The US Anti-Doping Agency kept up its pursuit of charges against Lance Armstrong by filing a motion on Thursday that asks a judge to dismiss the cyclist’s lawsuit against the agency.
“We will continue to do our duty on behalf of all clean athletes, who rightly depend upon us to ensure that no matter how famous or anonymous, we will treat each alleged offender the same,” said USADA chief executive Travis Tygart in a statement.
USADA’s motion refers to the Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act, which gives the anti-doping body jurisdiction over Olympic sports athletes and it includes a 2005 affidavit from Tygart stating that Armstrong was under its mandate and took part in USADA’s testing program.
“Were we not to bring this case, we would be complicit in covering up evidence of doping, and failing to do our job on behalf of those we are charged with protecting,” Tygart said.
“We look forward to receiving the court’s ruling,” he added.
The USADA announced last month that it had brought doping charges against Armstrong for doping, which if proven could see the cycling legend stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
USADA claims it has witnesses who will show that Armstrong and five former cycling team associates engaged in a doping conspiracy from 1998-2011.
Armstrong, who has vigorously denied doping, has sued USADA in federal court stating that the agency’s process violates his US constitutional rights, and he claims that the organization has no jurisdiction in the case.
