From the USA Today article, as Python notes:
At a certain point, USADA becomes too willing to accommodate LA, just to appear fair. I hope they aren’t overdoing it with these extensions, which play into LA’s aims to stall, stall, stall. I assume that Sparks told USADA he couldn’t guarantee a ruling by the deadline Monday? But if that’s the case—if Sparks needs ten more days—it sounds as though he’s taking LA/UCI’s jurisdiction claims seriously.
But here’s the bottom line, IMO. If Sparks rules for LA/UCI, USADA should give (some of) their evidence to UCI, and ask them to proceed. UCI will probably decline to, but at that point, USADA can appeal their decision. Pat/UCI have already conceded this.
So we will be right back where we were before. This would mean considerable delay—probably UCI would take its dam sweet time to come to a decision that was foregone at the start—and yes, UCI would get the witness list, which they would hand over to Armstrong. But I don’t see how USADA can be denied getting this to arbitration eventually.
Edit: Given all the options LA has for stalling this case, I think a case can be made that USADA should bite the bullet and hand evidence over to UCI RIGHT NOW. At that point all the lawsuits will stop, LA will have no recourse to legal action. He's already based his main argument on the notion that UCI has the power to take action against him. This also removes the problem of USADA not being relevant prior to 2004. Then, as soon as UCI declines to pursue the case, USADA appeals. I'm thinking that taking that route would actually speed this process along faster than refusing to deal with UCI and enduring all LA's legal actions.