Ex-Armstrong coach Bruyneel denies doping claim

Johan Bruyneel, the former team manager of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, denied on Friday the allegations that he helped the American cyclist in a doping conspiracy. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Wednesday announced that it has brought charges against Armstrong for doping, charges that if proven could see Armstrong stripped of the seven Tour de France titles with Bruyneel as manager. The charges also say Armstrong was aided by others in a doping conspiracy that ran for years, an allegation that Belgian-born Bruyneel denied in a posting on his website. "I am dismayed that once again doping allegations have been raised against me, this time by USADA," Bruyneel said. "I shall of course cooperate fully with the investigation, although I have no doubt the end result will be the same as all the other investigations over the years. "I have never participated in any doping activity and I am innocent of all charges." Bruyneel, now manager of the RadioShack-Nissan-Trek team, also cited a US Justice Department probe of Armstrong that was halted in February after two years of inquiries with no charges being brought against Armstrong or Bruyneel. "Following a Department of Justice Grand Jury investigation, no charges were filed against me," he said. "It cannot be right that I or anyone else can be pursued from court to court simply because our accusers do not like the decisions made along the way and so attempt to find a court which will get them the result they want.