Lance Armstrong: Lawyer dismisses report as ‘one-sided hatchet job’

A REPORT by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accusing Lance Armstrong of using and distributing performance-enhancing drugs as part of a sophisticated doping programme is a “one-sided hatchet job”, the cyclist’s lawyer said last night.

The agency described its report as linking Armstrong to the use of performance-enhancing drugs through financial payments, e-mails, scientific data, laboratory test results, and testimony from 11 former team-mates.

“We have seen the press release from USADA touting the upcoming release today of its ‘reasoned decision’,” Armstrong’s lawyer Sean Breen said by e-mail. “The statement confirms the alleged ‘reasoned decision’ from USADA will be a one-sided hatchet job – a taxpayer-funded tabloid piece rehashing old, disproved, unreliable allegations based largely on axe-grinders, 
serial perjurers, coerced testimony, sweetheart deals and threat-induced stories.” Armstrong – one of the world’s most famous athletes who also is well known for his cancer-fighting charity work – has denied cheating. He never failed a doping test. Armstrong was banned for life by USADA in August after announcing he would not fight the agency’s doping charges against him.

Breen said the agency was “ignoring the 500-600 tests Lance Armstrong passed, ignoring all exculpatory evidence, and trying to justify the millions of dollars USADA has spent pursuing one, single athlete for years”. He added: “USADA has continued its government-funded witch-hunt of only Mr Armstrong, a retired cyclist, in violation of its own rules and due process, in spite of USADA’s lack of jurisdiction, in blatant violation of the statute of limitations.”

THE CHARGES

1) Use and/or attempted use of prohibited substances and/or methods including EPO, blood transfusions, testosterone, corticosteroids and/or masking agents.

2) Possession of prohibited substances and/or methods including EPO, blood transfusions and related equipment (such as needles, blood bags, storage containers and other transfusion equipment and blood parameters measuring devices), testosterone, corticosteroids and/or masking agents.

3) Trafficking of EPO, testosterone, and/or corticosteroids.

4) Administration and/or attempted administration to others of EPO, testosterone and/or cortisone.

5) Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and other complicity involving one or more anti-doping rule violations and/or attempted anti-doping rule violations.