LOS ANGELES: Lance Armstrong heads into the last days of his final Tour de France caught up in a swirl of controversy of the kind that has long marked an often glorious career.
A US government probe into alleged doping conspiracies in his former teams has been reported to be gathering steam, with three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond saying he has received a subpoena to testify.
LeMond, long a critic of Armstrong, has predicted the investigation will produce "overwhelming" evidence against the seven-time Tour winner, although there is as yet little indication of what, if any, crime such evidence will point to.
"I think right now they’re just looking around," said Howard Wasserman, a professor at Florida International University’s College of Law and a frequent commentator on sports and law issues.
Wasserman said he had no personal knowledge of any investigation, but that the accusations of disgraced Floyd Landis — who admitted doping after years of denials and pointed the finger at Armstrong and others — could simply have US authorities "looking anew" at cycling.
The New York Daily News reported that Armstrong’s attorney Tim Herman has been unable to gain much information about the government’s intentions.
Herman told the newspaper that authorities he met with declined to "discuss or even hint at" the tack the investigation will be taking.
Armstrong has strenuously denied Landis’s claim of systematic doping practices at their former US Postal team and questioned his compatriot’s credibility.
Landis won the Tour de France in 2006 but was then stripped of his title for doping. Earlier this year he admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong has said he’ll cooperate with a "legitimate" probe, but not with a "witch hunt".
Accusations of doping have followed Armstrong throughout his career, although the American has never tested positive.
Despite the allegations he retains a strong following of fans who admire his return from life-threatening cancer to win seven Tour de France titles in a row as well as his continuing advocacy on behalf of cancer patients.
"Would the American people feel like this is a good use of their tax dollars?" Armstrong asked of the probe led by Jeff Novitzky, the federal agent who spearheaded the BALCO steroid distribution investigation that led to the downfall of athletics star Marion Jones among others.
Armstrong has now hired a criminal defence lawyer to represent him – Los Angeles-based Bryan D. Daly, a former federal prosecutor.
"I was recently retained by Mr. Armstrong to assist him with respect to the investigation by the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles," the New York Daily News quoted Daly as saying.
"We are going to work diligently to find out precisely what, if anything, this investigation has to do with Mr. Armstrong."
On Thursday, Armstrong said he was confident his name and reputation would emerge intact from the investigation.
"Obviously, you need some legal counsel on this… I wouldn’t read anything into it. I’m 100 percent confident that there will be a satisfactory resolution for me," Armstrong said at the end of the Tour’s 17th stage.
"You can’t prosecute somebody for something they didn’t do — normally. But along the way, you’ve got to protect yourself."
