COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, Sept 30, 2008 (AFP) – The United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) says it is up to the International Cycling Union
(UCI) to determine when Lance Armstrong will be eligible for competitive racing.

USADA confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Tuesday that Armstrong’s six-month probation period officially began in August when the seven-time Tour de France winner registered with their drug-testing programme.

“The issue of eligibility is set by each sport,” said USADA spokesperson Erin Hannan. “He has been in the (testing) pool since August 1.”

Armstrong needs to be included in USADA’s testing pool for six months before his cycling comeback becomes official, meaning he won’t be allowed to race until the beginning of February.

But Armstrong is hoping for an early return to compete in January’s Tour Down Under in Australia.
Hannan said Armstrong must check in with USADA on a regular basis.

“He requested to be reinstated into the out of competition testing pool and submitted his whereabouts to us,” Hannan said.

“There is no advance notice. He needs to be available.”

Hannan said she didn’t know if Armstrong had been tested already or if there was a minimum number of tests an athlete must undergo during the six-month probation.

News of his return has drawn mixed reviews in cycling circles.

Armstrong has been accused of doping practices on several occasions, most notably in an article in French sports newspaper L’Equipe in 2005, claiming six urine samples from his 1999 Tour victory contained the blood-boosting drug EPO.

The rider himself has always denied doping and the UCI cleared him in 2006.