Lance Armstrong's final chapter

Back in August, the USADA announced that Lance Armstrong had been found guilty of doping offences, and would be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. The verdict had been published, but the evidence had not, and the investigation against Armstrong had something of a chequered history, not least the failure of the Federal Drug Administration to bring a prosecution, the leaks that had plagued the case, and public rows over its conduct.

Armstrong continued to claim that he was the victim of a conspiracy of former team mates, envious at his success and bitter at their own convictions for doping, and vindictive administrators, jealous of his fame and fortune. As Corinthian Spirit argued at the time, despite it seeming probable that the verdict was correct, the authorities had not helped their own case, muddying the waters by announcing a verdict without the evidence. Would cycling fans ever know for certain what went on during the Armstrong era?

This changed today, when the USADA published a 1000 page dossier, documenting its evidence. The bulk of it remains circumstantial, but it is overwhelming in terms of how comprehensive it is. Eleven former team mates have gone on the record in great detail, along with numerous other witnesses. Many of the witnesses corroborate each other, and the USADA's verdict that there was a highly organised doping conspiracy surrounding the Texan is proven to be more than a flight of fancy. One of the witnesses is Tyler Hamilton, a former team mate, whose recent book 'The Secret Race' has been damning. Another is George Hincapie, one of Armstrong's closest colleagues and more reliable domestiques. His testimony is noteworthy because of how long he worked with Armstrong, and how loyal he was to his team leader.

The levels of subterfuge and intrigue required to stay ahead of the testers are remarkable, and must have been exhausting. They make for fascinating reading, as does the testimony about Armstrong's character, he comes across as domineering and unpleasant, a bully who was allowed to do as he wished for years. Publicly, he is still playing the victim, but this is now even more irrelevant than before.

The facts will take some time to digest, and there will be repercussions for months and years to come, particularly at the UCI, who face allegations that they covered up a failed drugs test in 2001. However, there can be no more questions about the man himself, and about how dirty that era of cycling was, and this should provide the closure that allows the sport to move on.

Articles from The Telegraph and Guardian that pick out extracts can be found here and here.