LONDON (AP) — Lance Armstrong’s longtime coach says the seven-time Tour de France winner is the victim of an “unjust” legal case that could cost him his victories in cycling’s greatest race.
Johan Bruyneel says he’s “disappointed” for Armstrong, who denies doping but chose to not pursue arbitration in the drug case brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
USADA wants Armstrong banned from all sports and stripped of his seven Tour wins.
Bruyneel says “Lance has never withdrawn from a fair fight in his life so his decision today underlines what an unjust process this has been.”
The Belgian has his own legal battle with USADA. He opted for arbitration to fight charges he led doping programs for Armstrong’s teams.
Bruyneel says that case “should never have gotten as far as it has.”
