Lance Armstrong criticises US Anti-Doping Agency's 'spiteful campaign'

Lance Armstrong has criticised US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accusations as being a "spiteful campaign" that could strip him of his seven Tour de France titles.

The cycling great Armstrong has responded to claims by the USADA that he had taken banned substances. The organisation said laboratory tests of blood samples taken between 2009 and 2010 were "fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions", the Washington Post has reported.

EPO is erythropoietin, a naturally occurring protein, and its use is one recent way athletes have tried to artificially boost their red blood cell count and athletic performance.

Armstrong has responded to the claims accusing the agency of rehashing discredited claims in a secretive and spiteful campaign. His attorney Robert Luskin wrote: "Just two months shy of the Olympic Games, the agency charged with monitoring Olympic athletes has chosen to devote its energies instead to 14-year-old charges against an athlete who is not involved in the coming games and who has never tested positive for the use of performance-enhancing drugs."

The letter was made public by Armstrong, who tweeted a link to a copy of the filing. Original letters from the USADA were not made public, although the contents of the correspondence has been reported by the Washington Post. Lawyers for Armstrong have asked the agency's review board to recommend to the USADA to end its pursuit of the allegations, which can immediately stop Armstrong from competing in triathlons, and if upheld, could strip the cyclist of his Tour de France titles.

In addition to the substance claims, the USADA has alleged that Armstrong, three doctors, a trainer and a team manager participated in a doping conspiracy from 1998 to 2007, saying at least ten cyclists were witnesses.

The US-born cyclist won straight Tours ending in 2005, and after retiring he went back to race in 2009, when he finished third. He retired once again in 2010, saying he is looking to compete in triathlons from now.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths