[troutman]

USADA chief previews Lance Armstrong report

The anti-doping agency says it will post findings on website later today. The evidence shows Lance Armstrong's involvement in doping 'beyond any doubt,' the USADA chief says.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/sports...,5901743.story

In a statement emailed to news outlets, USADA Chief Executive Travis Tygart said, “The evidence shows beyond any doubt that” Armstrong’s “U.S. Postal Service Cycling team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.”

Tygart said USADA’s “reasoned decision” to pursue banning Armstrong before the cyclist clinched the penalty by withdrawing from the agency’s arbitration process will be sent to the International Cycling Union (UCI), the World Anti-Doping Agency and the World Triathlon Corp. on Wednesday.

The evidence, Tygart said, is in excess of 1,000 pages and features sworn testimony from 26 individuals, “including 15 riders with knowledge of the USPS team and its participants’ doping activities.”

Tygart praised the “courage” of 11 Armstrong teammates who came forward: Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie.

According to the statement, USADA gathered information that “includes direct documentary evidence including financial payments, emails, scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance-enhancing drugs by Lance Armstrong and confirm the disappointing truth about the deceptive activities of the USPS team, a team that received tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars in funding.”