Cycling:Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong insisted he has "nothing to hide" as he dismissed accusations made by Floyd Landis, his former team mate and disgraced American rider. Landis implicated Armstrong and others in a series of emails to cycling and anti-doping officials detailing his own doping history.
Landis said that his own use of performance-improving substances dates back to 2002 when he rode for the US Postal Service team and continued when he moved to Phonak in 2005.
The 34-year-old Landis, who served a two-year ban following his failed test, mentioned Armstrong in his emails - among several high-profile riders and officials.
Landis’ claims will now be investigated by both the United States and world anti doping agencies, but Armstrong is not waiting for the results before casting his own verdict.
"We have nothing to hide. We have nothing to run from," Armstrong, who was Landis' team leader at US Postal, said before crashing out of today's fifth stage of the Tour of California.
"(The allegations) they're not even worth getting in to. I'm not going to waste your time or my time. I think history speaks for itself here. We've all followed this case (Landis) for the last four years."
Armstrong, who was taken to hospital after the heavy fall, said Landis, had no credibility.
"This is a man that's been under oath several times and had a very different version," he added.
"This is man that wrote a book for profit that had a completely different version. This is somebody that that took, someone said close to a million dollars, from innocent people for his defence under a different premise.
"And now when it's all run out, the story changes. So we're a little confused."
Armstrong has had to fend off accusations of doping before but has never failed a drugs test and always denied taking banned substances.
"It's our word against his word," Armstrong said. "I like our word. We like our credibility. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago."
Landis was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title after testing positive for synthetic testosterone, and has admitted to drug offences during his road-racing career having previously fought a costly and unsuccessful legal battle to clear his name.
Having previously put up a staunch defence of the case against him in 2006, Landis has reversed his position and is threatening to take others down with him.
Armstrong said he had been expecting as much.
“I’d say I am a little surprised but I am not,” he said.
Landis said of his decision to come clean after previously denying having used drugs: “I want to clear my conscience. I don’t want to be part of the problem any more.
“With the benefit of hindsight, and a somewhat different perspective, I made some misjudgments. And, of course, I can sit here and say all day long, ‘If I could do it again I’d do something different’, but I just don’t have that choice.
“I don’t feel guilty at all about having doped. I did what I did because that’s what we did and it was a choice I had to make after 10 years or 12 years of hard work to get there, and that was a decision I had to make to make the next step.
“My choices were, do it and see if I can win, or don’t do it and I tell people, ‘I just don’t want to do that’, and I decided to do it.”
He has claimed his decision to speak out now was partly because WADA’s statute of limitations for doping offences of eight years meant his evidence would shortly become unusable.
Landis continued on espn.com: “Now we’ve come to the point where the statute of limitations on the things I know is going to run out or start to run out next month. If I don’t say something now, then it’s pointless to ever say it.”
Landis, though, still denies taking testosterone during the 2006 Tour de France.
“There must be some other explanation, whether it was done wrong or I don’t know what,” he said.
“The problem I have with even bothering to argue it is I have used testosterone in the past and I have used it in other Tours, and it’s going to sound kind of foolish to say I didn’t.”
Landis’ accusations will now be tested by both the USADA and the WADA.
A statement from USADA chief executive Travis T Tygart read: “Our duty is to fairly and thoroughly pursue any and all reliable evidence of doping to reveal the truth and to ensure honest and fair athletic competition worldwide for both fans and athletes.
“In circumstances where the process results in credible evidence of doping, USADA will follow its mandate to protect clean athletes and the integrity of sport by taking appropriate action under the rules established by federal law.
“With that said, we do not comment on the substance of any doping investigation.”
The statement continued: “It is important to re-emphasise USADA’s position that all athletes are innocent until and unless proven otherwise through the established legal process.
“Attempts to sensationalise or exploit either the process or the athletes are a disservice to fair play, due process, and to those who love clean sport.”
World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey vowed to work with the USADA on the matter.
“WADA is aware of the serious allegations made by Mr Landis,” read a statement.
“We are very interested in learning more about this matter and we will liaise with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and any other authorities with appropriate jurisdiction to get to the heart of the issues raised. WADA looks forward to these further investigations and enquiries by those responsible.”
The International Cycling Union, though, hit out at Landis for making his allegations public.
“The UCI regrets that Mr Landis has publicly accused individuals without allowing sufficient time for the relevant US authorities to investigate,” said a statement.
“An impartial investigation is a fundamental right, as Mr Landis will understand having contested, for two years, the evidence of his breach of the anti-doping rules in 2006.
“The UCI will leave it to the individuals accused by Mr Landis to take the position they see fit with regards to this issue.”
Former Phonak boss Andy Rihs insisted Landis had acted alone and that the team had no knowledge of his doping activities.
“Neither I nor the management of the team knew that Floyd Landis was doped,” Rihs said in the statement.
“His present statements... are lies. It is probably a last tragic attempt by Landis to once again gain public recognition whilst step by step he has lost this in the last few years. It is sad to have to see such a thing.”