Until the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency receive the "reasoned decision" by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the lifetime ban and disqualification of all of Lance Armstrong's results dating back to August 1998 cannot be made final.
The file was expected to be sent to these agencies by the end of September, but today a USADA spokesperson tacked two more weeks onto the date.
“USADA is in the process of finalizing the written reasoned decision in its U.S. Postal Services pro cycling doping case. We will provide the reasoned decision addressing the lifetime bans and disqualifications imposed to the UCI and WADA as provided for under the world rules. We expect it to be sent no later than October 15.”
The agency gave no reason for the delay.
Armstrong was accused by USADA in June of doping during his career, using EPO, blood transfusions, corticosteroids and growth hormones, as well as facilitating doping by his teammates and conspiring to cover up doping activities by USADA. Armstrong tried to fight the system itself in a Texas court, but Judge Sam Sparks decided that the proper place for the charges to be addressed was in the sport arbitration process.
Armstrong declined to fight the charges through the arbitration process, and by default was given the lifetime ban and disqualification of his results by USADA.
The UCI stated yesterday that if it determines that the process followed the rules, it would uphold the decision, but cannot do so until it receives USADA's reasoned decision.
