Cycling phenomenon Lance Armstrong has been cleared of all doping charges, and the French national anti-doping laboratory may have violated the law in their quest to smear the American champion. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

Dutch investigators cleared Lance Armstrong of doping in the 1999 Tour de France on Wednesday, and blamed anti-doping authorities for misconduct in dealing with the American cyclist.

A 132-page report recommended convening a tribunal to discuss possible legal and ethical violations by the World Anti-Doping Agency and to consider “appropriate sanctions to remedy the violations.” …

The International Cycling Union appointed Dutch lawyer Emile Vrijman last October to investigate the handling of urine tests from the 1999 Tour by the French national anti-doping laboratory, known by its French acronym LNDD. Vrijman said Wednesday his report “exonerates Lance Armstrong completely with respect to alleged use of doping in the 1999 Tour de France.” …

The report said WADA and the LNDD may have “behaved in ways that are completely inconsistent with the rules and regulations of international anti-doping control testing,” and may also have been against the law.