Lance Armstrong (Photo: Team Discovery Channel)

AUSTIN, Aug 25 (CP) - After his initial curt statement on his website, Lance Armstong has now answered the doping allgegations that have been made by the French newspaper L'Equipe in some more detail. He repeated his statement that he had never taken any performance enhancing drugs and stressed that "when I gave those samples, there was not EPO in those samples, I guarantee you that." Armstrong questions the validity of samples that were tested after six years. "We don't know how long the samples were stored properly, if they were ever stored properly," he said and pointed to "the questions from some of the leaders in that field as to whether or not you can ever test for that five, six years later". Armstrong also pointed out that L'Equipe's publication is based on the breach of ethical codes. "If an athlete only has one sample left, it is strictly mandated that that sample must always remain anonymous. If any WADA accredited laboratory wants to use that sample, for experimentation or scientific research, they must have the approval of the athlete. So right there, you have two serious violations." Again he questions the motives of the French newspaper: "At the end of the day, that's what I think this is all about. This is an opportunity to sell a ton of papers." The 33-year-old American left it open, though, whether or not he will seek any legal actions. He said that "right now, we are considering all our options" but added "I have a lot of things better to do with two years of my life than deal with this."

© Kathrin Bomans