Armstrong, on counterattack
Former cyclist Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, announced that he has sued the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to stop the process initiated against him for allegedly using illegal substances systematically for years.
In a statement on his website, the athlete details that he has filed a lawsuit in a United States federal court against USADA, since the process initiated against him recently violates, in his opinion, the right to a fair trial and because the agency has no jurisdiction in your case.
Armstrong says that Travis Tygart, executive director of USADA, seeks revenge on him and that is why he has encouraged this process that could deprive him of the seven Tour de France achieved by the American cyclist. “The trial forced against Lance Armstrong is not impartial and the truth is not pursued,” indicates the lawsuit, which attempts to disavow any measure taken by USADA against the athlete.
“We are confident that the courts will continue to ensure that constitutional standards of due process, designed to protect the rights of clean athletes with integrity in sport, are respected,” says a statement from Armstrong.
According to the lawsuit, USADA rules and arbitration are designed to find athletes guilty, without giving sufficient protection to the defense, while violating legal rules by forcing witnesses to testify against the defendants. .
The American cyclist maintains his innocence and has categorically denied having doped after passing more than 500 controls. But USADA claims that at least 10 of Armstrong's colleagues and associates can testify against him and there is blood evidence from 2009 to 2010 that is "totally consistent" with doping samples.
The formal accusation against the seven-time champion maintains that Armstrong and some of his associates maintained a systematic doping system from 1999 to 2005. Among the accused are also Spanish doctors Pedro Celaya Lezema y Luis Garcia del Moralas well as the coach Pepe Martí, the Italian medical assistant Michele Ferrari and the Belgian sports director Johan Bruyneel.
