Doug Robinson: Lance Armstrong's repeated denials have turned into a bumpy ride

In 2005, the French newspaper L'Equipe published a front-page story entitled "The Armstrong Lie," shortly after the American had claimed his seventh victory. The newspaper reported that urine samples taken during the 1999 Tour race were retested and turned up positive. As always, Armstrong repeated denied the charges. Three years later, he refused an offer to retest samples taken during the 1998 and 1999 tours, claiming they had not been maintained correctly.

In 2006, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that Frankie Andreu, a former Armstrong teammate, and his wife Betsy claimed that Armstrong admitted the use of PEDs to his doctor following brain surgery for cancer in 1996. This was followed by a Los Angeles Times report with more damning evidence against Armstrong.

In 2010, Landis, another former Armstrong teammate, said he saw Armstrong receive blood transfusions (as part of the EPO procedure) and hand out testosterone patches to teammates.

In 2011, Tyler Hamilton, still another former Armstrong teammate, told CBS that he had taken EPO with Armstrong during three of the Tour de France races.

After U.S. prosecutors dropped their investigation last winter, USADA continued to pursue Armstrong. Armstrong filed a lawsuit against USADA that was immediately dismissed. Armstrong's attorneys are expected to re-file the suit.

In other words, Armstrong is still peddling furiously, but the peloton is in hot pursuit.

email: drob@desnews.com