TORONTO, Ont. – A Canadian cyclist has been suspended for six months by the U.S. anti-doping agency after becoming involved in the investigation which centres around Lance Armstrong.

Toronto native Michael Barry, 36, testified against his former teammate, and confessed to doping himself in a statement, explaining that when he signed a cycling contract in 2002, he quickly noticed that doping was an epidemic, but at the same time he felt pressure to perform.

He told investigators he regrets his decision because it brought on sleepless nights and tainted the success he had at the time, and he apologized to those he deceived, adding that he stopped doping in summer 2006.

“My hope is that the sport continues to evolve and clean up, and that the youth of today can aspire to be professional cyclists tomorrow and can follow their dreams, [and] can turn those dreams into reality without having negative experiences I had and being pressured to take drugs, and being pressured to do things that are unethical,” he told the Canadian Press from his home in Spain.

He also told the press it felt good to come clean on the issue, but reports state Armstrong is not happy with the new information being made public.

“Armstrong has been responding only through one of his many high-paid attorneys, basically continuing to call the case against him a witch hunt, and not a fair trial by an impartial agency,” said ABC reporter Neal Karlinsky.

Barry is one of 11 cyclists testifying in the U.S.-based Armstrong probe. The anti-doping agency has already released a report on the case.

Barry is married to American cyclist Dede Barry, who won an Olympic silver medal in 2004. He had already planned to retire at the end of this season.