Lance Armstrong has hit back after new doping charges brought against him in America threatened to strip him of his record seven Tour de France titles.
The cycling great has been banned from triathlons, a sport he only recently took up, after the allegations were revealed.
Armstrong was told in a 15-page letter from the US Anti-Doping Agency that blood taken from him in 2009 and 2010 was tainted even though he has never tested positive for drugs. Armstrong said: “I have never doped and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one.
“I have been notified that USADA intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years.
“These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity.”
