CYCLING: Drug test chief denies giving Armstrong ‘key’

The head of a drug-testing laboratory in Switzerland has denied giving banned cyclist Lance Armstrong “the key” to avoiding detection for the blood-boosting agent EPO.

Martial Saugy, director of the laboratory in Lausanne, was responding to claims made by the head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that he had met Armstrong in 2002 and showed him how to circumvent tests.

Saugy has previously admitted meeting Armstrong and his US Postal team manager Johan Bruyneel but called a news conference yesterday where he insisted he did so at the request of the International Cycling Union (UCI).