Johan Bruyneel, the former sports director of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, has been handed a 10 year ban by the American Arbitration Association for being responsible for allowing numerous doping rules violations on the USPS and Discovery Channel outfits, resulting with commiting widespread doping in those teams.

The AAA verdict in Bruyneel’s case goes as follows:

“the evidence establishes conclusively that Mr. Bruyneel was at the apex of a conspiracy to commit widespread doping on the USPS and Discovery Channel teams spanning many years and many riders. Similarly, Dr. Celaya and Mr. Martí were part of, or at least allowed themselves to be used as instruments of, that conspiracy.”

The verdict announced by the AAA was a result of Bruyneel’s appeal following the jurisdiction of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, handing him a lifetime ban following their investigation into doping at the US Postal team. Charges against Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong doctors Luis Garcia del Moral, Celaya, Marti and trainer Michele Ferrari included numerous violations of the anti-doping rules: “possession of prohibited substances and/or methods (including EPO, blood transfusions and related equipment, testosterone, HGH, corticosteroids and masking agents); trafficking of the aforementioned prohibited substances; administration and/or attempted administration of prohibited substances; and assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and other complicity involving one or more anti-doping rule violations.”

Following Bruyneel’s appeal, his ten year ban handed by American Arbitration Association has been back-dated to when he was originally charged and will end June 11, 2022.

The former US Postal sports director commented the latest verdict on his personal blog, claiming that he will not "dispute that there are certain elements of my career that I wish had been different" and has reiterated that he disputes the "jurisdiction of the AAA and/or the United States Anti-Doping Agency ("USADA")."

With the ten year ban handed by the AAA, Bruyneel is yet to decide whether he will challenge the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"I am currently debating what my next step should be. I could still challenge the decision of the AAA in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although that would again require me to put my faith in arbitration," Bruyneel wrote on his personal blog.

"I will shortly decide whether to keep up the fight or carry on and try to expose the hypocrisy of what USADA has put me and others through." 

USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart stated in a press release that “from the beginning, our investigation has focused on ridding cycling of those entrusted to care for the well-being of athletes who abuse their position of trust and influence to assist or encourage the use of performance-enhancing drugs to defraud sport and clean athletes."

“There is no excuse for any team director, doctor or other athlete support person who corrupts the very sport and the athletes they are supposed to protect.”