Armstrong, on counterattack

Former cyclist Lance Armstrong, seven times winner of the Tour de France, announced that he has sued the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to stop the process initiated against him for allegedly making use of 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 won by the American cyclist. "The process forced against Lance Armstrong is not impartial and the truth is not pursued," says the lawsuit, which seeks to disavow any action USADA takes against the athlete.

"We trust that the courts will continue to ensure that the constitutional rules of due process, designed to protect the rights of clean athletes with integrity in sport, are respected," said a statement from Armstrong.

According to the lawsuit, USADA's rules and arbitration are designed to find athletes guilty, without providing sufficient protection for the defense, while they would have violated 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 are blood tests from 2009 to 2010 that are "fully consistent" with doping samples.

The formal accusation against the seven-time champion maintains that Armstrong and some of his associates maintained a system of systematic doping 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.