September 14, 2006 – As reported recently in the New York Times, two of Lance Armstrong’s former teammates with the U.S. Postal Service have admitted to using the banned substance EPO. Frankie Andreu, a domestique who helped Armstrong win the Tour de France twice, claims to have used EPO, a performance enhancing drug, “for a couple of races.” The team member who also admitted to using EPO wished to remain anonymous.

These recent admissions add to the cloud of suspicion surrounding Armstrong and the use of banned substances. Almost a dozen other cyclists contacted by the Times refused to be interviewed, noting Armstrong’s influence within the sport, and some said that they feared for their jobs. Andreu was fired from his job as co-director of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team this summer and some believe his firing was politically motivated.

Armstrong has responded to these reports calling them “a hatchet job” that attempt to link him to doping through somebody else’s admission.

A Sports Illustrated article on Tuesday wonders if the truth is catching up with Armstrong, and in light of the recent admission by Andreu revisits the court case where Andreu and his wife both testified that they heard Armstrong admit to his doctors about using “steroids, testosterone, cortisone, growth hormone and EPO.”

The testimony was made during a 2005 lawsuit between SCA Promotions and Armstrong over a $5 million bonus that the company didn’t want to pay to Armstrong because of alleged doping at the 2004 Tour de France. That testimony was disputed both by Armstrong and his chemotherapist and the case was settled out of court in Armstrong’s favour.

The SI article also points out that one of the possible side effects of long-term steroid use is testicular cancer.