Sport

Armstrong's medical file sought

CYCLING: A Texas insurance company has asked to see Lance Armstrong's medical records before it pays the six-times Tour de France…

William Fotheringham
Thu Sept 23 2004 - 01:00

CYCLING: A Texas insurance company has asked to see Lance Armstrong's medical records before it pays the six-times Tour de France winner the £5 million bonus which became due to him when he broke the record for victories in the bike race this July.

As a result Tailwind Sports, the parent company of Armstrong's team, and SCA Promotions Inc, based in Dallas, have become embroiled in a legal battle centred on allegations contained in the unauthorised French biography of Armstrong, LA Confidential, which was published in June. Armstrong has launched lawsuits for defamation totalling £3 million against the book's publishers and authors.

The Texan has emphatically rejected allegations in the book that the circumstantial evidence gathered by the authors implies that he may have used banned drugs.

Following Armstrong's third Tour victory in 2001, Tailwind Sports paid SCA a £420,000 insurance premium, to ensure that the risk for his win bonuses in future years would be met by the insurance company. SCA's attorney John Bandy said that according to the policy the company paid Armstrong a total of £4.5 million in bonuses for his first five Tour wins. Bandy added that under the policy Armstrong was due to be paid £5 million as a bonus for winning this year's event but they have refused to pay the money.Tailwind claim that SCA is seeking information that has nothing to do with Armstrong's undisputed victories.

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Armstrong has never tested positive and has never fallen foul of any of the International Cycling Union's blood tests to detect anomalies that could point to health risks or the use of illicit practice.

Meanwhile, A day after offering Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton their support, cycling's Phonak team have suspended the American for failing dope tests.

Elsewhere, Colombian Felix Cardenas retook the lead in the King of the Mountains on the Tour of Spain with a 17th stage victory. Santiago Perez was second on the 169.8-km stage, 29 seconds behind Cardenas, with fellow-Spaniard and overall leader Roberto Heras third.