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LES ROUSSES, France, July 10, 2010 (AFP) – A lawyer acting for seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has rubbished a report claiming that a federal investigation into the American is gathering pace.
Armstrong is reportedly at the center of a probe in the United States following doping allegations made by ex-teammate Floyd Landis.

Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France crown after testing positive, and after years of denials the American confessed to doping two months ago in a bid to “clear his conscience”.

In doing so, Landis also implicated Armstrong and other teammates at their former team, US Postal, claiming they were involved in systematic doping practices — allegations which have been denied by Armstrong, who has never tested positive.

A report in Saturday’s online edition of the Wall Street Journal, which has twice carried damning allegations from Landis, said the investigation was gathering pace and that several parties were being brought in to co-operate.

However a lawyer acting for Armstrong, Timothy Herman, said on the American’s personal website www.lancearmstrong.com that the report could not be taken seriously.

“Garbage in – Garbage out. That’s the best way to describe the Wall Street Journal article today based on improper leaks and discredited innuendo about the investigation into Floyd Landis ever changing stories,” said the statement.

“The more appropriate investigation and use of taxpayer money would focus on the confessed fraud committed by Landis, an admitted perjurer with an agenda.

“These kind of leaks, and the stories based on them, are inaccurate, are extraordinarily unfair, and are used for publicity and advancing personal agendas. Leaks and stories like this fundamentally undermine our justice system.”

After the race’s seventh stage here Saturday, Armstrong maintained his stance that Landis had no credibility and could not be believed.

“I don’t think there’s anything new. Is there something I missed?” said the American when asked to react to the report.

Comparing Landis claims to a carton of sour milk, he added: “Like I said the first time, it’s like a carton of sour milk — one sip and you know it’s bad. You don’t drink the whole thing, or keep taking sips of it.

“We have a supposed legitimate press outlet just repeating themselves. Is that what we have?”

The Wall Street Journal report said the federal probe “is proceeding quickly, and investigators are currently in discussions with several riders and their attorneys to secure their cooperation after the Tour de France ends later this month”.

However it added that the investigation would focus more on the misdemeanors of team management and those in positions of responsibility than by the athletes themselves.

“….it is designed to potentially bring charges against any team leaders and team directors who may have facilitated or encouraged doping by their riders,” added the report.

The probe is being led by Food and Drug Administration special agent Jeff Novitzky, who led a successful investigation into the BALCO doping affair which resulted in disgraced American sprinter Marion Jones being jailed for perjury.

Jones, a five-time Olympic champion, never once tested positive but in October 2007 finally admitted to federal agents probing BALCO founder Victor Conte that she had had used performance enhancing drugs.

Americans George Hincapie and Tyler Hamilton are reported to have been contacted with a view to cooperating in the probe, the report added.

It also quoted David Howman, the director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, as saying: “The investigation has reached out pretty widely.

“There has been significant progress.”