Armstrong fires back
The week's news at a glance.
Austin, Texas
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said he was the victim of a “witch hunt” this week, after a Paris newspaper accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs to win his first Tour, in 1999. L’Equipe, a sports daily, reported that a French lab recently used new technology to test frozen urine samples for a drug that boosts oxygen flow in the bloodstream. The samples were anonymous, but the newspaper said it linked a positive result to Armstrong using a code found on other documents identifying him by name. “I will simply restate what I have said many times,” the cycling legend from Texas said on his Web site. “I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What you need to know about last-minute travelThe Week Recommends You can book an awesome trip with a moment’s notice
-
Saudi Arabia could become an AI focal pointUnder the Radar A state-backed AI project hopes to rival China and the United States
-
Crossword: October 29, 2025The Week's daily crossword