Armstrong's team deny accusations

The manager of the US Postal team refutes the claims

The manager of Lance Armstrong's US Postal cycling team has strongly denied his team have ever used banned substances.

It was announced by French officials last Thursday the team will face a legal investigation into allegations of doping.

Manager Mark Gorski said in a statement that the team refuted the accusations.

All the medicines used by our team doctor during the Tour de France were authorised by the French agency

  Mark Gorski, US Postal team manager

"The team respects the strict guidelines laid down by the International Cycling Union (ICU), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the organisers of the Tour de France concerning banned substances.

"All the medicines used by our team doctor during the Tour de France were authorised by the French agency for the safety of health products."

Pure and hard

A full judicial investigation was opened in Paris on Wednesday on the basis of a preliminary probe into the team following an anonymous tipoff.

Investigators are seeking to establish whether the team has broken laws on the prevention of the use of doping products, inciting the use of doping products and whether it has contravened legislation regarding toxic substances.

Initial tests on the products linked to the US Postal failed to show the presence of any "pure and hard doping substances such as EPO, but there were products which led us to suppose that doping could have taken place."

Armstrong, who has won the last two Tour de France races after recovering from testicular cancer, has always denied taking any banned substances.