Lance Armstrong factfile* Born: Plano, Texas* Teams: Motorola, Cofidis, US Postal, Discovery Channel, Livestrong, Astana, Team RadioShack* Tour de France: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (22 individual stage wins)* World Championships road race: 1993AUSTIN - Lance Armstrong’s bid to block an investigation into whether he took performance-enhancing drugs has been dismissed in a US federal court.The seven-time Tour de France winner was charged by the US Anti-Doping Agency in June with using performance-enhancing drugs going back 16 years.Armstrong, 40, subsequently took legal action against the USADA, accusing it of offering “corrupt inducements” to other riders to testify against him. The American has always denied doping.The Texas court ruling means Armstrong will now have to face the doping charges. He could lose his record-breaking seven Tour de France titles if found guilty, and banned from cycling.Despite his dismissal of Armstrong’s case against the USADA, US District Judge Sam Sparks noted “troubling aspects” of the agency’s case.He remarked upon the contrast between the USADA’s determination to pursue with the hearing “in direct conflict with [international cycling governing body] UCI’s equally evident desire not to proceed against him”.
