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WADA urges cycling body to back US Armstrong case

Dunya News

Armstrong could lose his seven Tour de France titles if he is found to have doped.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has urged cyclings governing body to support United States anti-doping officials and provide documents to help their case against Lance Armstrong.WADA said it wrote to International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid on Tuesday, asking him to withdraw a request to take jurisdiction of the Armstrong case from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.WADA said it reminds the cycling body that the agency which discovered the violation must have results management authority in a case.Armstrong could lose his seven Tour de France titles if he is found to have doped throughout his career, as USADA alleges.WADA says there is no provision within its rules that allows the UCI to interfere with the USADA case or demand to see the American agencys evidence.The three sports groups have engaged in a testy exchange in recent days just as Armstrong prepares for a federal court hearing in Austin, Texas where he will as U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks to block USADA from pursuing its case. He argues that UCI has proper jurisdiction.In a statement released last week, UCI complained that USADA has refused to share its evidence not only with Armstrong but with the UCI itself. USADA chief executive Travis Tygart responded by saying UCI has an interest in covering up corruption in cycling and alleged performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and members of his teams.USADA has accused Armstrong of performance-enhancing drug use throughout his career, from his Tour de France victories from 1999-2005 through his comeback a few years ago. Armstrong vehemently denies the charges and says the USADA arbitration process is unfair.The cyclist also points to a clean record throughout his career when it comes to drug testing. An Armstrong spokesman declined comment Tuesday.Armstrongs attorneys have raised the UCI jurisdiction claims in their court filings. They say that blood and urine samples cited in USADAs allegations belong to UCI and that emails from former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis outlining alleged doping on Armstrongs teams were first sent to a USA Cycling official, who falls under UCIs jurisdiction.