The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) said on Monday it will launch an investigation after former Olympic cyclist Matt White admitted involvement in the Lance Armstrong doping conspiracy.
White, 38, has said he was part of a strategy of doping when he rode on the Armstrong-led US Postal Service cycling team from 2001 to 2003.
He announced at the weekend that he was stepping down from his jobs as the sports director of the emerging Australian professional team Orica-GreenEDGE and his role in Cycling Australia’s men’s road racing programme.
Cycling Australia said it will meet this week to discuss what action it will take following his disclosure.
ASADA said that in 2010 it became aware of allegations of doping made against White by American cyclist Floyd Landis.
But the anti-doping agency said due to the federal investigation in the US and the subsequent United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation, ASADA was unable to obtain information to pursue a thorough examination of those allegations until now.
“The confession of doping by Mr White is indeed a serious matter,” ASADA said in a statement.