Lance Armstrong’s former U.S. Postal Service team recently had two doctors and a trainer suspended for life Tuesday by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Dr. Michele Ferrari, a consultant; Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral, team doctor; and Jose “Pepe” Martí were part of a large-scale doping conspiracy, according to USADA. The agency says Armstrong, who won six Tour de France championships while with U.S. Postal, was also involved in doping.
Among the charges against the two doctors and Marti was the accusation that they trafficked performance-enhancing drugs and masking agents. “Permanently banning these individuals from sport is a powerful statement that protects the current and next generation of athletes from their influence, and preserves the integrity of future competition,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a written statement.
Armstrong has refiled a lawsuit against USADA in a bid to halt a doping case against him. The move came one day after a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, blasted the cycling champion in a sharply worded ruling. Armstrong has said he has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs
Former USPS team manager Johan Bruyneel and Dr. Pedro Celaya also have been charged by USADA. The agency’s release did not specify whether they also were granted extensions for their cases or had opted for an arbitration hearing.
