LeMond: "Armstrong threatened my life"

Former Tour de France champion Greg LeMond has given French L'Equipe newspaper an exclusive interview, published on Sunday, June 25, 2006, in which the American has taken a stand against Lance Armstrong, the UCI and the Vrijman report. LeMond said that Lance Armstrong has threatened him for having criticised the seven-time race winner's collaboration with Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari. LeMond, who won the Tour de France in 1986, 1989, 1990, said that he was pressured by Armstrong in 2001 after saying that he was disappointed at the Texan's association with the controversial preparatore.

"Lance threatened me," he said. "He threatened my wife, my business, my life. His biggest threat consisted of saying that he (Armstrong) would find ten people to testify that I took EPO."

In the interview, LeMond continued by holding the UCI responsible for their failure to deal with the problem of doping. "This problem goes beyond Armstrong," he said. "The Spanish scandal is another example, the entire system is corrupt, the UCI is corrupt."

LeMond also referred to the Vrijman report, named after the expert commissioned by the UCI to probe the L'Equipe allegations of doping against Armstrong. "The report should have come from WADA or the French Ministry of Health," he said. "But it doesn't change anything if you catch a rider because Lance is now retired and it continues." LeMond added that Armstrong as a person was consumed with ambition: "He needs power - with money, or with women. He will never find happiness."

June 27, 2006 - Carmichael defends Armstrong, Armstrong answers L'Equipe & LeMond
June 26, 2006 - LeMond: "Armstrong threatened my life"
June 19, 2006 - Armstrong calls for Pound's exit
June 18, 2006 - Lance Armstrong's open letter against Dick Pound
June 4, 2006 - UCI hits back at WADA
June 3, 2006 - WADA slams the Vrijman report
June 2, 2006 - L'Equipe stands by its story, UCI supports Vrijman's findings
June 1, 2006 - UCI, WADA and Armstrong react to Vrijman's report
May 31, 2006 - UCI lawyer asks for Armstrong's name to be cleared
May 14, 2006 - Two more weeks for Armstrong investigation