They labelled his alleged actions “the most sophisticated professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen,” calling the man himself a “serial” cheat.

Armstrong was earlier this year stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after he announced he would not be fighting USADA’s case, however he continued to deny ever doping.

Armstrong’s lawyer has described the decision to publish the case against Armstrong as a “one-sided hatchet job”.

“It’s a taxpayer-funded tabloid piece, rehashing old, disproved, unreliable allegations based largely on axe-grinders, serial perjurers, coerced testimony, sweetheart deals and threat-induced stories,” read the statement made in advance of the report’s publication.

USADA CEP Travis Tygart released a statement praising the 11 teammates of Armstrong who had testified against him.

“It took tremendous courage for the riders on the USPS Team and others to come forward and speak truthfully,” sai Tygard.

“It is not easy to admit your mistakes and accept your punishment. But that is what these riders have done for the good of the sport, and for the young riders who hope to one day reach their dreams without using dangerous drugs or methods.”

“I have personally talked with and heard these athletes’ stories and firmly believe that, collectively, these athletes, if forgiven and embraced, have a chance to leave a legacy far greater for the good of the sport than anything they ever did on a bike.”

The report “found proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Lance Armstrong engaged in serial cheating through the use, administration and trafficking of performance-enhancing drugs and methods that Armstrong participated in running in the US Postal Service Team as a doping conspiracy”.

The report says that Armstrong relied on a EPO, testosterone and blood transfusions to boost his performance.

Futhermore it said that Armstrong “outlined” the “doping programme” for his teammates, and that if they didn’t adhere to it they would be replaced.

“Armstrong and his co-conspirators sought to achieve their ambitions through a massive fraud now more fully exposed. So ends one of the most sordid chapters in sports history,” the report concluded.

Speaking to the BBC Armstrong’s former teammate Tyler Hamilton said: “We transfusioned together in 2000, I saw him multiple times take an EPO, but that wasn’t a big deal really, because we all did it.

“I know he took cortisone, I never saw him take it, but I know he took it. I saw him get the activa gene, you get that injected the morning of a race.

“And I saw him testosterone, take testosterone, both in pill form and liquid form.

“We all made these mistake, it wasn’t just Lance Armstrong.

“It was a dark period of cycling.”

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