Paper to Armstrong: We want our $ back

Eight years ago the London Sunday Times published a story about the doping allegations surrounding seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong that prompted the cyclist to sue the paper.

Armstrong settled following several rulings in his favor by the courts, for an estimated $1 million.

But now, following a report last week from the United States Anti-Doping Agency that breaks down in brutal detail the cheating accusations against Armstrong, the Times wants its money back.

It also wants Armstrong to admit wrongdoing, claiming that it had the allegations right in the first place.

A spokesperson for the News Corp.-owned publication said that it is “considering taking action to recover the money spent on a libel case he [Armstrong] brought and to pursue him for fraud.”

Such a case has been won before in the UK, where Jeffrey Archer, a novelist and politician, was forced to repay damages awarded by the Daily Star after a court found that he had perjured himself during the libel trial.

Armstrong had no comment on the Times’ threat, though his spokesperson noted that he continues to deny all doping allegations.

Tags: Daily Star, doping, following, fraud, Jeffrey Archer, lance armstrong, lance armstrong doping, lance armstrong libel, lance armstrong libel settlement, libel, london sunday times, news corp., United States Anti Doping Agency, USADA