Lance Armstrong claims US govt turning blind eye to fraud drug-taking allegations

London: Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has accused the US Government of turning a blind eye to drug-taking allegations.

The former seven times Tour de France winner said the government wanted to take advantage of the publicity from being associated with him through sponsorship of the US Postal Service team. In a move to have a federal lawsuit dismissed, Armstrong is attempting to ward off a whistleblower case brought by the US Government. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) had submitted a report into Armstrong`s years of doping, most of them while he was cycling for the US Postal Service team. The case claims the use of doping methods detailed in a USADA report broke the terms of the contract between Armstrong`s management company and the sponsor. Armstrong`s legal team said the US government `wanted a winner and all the publicity, exposure and acclaim that goes with being his sponsor`. The case could be worth up to 120 million dollars, three times the US Postal Service`s sponsorship of 40 million dollars, if Armstrong is found liable under the False Claims Act. A response from the US government is expected in September. ANI