Reasoned Decision:
http://d3epuodzu3wuis.cloudfront.net...edDecision.pdf
This Reasoned Decision includes a summary of the overwhelming evidence that
demonstrates that Mr. Armstrong doped throughout the majority of his professional cycling
career. Among the evidence in this case are the sworn statements1 of more than two dozen (24+)
witnesses, including fifteen (15) professional cyclists, and a dozen (12) members of Armstrong’s
cycling teams, including eleven (11) former teammates and his former soigneur (masseuse).
Nine (9) of the professional cyclists were, like Mr. Armstrong, clients of Dr. Michele Ferrari and
have firsthand knowledge of his doping practices.
The evidence in this case also includes banking and accounting records from a Swiss
company controlled by Dr. Ferrari reflecting more than one million dollars in payments by Mr.
Armstrong, extensive email communications between Dr. Ferrari and his son and Mr. Armstrong
during a time period in which Mr. Armstrong claimed to not have a professional relationship
with Dr. Ferrari and a vast amount of additional data, including laboratory test results and expert
analysis of Mr. Armstrong’s blood test results. This evidence is incorporated by reference into
this Reasoned Decision as if fully set forth.
While this Reasoned Decision summarizes overwhelming evidence of Mr. Armstrong’s
doping that would have been presented at the hearing had Mr. Armstrong not refused to
challenge the charges against him, it necessarily cannot include all of the evidence that would
have been presented at such a hearing. Had there been a hearing even more evidence would have
been presented, including, evidence obtained through arbitration panel subpoenas and potentially
evidence from government investigations.
Furthermore, at a hearing USADA would have been able to examine on the record and
under oath members of Mr. Armstrong’s inner circle and others with knowledge of Armstrong’s
doping who refused to come forward or were unwilling to speak with USADA absent a
subpoena. Mr. Armstrong’s refusal to participate in a hearing prevented the testimony of many
other witnesses from being heard.
None of the evidence USADA summarizes in this Reasoned Decision was obtained from
the United States federal law enforcement investigation involving Mr. Armstrong. After the
announcement by U.S. District Attorney Andre Birotte on February 3, 2012, that he was
discontinuing the criminal investigation of Armstrong’s conduct, USADA formally requested
copies of non-grand jury evidence from the case.2 However, no documents have been received
to date. As a result, none of the evidence assembled by USADA has come from federal law
enforcement.
The most critical evidence assembled by USADA and discussed in this Reasoned
Decision has come from Mr. Armstrong’s former teammates and former employees of the United
States Postal Service (“U.S. Postal Service” or “USPS”) and Discovery Channel cycling teams
who decided that it was the right thing to do for clean sport to come forward and provide
evidence to USADA regarding what they knew. As a consequence of a number of courageous
riders willingness to break the Code of Silence—the “omerta”—after being approached by
USADA, by late May 2012 USADA concluded it had more than enough evidence to proceed
with charges against former USPS and Discovery Channel Team Director Johan Bruyneel,4
former USPS and/or Discovery Channel doctors Pedro Celaya,5 Luis Garcia del Moral6 and
Michele Ferrari7 and Team Trainer Jose “Pepe” Marti8 and against Mr. Armstrong.
USADA also reached out to Mr. Armstrong, communicating with four of his attorneys
and giving Mr. Armstrong the opportunity to come in and sit down with USADA and cooperate
with USADA’s investigation as had many of Mr. Armstrong’s teammates. Mr. Armstrong,
however, refused to meet with USADA, setting in motion the sequence of events that led to
USADA’s charges and ultimately to Mr. Armstrong’s sanction by USADA in accordance with
the rules.9