Armstrong accuses USADA of 'vendetta'

Lance Armstrong has accused the US Anti-Doping Agency of waging a 'vendetta' after reports five former team-mates had testified against him.

Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf alleged George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, David Zabriskie and Jonathan Vaughters would be suspended for six months after admitting to doping and giving evidence against Armstrong.

Hincapie, now a team-mate of defending Tour de France champion Cadel Evans at BMC, has been a long-time supporter of the American.

Armstrong, 40, who retired from competitive cycling last year, could be stripped of the titles he won from 1999-2005 if found guilty.

"So let me get this straight ... come in and tell USADA exactly what they wanted to hear in exchange for immunity, anonymity and the opportunity to continue to race the biggest event in cycling," Armstrong wrote on Twitter.

"This isn't about USADA wanting to clean up cycling - rather it's just plain ol' selective prosecution that reeks of vendetta."

Hincapie (BMC), Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Vande Velde and Zabriskie (both Garmin-Sharp) are currently racing at the Tour de France.

Vaughters is the Garmin-Sharp team manager.

The report also claimed the bans would not come into effect until the end of the year - after both the Tour and Vuelta a Espana.

Leipheimer refused to comment on the report when questioned on Thursday.

"I'm just here to ride the Tour de France, and so far I'm still in the hunt for the general classification," he said.

"I can't say anything."