Lance Armstrong Officially Hit With Doping Charges

Two weeks after announcing doping charges were coming, the US Anti-Doping Agency formally filed charges against Lance Armstrong yesterday, reports the Wall Street Journal. Armstrong has 10 days to decide whether he'll contest the accusations; doing so would mean his case would be argued in front of a three-person arbitration panel. With more than 10 former teammates prepared to testify against the seven-time Tour de France winner and blood-test results from 2009 and 2010 that reveal alleged doping, the USADA says it has more than enough evidence to present if need be.

Armstrong's lawyer, however, called the allegations "wrong" and "baseless." "In its zeal to punish Lance, USADA has sacrificed the very principles of fair play that it was created to safeguard. It has compiled a disgraceful record of arrogance, secrecy, disregard for its own protocols, shabby science, and contempt for due process," said the attorney. If Armstrong is guilty, he could face a lifetime ban and have some or all of his titles taken away. (More Lance Armstrong stories.)