Hamilton described a doping plan put in place by the team for the 1999 Tour de France, with Armstrong's knowledge, that included a motorcyclist riding behind racers with a thermos full of EPO. It was to be dispensed to riders in the team camper after race stages.

He said team leaders, doctors and mangers encouraged and supervised doping and PEDs were handed out to cyclists in white lunch bags.

Hamilton said he and Armstrong sat near each other to take a blood transfusion after the 11th stage of the 2000 Tour de France, under the watchful eye of team director Johan Bruyneel. That would have been right before the Tour's punishing and famous Ventoux mountain stage.

Bruyneel is also facing doping charges by USADA and a lifetime ban if found guilty of leading what the agency has referred to as a vast doping conspiracy on his teams. Bruyneel has taken his case to arbitration.

Hamilton also renewed his claims that Armstrong told him he tested positive for EPO at the 2001 Tour of Switzerland but was able to get the International Cycling Union to cover it up. The UCI, cycling's governing body, has denied Hamilton's claim.

Armstrong argues that hundreds of negative drug tests prove his claims of innocence. He has previously sought to discredit Hamilton as a drug cheat who was twice banned for doping and was recently stripped of his 2004 Olympic gold medal.

According to USADA, Hamilton is among its key witnesses ready to testify against Armstrong. In all, it said as many as 10 former teammates were ready to do so. The agency has withheld most of their names, saying it feared Armstrong would try to intimidate them.

Hamilton alleged that former Postal rider George Hincapie, a key Armstrong lieutenant during his seven Tour victories, also was given PEDs while he rode for the team.along with rider Kevin Livingston.

Hincapie was among several riders reported to be ready to testify against Armstrong.

There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment from Hincapie's management team. Nor was there a response to a telephone message left at Livingston's athletic training business.