Court rules claims were made to "incite public opinion against Defendants"
Image 1 of 5
Expect to see Lance Armstrong in suit and tie this fall if his case goes to arbitration(Image credit: AFP Photo)
Lance Armstrong recorded the fastest average speed by any Tour winner in 2004(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) rode a prototype Trek Madone SSLx in the 2005 Tour de France. The carbon fiber frame was reinforced with boron fibers to increase stiffness.(Image credit: AFP)
Don't call it a comeback: Lance Armstrong 2.0 came back in 2009(Image credit: Sirotti)
Following Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich at the 2003 Tour de France(Image credit: Sirotti)
The 80-page-long lawsuit claimed that USADA rules violate an athlete's constitutional right to a fair trial, and that the agency doesn't have jurisdiction in his case. Seven hours after being filed, federal judge Sam Sparks, of United States District Court dismissed the claim in Austin, Texas.
The case can be refiled in 20 days on the basis that Armstrong only pleads to information relevant to the case.
Court documents revealed by the New York Times, quote Sparks with having the following response:
"This Court is not inclined to indulge Armstrong's desire for publicity, self-aggrandizement or vilification of Defendants, by sifting through eighty mostly unnecessary pages in search of the few kernels of factual material relevant to his claims."
The Court claimed that the lawsuit filed earlier in the day contained "allegations" which were separate to the case and therefore "the Court must presume, were included solely to increase media coverage of this case, and to incite public opinion against Defendants."
A footnote on the documents states the following:
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"Contrary to Armstrong's apparent belief, pleadings filed in the United States District Courts are not press releases, internet blogs, or pieces of investigative journalism. All parties, and their lawyers, are expected to comply with the rules of this Court, and face potential sanctions if they do not."
Cyclingnews is not responsible for outside content.
