Lance Armstrong filed a lawsuit on Monday morning asking the federal court for a temporary restraining order against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. The cyclist is accusing the organization and its chief executive of obsessive, unlawful and meritless efforts to take his seven Tour de France titles away from him.
The 80-page complaint alleges that the USADA and CEO Travis Tygart do not have the right to accuse Armstrong of sports doping, but have still done so. Armstrong claims that they have gone against his constitutional rights, have broken the organization's own rules and have potentially violated federal laws.
Armstrong urged the court to forbid the USADA from enforcing a deadline that Armstrong either accept the organization's penalty to ban him from competing for life as well as loss his seven Tour titles, or challenge the charges by what the lawsuit alleges as a procedure "rigged to ensure that it cannot lose."
USADA has continued saying that it will "follow the established procedures that are compliant with federal law and were approved by athletes, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and all Olympic sports organizations."
If the court agrees with Armstrong's request, it is likely that a long legal battle will take place between Armstrong and USADA. However, if it is denied Armstrong will have a settlement hearing by November, according to the charging letter USADA sent Armstrong in June.
USADA which controls drug-testing for the U.S. Olympic sports typically charges athletes with doping violations following a positive test for banned substances. Armstrong's tests however have never been found positive.
The court's decision could have a huge effect on both Armstrong's Tour titles and on the USADA's future.
