Lance Armstrong yesterday agreed to pay $5-million to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed he defrauded his sponsor, the US Postal Office, after using performance-enhancing drugs.
According to Reuters and statements from Armstrong’s attorney Elliot Peters and the US Department of Justice, the settlement ends false claims made by fellow cyclist Floyd Landis and the US Government, which had sought $100-million in damages on behalf of the Post Office.
“Lance is delighted to put this behind him,” Peters said in the statement.
Lance Armstrong, pictured here, yesterday agreed to pay $5-million to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed he defrauded his sponsor, the US Postal Office, by using performance-enhancing drugs. Photo: Photo credits
Peters told Reuters the Postal Service “probably” realised they could not prove the damages caused by Armstrong’s behaviour. He added that the settlement was reached ahead of the May 7 trial date.
In a statement provided by Peters, Armstrong said, “I’m looking forward to devoting myself to the many great things in my life – my five kids, my wife, my podcast, several exciting writing and film projects, my work as a cancer survivor and my passion for sports and competition.”
The settlement also called for Armstrong to pay $1.65-million for the court costs of his former teammate Landis, who also used performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong, 46, won the Tour de France a record seven times – six for the Postal Service – before being stripped of his titles and banned from the sport in 2012.
