Lance Launches USADA Action

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Lance Armstrong has launched legal action against the US Anti-Doping Agency in the wake of the body charging him with using performance-enhancing drugs.

The seven-time Tour de France winner was charged by USADA last month.

Armstrong has accused the USADA of offering "corrupt inducements" to other cyclists to testify against him and operating a "kangaroo court".

USADA has insisted Armstrong's lawsuit is "without merit".

The organisation has stated that 10 former team-mates of Armstrong, whose seven wins came consecutively between 1999 to 2005 but could have the titles stripped from him, will testify against him.

But Armstrong's 111-page court submission accuses USADA, the body's chief executive, Travis Tygart and an FBI agent Jeff Novitzky of waging a personal vendetta against him.

The document states: "In furtherance of this effort, Defendant Tygart and Agent Novitzky offered other cyclists corrupt inducements - offers some cyclists could not refuse - to implicate Mr. Armstrong in exchange for saving the cyclists' careers.

"If they refused to do so, USADA would work to ruin their careers, just as it is now attempting to end Mr. Armstrong's career."

Tygart said in a statement: "USADA was built by athletes on the principles of fairness and integrity.

"Like previous lawsuits aimed at concealing the truth, this lawsuit is without merit and we are confident the courts will continue to uphold the established rules which provide full constitutional due process and are designed to protect the rights of clean athletes and the integrity of sport."

Last month Armstrong urged the USADA review board to dismiss allegations brought against him, with his legal team stating that the claims were "long on stale allegations disproved long ago and short on evidence".

They argue their client is unable to mount a legitimate defence until he is able to see the evidence against him, though USADA has said it is withholding witness identities to protect them from intimidation.

Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer prior to his record-breaking Tour wins, retired after the 2005 race, but made a comeback in 2009.

He retired for a second time in February 2011, taking up triathlon earlier this year.