I’m as “anti-doping” as the next guy and was ready to hate Lance Armstrong the last time this came up.  Originally I was a fan of him as an athlete but didn’t really care about him as a person.  I ended up following the story, eventually read his book and all that and I think I’ve become a fan of his in general.  That said, if he did “dope” I’m done with him and he deserves to be stripped of all his victories.

BUT!  There’s always a but.  It’s my understanding that the first investigation for doping was pretty thorough.  It seemed like the investigators talked to everyone and their mother, they didn’t prove anything, the case was closed and we were all able to move on.  Now I’m just pissed about the whole thing because I want to see him and Chris McCormack duke it out in Kona at the Ironman World Championships.  I was really looking forward to it and was so pumped for regular people to want to watch the race, talk about it and above all else see those two go at it.  Now I’ll have to cancel my pre-ordered DVD, this sucks!

AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is bringing doping charges against seven-time Tour de France winner LanceArmstrong, threatening to strip his victories in those storied cycling races.

Armstrong could face a lifetime ban from the sport if he is found to have used performance-enhancing drugs. The move by the agency immediately bans him from competing in triathlons, which he turned to after he retired from cycling last year.

Armstrong, in a statement Wednesday, dismissed any doping allegations as “baseless” and “motivated by spite” and noted they came just months after federal prosecutors closed a two-year criminal investigation against the cyclist without bringing an indictment.

The charges by the agency were first reported by The Washington Post.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s letter to Armstrong informing him of the charges also said the agency was bringing doping charges against Johan Bruyneel, manager of Armstrong’s winning teams; team doctors Pedro Celaya and Luis Garicia del Moral; team trainer Pepe Martin; and consulting doctor Michele Ferrari.

Armstrong, who has been in France training for a triathlon, maintained his innocence, saying in a statement: “I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one.”