Steroids, Tour De France | featured news

Lance Armstrong's former teammate, Tyler Hamilton, says Armstrong and other team leaders encouraged, promoted and took part in a doping program in an effort to win the Tour de France in 1999 and beyond, according to a report aired Sunday night on "60 Minutes."

A former teammate of Lance Armstrong has told "60 Minutes" that he used performance-enhancing drugs with the seven-time Tour de France winner to cheat in cycling races, including the tour.

Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain tested positive for a banned stimulant while winning this year's race and has been suspended by cycling's governing body.

Federal authorities have reportedly obtained an important piece of evidence linking Lance Armstrong to performance-enhancing drugs. Greg LeMond (pictured), a three-time Tour de France winner, secretly recorded a telephone call six years ago with a woman close to Lance Armstrong who was in Armstrong's hospital room in 1996 when he told cancer doctors about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In most sports, times shrink, but in the Tour de France, progress against drugs may be measured in rising times.

Lance Armstrong dismissed allegations that the seven-time Tour de France champion is a drug cheat and posted detailed e-mails on Team RadioShack’s website.

French prosecutors have reportedly launched a preliminary investigation against the Astana cycling team, following the discovery of syringes belonging to the squad during this year's Tour de France.

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong submitted a hair sample for a surprise doping test in France. The French anti-doping agency Wednesday published hair test results suggesting widespread use among French athletes of DHEA, a banned substance that can be used to boost testosterone levels.