Hamilton says Armstrong gave him EPO before 1999 Tour de France

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Tyler Hamilton's autobiography will detail drug use between him and that of US Postal teammate Lance Armstrong. The former rider also claims that he was introduced to Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes by Bjarne Riis when he left US Postal for Team CSC in 2002.

Titled 'The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-ups, and Winning at All Costs', the expose is co-written by Daniel Coyle who authored 'Lance Armstrong's War'. The news agency paid for an advanced copy of the book, scheduled for September 5 release.

According to AP, Hamilton's book goes over what the former cyclist revealed in his interview with the 60 Minutes program last May, and also his evidence provided to the federal criminal investigation into Armstrong and the US Postal team which came to a conclusion in February without charges being laid. Hamilton is said to be one of the key witnesses in the USADA investigation which charged Armstrong with doping and conspiracy.

A report in the New York Daily News, which has also obtained a copy of the book, details the unexpected meeting between Hamilton and Armstrong in an Aspen restaurant, shortly after the airing of the 60 Minutes segment. Hamilton writes:

"When you're on the witness stand, we are going to f---ing tear you apart," Armstrong is alleged to have said. "You are going to look like an f---ing idiot."

Hamilton also claims that once he began cooperating with the federal investigation, he believes his phones and emails were hacked.

Hamilton explains that his own drug use began before Armstrong joined the team in 1998 but that Armstrong provided him with EPO shortly before the 1999 Tour de France. Hamilton was with Armstrong at the latter's home in Nice, France at the time. He also details the doping plan for the team during the race, which he alleges took place with Armstrong's knowledge, which included a motorcyclist travelling behind the convoy with a thermos of EPO that would be given to the riders following the stage. Hamilton also says that team management encouraged and supervised the use of PEDs and that they were distributed in white lunch bags.

Before the 2000 Tour de France, Armstrong, Hamilton and another teammate Kevin Livingston went to Spain to have their blood drawn by Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral and Jose "Pepe" Martí. The blood bags were later returned to the rider's hotel rooms, taped to a wall above their beds where the contents were to be re-injected.

Last week, Armstrong announced he would not fight USADA's charges of doping and conspiracy which led to the agency stripping the American of his seven Tour de France titles which were included in the any and all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to August 1, 1998. Armstrong was also banned for life.