Hesjedahl Admits Past Doping

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Ryder Hesjedal, winner of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, has admitted doping "more than 10 years ago".

The 32-year-old Garmin-Sharp rider responded to allegations by Dane Michael Rasmussen, who said earlier that he taught Hesjedal how to take the banned blood-booster EPO in 2003.

Rasmussen was at Rabobank at the time, while Hesjedal was a mountain bike rider in their development team.

"More than a decade ago I chose the wrong path," said Hesjedal.

"Even though those mistakes happened more than 10 years ago, and they were short-lived, it does not change the fact I made them and I have lived with that and been sorry for it ever since.

"I believe that being truthful will help the sport continue to move forward, and over a year ago when I was contacted by anti-doping authorities, I was open and honest about my past."

Hesjedal was one of several riders and managers called to testify by theUS Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) in the case against Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping.

Hesjedal was one of Armstrong's team-mates at U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel in 2004 and 2005.

However, he is confident the sport is now on the right path and his current team are backing their rider.

"As we have previously stated, our expectation is that anyone in our organisation contacted by any anti-doping authority must be open and honest with that authority," said a Garmin statement.

"Ryder is no exception and a year ago when he was contacted he cooperated fully and truthfully testified to Usada and CCES (Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport).

"For this reason and because of our desire for 100% truth and reconciliation in the sport of cycling, we support him."

Rasmussen admitted earlier this year that he had doped throughout his 12-year professional career, from 1998 to 2010.

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Lance Armstrong - In quotes

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

Lance Armstrong

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Johan Bruyneel Leaves Radioshack

Lance Armstrong's former team manager, Johan Bruyneel, has left his position as general manager with Radioshack by mutual consent.

The announcement follows the report from the US Anti-Doping Agency that alleged the Belgian knew Armstrong used drugs during his Tour de France wins.

A statement read: "In light of these testimonies, both parties feel it is necessary to make this decision."

However the 48-year-old is fighting the Usada charges.

The statement adds: "Johan Bruyneel contests the validity of the procedure as well as the charges against him."

Bruyneel was Armstrong's team manager when the Texan won his seven Tour victories from 1999-2005 with US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.

He was also part of the Armstrong set-up at the 2009 and 2010 Tours, when Armstrong came back from retirement following a three-and-a-half-year absence.

Bruyneel had been with Radioshack since they were formed by Armstrong two years ago. He also owns large parts of the team's infrastructure through his management company.

The Usada investigation does not relate to Bruyneel's time with Radioshack, the team said.

The statement continued: "The reasoned decision published by the Usada included a number of testimonies as a result of their investigation.

"Johan Bruyneel can no longer direct the team in an efficient and comfortable way."

The Usada report, released on Wednesday, accused Armstrong of running "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen", with Bruyneel described as a key player in the scheme.

In the document, he was accused of alerting his team's riders to upcoming doping tests and communicating extensively with sports doctor Michele Ferrari, who is believed by Usada to have planned the rider's drug use.

The Belgian Cycling Federation has said it is investigating Usada's claims.

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Federal Judge Dismisses Lance Lawsuit

A US federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Lance Armstrong against the US Anti-Doping Agency.

Judge Sam Sparks criticised Armstrong's lawyers for the 80-page submission, saying it smacked of a public relations move rather than a challenge to the body that imposes doping sanctions on US athletes.

But Sparks also said that he was not ruling on the merits of the lawsuit and that the US cycling legend was welcome to present it again with modifications.

He advised Armstrong's lawyers to "omit any improper argument, rhetoric, or irrelevant material" in any future filing.

Armstrong's Austin-based lawyer Tim Herman told the Washington Post last night that the suit would be refiled by Wednesday at the latest.

"We will refile in a format that conforms to what Judge Sparks wants," Herman told the newspaper in a telephone interview.

Armstrong hopes to prevent USADA from pressing on with doping charges against him. He has until Saturday to accept sanctions or challenge USADA's charges through arbitration.

Instead, Armstrong hoped to turn the entire system on its head, questioning USADA's jurisdiction and the legitimacy of its rules.

The legal move, coming in the US cycling legend's hometown, claimed USADA procedures violate of his US constitutional right to a fair trial.

Armstrong, who has denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs, also claims that USADA chief executive Travis T. Tygart is pursuing a personal vendetta against him.

Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France from 1999 through 2006 and has since retired from cycling, could be stripped of his Tour de France triumphs and banned from the sport for life over the charges.

"It is a testament to USADA's brazenness and callous disregard for its own mission that it seeks to strip Mr. Armstrong of his life's work," Armstrong's attorneys said in the lawsuit.

Armstrong's lawyers called USADA's hearing procedure a "kangaroo court" and said that Armstrong would not be able to launch a proper defence against the charges under USADA rules and would face irreversible harm if USADA proceeds.

Tygart, in a statement, said Armstrong's lawsuit is part of a bid to hide the truth about his misdeeds.

"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," Tygart said.

USADA charged Armstrong last month with being part of a doping conspiracy during his years as Tour de France champion, the move coming four months after a two-year US government probe into Armstrong ended with no criminal charges.

Armstrong has never tested positive, and says he has taken more than 500 drug tests in his career.

USADA claims to have nearly a dozen former Armstrong associates willing to testify against him and also to have blood samples from more recent events that indicate doping by Armstrong.

USADA has not made public the names of those witnesses, saying it wants to protect them from possible intimidation.

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.