Armstrong facing two trials
One, his bid for a sixth Tour de France title; two, a likely suit over a book.
By wire services
Published July 2, 2004
LIEGE, Belgium - Lance Armstrong knows what stands between him and a record sixth Tour de France title: three weeks of pain and pitfalls.
Two days before beginning his quest, the 32-year-old cancer survivor said he is feeling stronger than he did last year when he won his fifth straight.
But Armstrong does not want to dwell on his chances of outdoing the four other five-time champions who failed to win No. 6.
"There's many, many things that could happen," he said Thursday. "I could just flat out lose the race to a better rider. So I prefer to face it one day at a time."
Before Saturday's time trial in Liege, Belgium, Armstrong is having to deal with accusations in a new French-language book, L.A. Confidential, the Secrets of Lance Armstrong, that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
The book lacks ironclad proof but includes damaging statements from a former Armstrong masseuse, Emma O'Reilly, who claimed the Texan asked her to dispose of used needles and give him makeup to cover injection marks on his right arm.
Armstrong indicated he would spare no effort to sue authors David Walsh and Pierre Ballester.
"Extraordinary accusations must be followed with extraordinary proof and Mr. Walsh and Mr. Ballester have worked four or five years and they have not come up with extraordinary proof," Armstrong said.
"The case is now incredibly complicated and will be a long one. I have engaged lawyers in both France and England and I will spend whatever it takes, however long it takes, to bring justice to the case."
Armstrong is traveling with bodyguards during the Tour and came to Liege with his girlfriend, rocker Sheryl Crow.
Armstrong called Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner, his biggest rival and said six to 10 other riders are "very close." Last year, Armstrong finished just 61 seconds ahead of Ullrich for his narrowest win. Former teammate Tyler Hamilton, who finished fourth, said the margin of victory made riders believe Armstrong might be ready to tumble.
DRUG USE ADMITTED: World time trial champion David Millar, barred from the Tour de France, told a Paris judge he used the performance-enhancing drug EPO in 2001 and 2003.
He was then placed under investigation as part of a probe into the alleged use of banned substances by the British rider's Cofidis team, said his lawyer, Paul-Albert Iweins. He was allowed to remain free.
Iweins said Millar "did not point a finger at any other person implicated in the case."