USADA gives Lance Armstrong extension to contest drug charges

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Wednesday granted Lance Armstrong an extension of up to 30 days to contest drug charges while the seven-time Tour de France winner challenges the case in federal court.

The move erases the Saturday deadline for Armstrong to either send the case to arbitration or accept sanctions from USADA, which would probably include a lifetime ban from cycling and other sports along with stripping the Tour titles he won from 1999 to 2005.

Armstrong this week sued in U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, to block the case from moving forward, arguing that USADA’s arbitration process violates his constitutional rights and that the agency doesn’t have jurisdiction over the alleged doping violations.

ETC.

Riverside’s Lopez to fight Alvarez

Riverside’s Josesito Lopez will fight Mexico’s star WBC super-welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Sept. 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, promoter Richard Schaefer announced.

Lopez will be a greatly undersized opponent against the 21-year-old champion Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 knockouts).

Three other fighters were scheduled to fight Alvarez, but a motorcycle crash left Paul Williams paralyzed; shoulder pain and a dispute over his purse eliminated James Kirkland; and Victor Ortiz suffered a fractured jaw in a loss to Lopez.

Lopez will fight Alvarez at 154 pounds; Lopez weighed in at 146.5 pounds for the Ortiz fight.

The 27-year-old Lopez (30-4, 18 knockouts) was a last-minute replacement to fight Ortiz after welterweight champion Andre Berto tested positive for a steroid.

—Lance Pugmire

The WBA is reinstating British boxer Amir Khan as its junior-welterweight champion, just in time for a 140-pound unification bout this weekend in Las Vegas against WBC champion Danny Garcia.

The WBA announced that Khan was being given back the crown he lost to Lamont Peterson in a disputed split decision in December in Washington.

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Quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints still must close a significant gap in guaranteed money if they are to agree on a five-year contract worth about $100 million by Monday’s looming deadline for a long-term deal, said a person familiar with the negotiations.

The sides were more than $10 million apart in the guaranteed portion of the contract on Wednesday, the person told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks are continuing.

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The Ducks signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a two-year entry-level contract. Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

Andersen, 22, appeared in 39 games for Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League last season, posting a 1.67 goals-against average with eight shutouts and a .941 save percentage. The native of Denmark was selected by the Ducks in the third round of last month’s NHL entry draft.

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Four days after winning the singles title at Wimbledon, fourth-ranked and top-seeded Serena Williams beat reigning NCAA champion Nicole Gibbs, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic at Palo Alto.

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Suspended NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger said that he tested positive for a stimulant and was collecting his medicines and supplements in an attempt to figure out what got him in trouble.

A statement issued by Allmendinger’s business manager did not identify the stimulant and said the driver does not know what caused him to fail the random test conducted June 29.