WADA’s code has an eight-year statute of limitations for doping offenses. That raises questions about whether USADA would be able to make full use of evidence gathered in the federal probe and, if needed, initiate proceedings against Armstrong or any other rider for supposed offenses that may have happened before 2004. The federal probe was thought to have focused on the period when Armstrong rode for the U.S. Postal cycling team until 2004. He is now retired.
WADA URGES FEDS TO HAND OVER ARMSTRONG INFO
BY JOHN LEICESTER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday urged U.S. federal authorities to quickly hand over evidence collected in their lengthy probe into seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and doping in American cycling.
WADA president John Fahey said federal agencies in the United States gathered “significant evidence” in the criminal investigation that was abruptly closed last week with no charges filed and no explanation given.
Fahey said it would be “very, very helpful if that information was handed over” to the U.S Anti-Doping Agency. That agency has said it will continue its own probe into doping in cycling.
Federal prosecutors dropped the investigation of Armstrong last Friday, ending a nearly two-year effort aimed at determining whether the world’s most famous cyclist and his teammates joined in a doping program during his most successful years.
“There has been significant evidence taken on anti-doping areas, on what may have occurred in the way of doping. It would be very, very helpful if that information was handed over,” Fahey said of the U.S. probe that was led by federal agent Jeff Novitzky, who also investigated baseball players Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
“The United States anti-doping organization is keen to get hold of that evidence and we would like to see that happen because there could well be some very relevant information there,” Fahey said.
WADA’s director general, David Howman, noted that U.S. federal agencies previously shared evidence gathered in their probe of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid distribution ring that brought down American sprinter Marion Jones and others.
He said WADA anticipates that evidence from the Armstrong probe “will be shared in the same way” and expressed hope that could be done in the six months before the London Olympics open in July.
“It is important that that happen as quickly as possible, just in case there are athletes who might be looking at going to London and where there is evidence in relation to them,” he said.
WADA’s code has an eight-year statute of limitations for doping offenses. That raises questions about whether USADA would be able to make full use of evidence gathered in the federal probe and, if needed, initiate proceedings against Armstrong or any other rider for supposed offenses that may have happened before 2004. The federal probe was thought to have focused on the period when Armstrong rode for the U.S. Postal cycling team until 2004. He is now retired.