The US federal 'whistleblower' case against Lance Armstrong is set to go to trial in November, and Armstrong's attorneys and those of the US government are already locked in battle over what experts each side will be allowed to call upon for testimony.
Armstrong was the target of a federal False Claims Act lawsuit brought by former teammate Floyd Landis in 2010 under the assertion that the former cycling star's doping constituted fraud against the government. Should he lose, Armstrong could owe up to $100 million, and Landis would be due a cut of the damages.
Armstrong won the Tour de France in 1999, and with owners Tailwind Sports subsequently negotiated a larger sponsorship deal for the 2000 season. Armstrong fended off multiple accusations of doping throughout his seven-year Tour de France run, but escaped punishment until 2012, when the US Anti-Doping Agency issued an official anti-doping rule violation against him and five others. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned, then subsequently confessed to doping in 2013.
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The government asserts that the US Postal Service's sponsorship had no value because Armstrong and some of his teammates doped, then lied about it to keep the money coming in.
Armstrong's attorneys have long argued that the US Postal Service got far more in marketing value from its sponsorship than the $32.2 million it paid the team from 2000-2004.
The government lawyers questioned the competence of Armstrong's expert witness, Douglas Kidder, who calculated the value of the US Postal Service exposure thanks to the team at $257 million.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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