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Controversy Surrounds Biking as Lance Armstrong Accused of Doping

Recently on 60 minutes, Lance Armstrong’s teammate and member of the U.S. Postal Service team accused Armstrong and numerous other teammate of using performance enhancing drugs. Tyler Hamilton who is now retired at 40 has claimed he saw performance enhancing drugs in Armstrong’s fridge on multiple occasions. He claims that the drugs used were primarily EPO and testosterone. Nearly a year ago another previous teammate of Armstrong’s, Floyd Landis who was found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs also claimed that Armstrong was using.

Armstrong stands his ground and claims that Hamilton is now selling a book and has profit to gain from making such claims against him and his teammates. Armstrong points out that he has been cycling for over 20 years now and has been through at least 500 drug controls and never once failed a single test.

Currently federal prosecutor Jeff Novitzky has started a investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs in cycling. Novitzky has subpoenaed Hamilton among others. In 2008 Hamilton joined a team assembled by Michael Bell, sponsored by Rock Racing. There has been some controversy over Bell’s team as many of its competitors are cyclists who have previously been convicted of using performance enhancing substances.

Hamilton has personally failed a drug test twice, once in 2004 and again in 2009. Hamilton makes the claim that the second time he failed the test, it was due to the drugs he was taking for his depression.