Lance Armstrong faces new doping charges

Seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is facing new doping charges that will immediately prevent him from competing in triathlons and could cost him those Tour de France wins.

On Tuesday (June 12), The Washington Post obtained a letter sent to Armstrong and several others by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that alleges it collected blood samples from the cyclist that were "fully consistent with blood ma­nipu­la­tion including EPO use and/or blood transfusions."

Armstrong has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and in February the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles closed a two-year investigation into doping allegations brought against Armstrong that were backed by former teammates Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton.

"These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity," says Armstrong in a statement on his official website.

He continues: "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. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence."