Another day, another drugs story. Tyler Hamilton has not only confessed to his previously protested drug use during an interview for America’s highly rated “60 Minutes” but has also sworn that his former US Postal team-mate Lance Armstrong was similarly involved in illegal doping. Hamilton who has, until now, always steadfastly denied any wrong doing despite a two year ban between 2005 and 2007 now readily admits that he cheated and, in a letter to friends and family ahead of the US documentary (that he has now made public), states: “During my cycling career, I knowingly broke the rules. I used performance-enhancing drugs. I lied about it, over and over.” With regards Armstrong and in reference to his Tour de France participation between 1999 and 2001 Hamilton reports in the interview that, “I saw (EPO) in his (Armstrong’s) refrigerator. … I saw him inject it more than one time, like we all did. Like I did, many, many times,”
Armstrong has been quick to refute the allegations, claiming that Hamilton is merely looking for salacious stories in order to make money from a book deal, and writing on Twitter concluded: “20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have confirmed that they are looking into Hamilton’s confessions and may consider stripping him of his 2004 gold medal.
