FIVE FORMER TEAM-MATES of Lance Armstrong will testify against him for reduced penalties, according to reports.
Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie, Christian Vande Velde, George Hincapie and Jonathan Vaughters have been named in a report by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf as the cyclists who will admit they participated in blood doping.
The quintet’s testimony will reportedly include significant evidence against seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong and, in return, the United States Anti-Drug Agency (USADA) will give them reduced sentences.
De Telegraaf’s report also claims that the competition bans would not come into effect until after both the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, meaning that Leipheimer, Hincapie, Vande Velde and Zabriskie would be able to complete this year’s Tour. Vaughters is also at the 2012 Tour as manager of Garmin-Sharp.
USADA filed formal charges against Armstrong on Saturday. The 40-year-old has until 9 July to indicate whether he will challenge USADA’s evidence.
