Johan Bruyneel has been banned for ten years by the US Anti-Doping Agency (AAA). With the start of the suspension backdated, the Belgian will not be allowed to manage a professional team until June 11, 2022.
The agency justified the decision by saying that Bruyneel was closely linked to the US Postal team's doping system. The USADA had already sentenced him in the course of the suspension of his former protégé Lance Armstrong. However, Bruyneel challenged the verdict because he believed that, as a Belgian, he should not be punished in the United States. However, the AAA's ruling now confirms USADA's view.
It is not yet clear whether Bruyneel will go to the CAS to have the verdict checked by the top sports judges.