Armstrong associate appears before grand jury: Report
Stephanie McIlvain, one of
seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong`s former
close associates, testified before an American grand jury, the
Los Angeles Times has reported.
|Last Updated: Sep 23, 2010, 02:14 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Los Angeles: Stephanie McIlvain, one of
seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong`s former
close associates, testified before an American grand jury, the
Los Angeles Times has reported.
The grand jury wanted to hear from McIlvain because it is
looking into systematic doping in professional cycling.
McIlvain spent more than seven hours talking to the grand
jury panel yesterday where she described previously
tape-recorded comments in which she talks negatively about
Armstrong as nothing more than "gossip sessions that just
weren`t true," her lawyer Tom Bienert told the Times.
Bienert, who was not in the room with his client, said
"it was an emotional day" for his client but she "testified
truthfully."
The grand jury is interested in what she has to say about
the events in a hospital room in 1996 when she and others were
visiting Armstrong, who was being treated for cancer at the
time.
McIlvain, who was Armstrong`s link with sunglass maker
and sponsor Oakley, worked closely with Armstrong during the
years he won the Tour de France.
According to an ex-teammate of Armstrong`s and his wife,
Armstrong told doctors in that room that he had used
performance-enhancing drugs.
In a civil lawsuit and now in front of the grand jury,
McIlvain testified that she never heard Armstrong`s admission.
However, McIlvain was taped in a 2004 phone call, telling
American cyclist Greg LeMond that she heard Armstrong`s
admission and she was willing to testify to that. LeMond
secretly recorded the phone call with McIlvain.
Armstrong has vehemently denied using
performance-enhancing drugs.
The grand jury is probing allegations by another
decorated American cyclist, and ex-Armstrong teammate, Floyd
Landis, that Armstrong and other riders on the US Postal
cycling team used performance-enhancing drugs.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.