UCI cites 'concern' over delay in Armstrong case

AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) — Cycling's governing body is losing patience with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency over delays in turning over evidence in the Lance Armstrong case.

Cycling federation UCI complained Thursday about USADA's "shifting deadline" in providing the files that led it to wipe out Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles and ban him for life.

USADA said Wednesday it would send its "reasoned decision" to the UCI by Oct. 15. The files had previously been expected to be turned over by the end of September.

"The UCI had no reason to assume that a full case file did not exist but USADA's continued failure to produce the decision is now a cause for concern," UCI President Pat McQuaid said in a statement. "It is over a month since USADA sanctioned Lance Armstrong. We thought that USADA were better prepared before initiating these proceedings."

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart questioned the UCI's motives.

"It is not surprising that UCI would send a press release out attempting to undermine and question the substance of our case," Tygart said in an email to The Associated Press. "It is also troubling that they would claim to have had no contact with us, which is inaccurate."

Tygart added that "the questions contained in their publicly released statement today will be answered."

In August, Armstrong decided not to contest USADA's allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France from 1999-2005. A day later, USADA erased his Tour titles and imposed a lifetime ban. Armstrong, who has always denied doping and points to hundreds of tests that he has passed, has claimed Tygart has a vendetta against him.

The UCI has yet to ratify USADA's decision to strip Armstrong, saying it needs to see evidence first. The World Anti-Doping Agency is also waiting to receive the files.

The UCI questioned why USADA didn't spend time during the Tour de France, Olympics and Road World Championships to prepare its case "rather than to make announcements."

"It is at very least unusual that USADA would still be gathering evidence against a person after it has found that person guilty," the UCI statement said. "The UCI assumes that the reasons for any difficulty in putting the evidence together will be explained in USADA's decision."