Antidoping agency clears Armstrong
France's antidoping agency said yesterday it will not seek sanctions against cyclist Lance Armstrong over a dispute with a drug tester.
The agency said in a statement that it "decided to take into consideration the athlete's written explanations" and will not open disciplinary procedures.
At issue was a 20-minute delay when Armstrong said a drug tester who showed up March 17 to collect blood, urine, and hair samples agreed to let him shower while the American rider's assistants checked the tester's credentials.
The antidoping agency had argued that he did not fully cooperate, but Armstrong, 37, has said he did not try to evade or delay testing.
After a report was submitted to the antidoping agency saying Armstrong had violated antidoping rules, Armstrong sent a letter April 16 explaining his position, AFLD chief Pierre Bordry said.
"It was good that he sent me a letter. I appreciated it, and we took it into account," Bordry said.
In its statement, the agency said the blood and urine tests were clean, but that it did not test the hair samples. 