The US Anti-Doping Agency will pursue formal doping charges against seven time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong.

In a statement released on Friday (29), the eve of the Tour de France, the agency’s chief executive, Travis Tygart, said:

“USADA can confirm that the independent three person Anti-Doping Review Board (ADRB) has conducted a full evaluation and has made a unanimous recommendation to move forward with the adjudication process in accordance with the rules.”

Armstrong was one of five respondents notified earlier this month by USADA that a process to bring charges of anti-doping violations against them had begun, among them RadioShack-Nissan-Trek general manager, Johaan Bruyneel.

Yesterday (29), Tygart said:

“All respondents will have the opportunity to exercise their right to a full public arbitration hearing, should they so choose, where all evidence would be presented, witness testimony would be given under oath, and an independent group of arbitrators would ultimately decide the outcome of the case.

Armstrong vehemently denies the charges and has instructed lawyers to defend the case. In a statement published earlier this month he said:

“I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one.

Bruyneel released a statement earlier this month denying the charges, in which he said he had been dismayed by the allegations.