions beginning in September. Hincapie and Barry have announced their retirement from the sport.

Evidence also shows bank statements of more than 1 million in payments from Armstrong to Dr. Ferrari from 1996 to 2006 via an account in Switzerland. In addition, Armstrong’s email correspondence with Dr. Ferrari about laboratory test results, data analysis, and blood work results.

The case highlights specific examples of a doping conspiracy between the years 1998-2005 and Armstrong’s continued involvement with Dr. Ferrari from 2009-12.

Some of these examples include how Armstrong and the US Postal riders avoided testing positive, scientific evidence that corroborates Armstrong’s doping violations during the 1999 Tour de France and 2001 Tour of Switzerland, where he reportedly tested positive, along with proof that he tried to cover up these positive tests.

The case also shows examples of Armstrong’s retaliation and intimidation toward witnesses testifying against him such as Leipheimer, Hamilton and Vaughters, among others.

The case shows evidence against Armstrong’s former doctors and staff members at US Postal. USADA charged former US Postal and Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel, doctors Ferrari, Pedro Celaya and Luis Garcia de Moral, and trainer Jose Marti with use and/or attempted use, possession, trafficking, administration and/or attempted administration of performance enhancing substances, and assisting, encouraging, aiding abetting attempted anti-doping rule violations, and aggravating circumstances.

According to the Reasoned Decision, USADA gave Armstrong an opportunity to cooperate, however, he refused. In August, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from Olympic sports for life. Ferrari and Garcia del Moral accepted lifetime bans; however, Bruyneel, Celaya and Marti have chosen to fight USADA’s charges against them.

USADA’s full Reasoned Decision can be read here