May 23, 2011 – Tyler Hamilton confessed to doping on a CBS “60 Minutes” program aired yesterday after years of denials. The 40-year-old American cyclist has apparently returned the gold medal that he won at the 2004 Athens Olympics time trial to the International Olympic Committee. But the most controversial part of Hamilton’s revelations involves what he said about his former U.S. Postal Service teammate, Lance Armstrong.

“Armstrong took what we all took, the majority of the peloton… there was EPO (erythropoietin)… testosterone… a blood transfusion,” said Hamilton of the seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong. Hamilton also claims to have seen Armstrong inject EPO, the banned red blood cell booster, and that he saw glycoprotein hormone in Armstrong’s refrigerator.

Armstrong’s lawyer, Mark Fabiani, was quick to react to these accusations: “Hamilton is actively seeking to make money by writing a book, and now he has completely changed the story he has always told before so that he could get himself on ’60 Minutes’ and increase his chances with publishers,” said Fabian in a statement.

Armstrong himself commented about his own doping record on Twitter that, “20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.”

Hamilton also accused the UCI of helping to cover-up a failed doping test by Armstrong in 2001 during the Tour of Switzerland. The UCI was quick to deny this allegation that seems to echo earlier accusations made by Floyd Landis (also a former Armstrong teammate).

Hamilton, who tested positive at the 2004 Olympics, but got off then on a technicality, also failed a doping test at the 2004 Vuelta and was later implicated in the Puerto doping scandal. Last year, he was subpoenaed before a grand jury investigating allegations of doping against Armstrong (instigated by the Floyd Landis revelations).

His testimony apparently lasted for six hours and Hamilton compared the experience to the Hoover Dam breaking, indicating a sense of relief to finally get things out in the open. It was unclear if Hamilton will face reduced sanctions by co-operating with the investigating authorities.

CBS also reported that fellow U.S. Postal teammate, George Hincapie, has apparently made similar accusations against Armstrong. Hincapie’s lawyer released a statement denying that Hincapie has spoken to “60 Minutes” and claiming not to know where the program obtained such information.

The IOC is apparently studying Hamilton’s confession before deciding whether to reassign medals from the 2004 Olympics.

Reuters here.
Reuters in French (also accusing the UCI) here.
Yahoo sports account here.
UCI response here.