Cycling: Armstrong lashes out at WADA

Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take disciplinary action against the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Dick Pound.

In an eight-page letter sent to IOC president Jacques Rogge and published on Armstrong's official supporters' website today, the 34-year-old Texan accused Pound of violating IOC rules by his conduct during the independent investigation into allegations last August of doping against Armstrong by French newspaper L'Equipe.

Armstrong was cleared in May. Lawyer Emile Vrijman, who led the probe, said WADA and the French national doping laboratory had effectively pronounced Armstrong guilty of a doping violation without sufficient basis.

"If the rules of the Olympic movement are to have any meaning at all, they must be enforced, not just against athletes, but against sports officials and anti-doping officials when they violate the rules," an opening statement to the letter by Armstrong read.

"The facts revealed in the independent investigator's report show a pattern of intentional misconduct by WADA officials designed to attack anyone who challenges them, followed by a cover-up to conceal their wrongdoing.

"This conduct by Pound is just the latest in a long history of ethical transgressions and violations of athletes' rights." "It is now time for the IOC to enforce the rules, to bring closure, and to take action against all of those who were responsible for this unfortunate incident.

"Athletes and fans of sport should not support a system that does not apply the rules in the same manner to high-ranking officials as those rules are applied to athletes and everyone else involved in the Olympic movement."

Armstrong hopes the IOC will take action against Pound during their Executive Board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland scheduled for June 21-23.

Pound, an IOC member, was not immediately available for comment.

- REUTERS