Armstrong Cleared Of Doping Charge

Dutch Investigators Exonerate Cyclist Of Claim He Used EPO In 1999

(CBS/AP) 
"Today's comprehensive report makes it clear that there is no truth to that accusation."

The ICU appointed Dutch lawyer Emile Vrijman last October to investigate the handling of the urine tests by the French national anti-doping laboratory.

Vrijman said Wednesday his report "exonerates Lance Armstrong completely with respect to alleged use of doping in the 1999 Tour de France."

The 132-page report said no proper records were kept of the samples, there had been no "chain of custody" guaranteeing their integrity, and no way of knowing whether the samples had been "spiked" with banned substances.

Pound said he hadn't received the report yet but, based on what he had read in news accounts, was critical of Vrijman's findings.

"It's clearly everything we feared. There was no interest in determining whether the samples Armstrong provided were positive or not," he told The Associated Press by telephone from Montreal.

"Whether the samples were positive or not, I don't know how a Dutch lawyer with no expertise came to a conclusion that one of the leading laboratories in the world messed up on the analysis. To say Armstrong is totally exonerated seems strange," Pound said.

Armstrong had challenged the validity of testing samples frozen six years ago, and how they were handled. EPO, or erythropoietin, is a synthetic hormone that boosts the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Testing for EPO only began in 2001.

"The report confirms my innocence, but also finds that Mr. Pound along with the French lab and the French ministry have ignored the rules and broken the law," Armstrong said.

Vrijman said a tribunal should be created to "provide a fair hearing" to the people and organizations suspected of misconduct and to decide on sanctions if warranted.

In a statement separate from Pound's comments, WADA expressed "grave concern and strong disappointment" over Vrijman's reported comments.

"WADA continues to stress its concern that an investigation into the matter must consider all aspects, not limited to how the damaging information regarding athletes' urine samples became public, but also addressing the question of whether anti-doping rules were violated by athletes," the statement said.