USADA releases massive evidence vs. Lance Armstrong

Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY Sports

One former teammate of Armstrong's, George Hincapie, issued a statement confirming his own role in the doping conspiracy and saying he told investigators the truth 'about everything I knew.'

12:05AM EDT October 11. 2012 -

Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France victories after he did not challenge USADA accusations that he used and distributed performance-enhancing drugs.(Photo: Rogerio Barbosa, AFP/Getty Images)

  

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Wednesday released its evidence against Lance Armstrong – a massive dossier of more than 1,000 pages with sworn testimony from 26 people, including 15 cyclists with knowledge of Armstrong's doping activities on the U.S. Postal Service Cycling team.

The evidence includes testimony from cyclist George Hincapie, a longtime close associate of Armstrong's who on Wednesday admitted his role in the doping conspiracy and said he told investigators what he knew about others.

"I would have been much more comfortable talking only about myself, but understood that I was obligated to tell the truth about everything I knew. So that is what I did," Hincapie's statement said.

In a statement, USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said, "The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."

USADA DOCUMENT: Read the entire case against Lance Armstrong

INSIDE DETAILS: Key evidence in the USADA's case

USADA said the evidence 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."

Eleven Armstrong teammates testified against him, including six active riders who were given six-month suspensions for their own doping: Hincapie, Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie.

"Together these different categories of eyewitness, documentary, first-hand, scientific, direct and circumstantial evidence reveal conclusive and undeniable proof that brings to the light of day for the first time this systemic, sustained and highly professionalized team-run doping conspiracy," USADA said.

USADA posted the detailed evidence on its website Wednesday.

PHOTO GALLERY: Key players in the Armstrong case

Hincapie's statement acknowledged that he had cheated.

"Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level without them. I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates and fans," Hincapie wrote.

In a statement, Armstrong attorney Tim Herman attacked the credibility of USADA's case.

"Tygart's 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," Herman wrote.

On Wednesday night, Armstrong tweeted, "What am I doing tonight? Hanging with my family, unaffected, and thinking about this.." followed by a link to his Livestrong Foundation's web site.

USADA released the report as required by its decision in August to give Armstrong a lifetime ban and strip him of his seven titles in the Tour de France. In June, the agency formally accused Armstrong and other team officials of using banned drugs and blood transfusions to gain an edge in competition over several years.

By rule, USADA was mandated by the World Anti-Doping Code to deliver a detailed report on its decision to the interested parties, which include the World Anti-Doping Agency and the athlete's international federation.

In this case, the Armstrong's international federation for cycling is the International Cycling Union (UCI). After receiving the report, UCI has 21 days to appeal the Armstrong sanctions. If an appeal is lodged, the matter will go to arbitration at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

UCI previously has been critical of USADA's case against Armstrong, questioning whether he received his due process. UCI also questioned the fairness of making deals with other riders to testify against Armstrong in exchange for less severe punishment for doping.

USADA shot back at UCI and accused the organization of having a lackluster record on doping and a cozy relationship with Armstrong. In "The Secret Race," the recent book by cyclist Tyler Hamilton, the author alleges Armstrong worked with UCI to have a positive drug test covered up at the Tour of Switzerland in 2001.

Armstrong could have fought USADA's charges by going to arbitration in front of a three-person panel, with one panelist picked by both sides and the other selected by the other two. But he claimed the process as "rigged" against him and announced in August he would no longer fight the charges.

He maintained his innocence, saying he never failed a drug test. USADA noted that Armstrong's team used sophisticated techniques to avoid testing positive and that there is no test for blood transfusions.

In a letter sent to USADA on Tuesday, Armstrong's attorney, Herman, said that some of the witnesses against the cyclist are "serial perjurers."