APNewsBreak: Feds Ask for Help With Armstrong Case

Undeterred by the slap on the wrist a jury gave Barry Bonds, U.S. investigators are forging ahead in a separate drug-related case against another superstar athlete — Lance Armstrong.

In France, where Armstrong became famous by winning the Tour de France seven straight times, officials received a request from U.S. authorities last month for help gathering evidence about the cyclist and other members of his former U.S. Postal team.

The move indicates federal authorities are looking to bolster their case against Armstrong so they can give a grand jury in Los Angeles the fullest account possible of the cyclist's actions before deciding whether Armstrong, like Bonds, also should face criminal charges related to using performance-enhancing drugs.

People familiar with the investigation said the French request has been in the works since late last year, shortly after U.S. investigator Jeff Novitzky, prosecutor Doug Miller and other American authorities traveled to Interpol headquarters in south-central France to meet with European investigators, prosecutors and anti-doping officials from France, Belgium and Italy.

The American evidence request specifically targets U.S. Postal and mentions Armstrong by name, said officials who have seen it. To date, federal prosecutors have called several people connected to Armstrong to testify before the grand jury, including exercise physiologist Allen Lim and Ukrainian cyclist and former Armstrong teammate Yaroslav Popovych.

Associated Press reporters in the U.S. and Europe interviewed about a half-dozen people familiar with the case, all of whom requested their names not be used because they're not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation. The probe initially focused on the Rock Racing cycling team, then turned toward Armstrong after a former teammate, Floyd Landis, alleged Armstrong had a long-running doping system in place.

The people said the case against Armstrong, who has steadfastly denied doping and never failed a drug test, could ultimately lead to charges of fraud and conspiracy related to the alleged building of a doping program, at least part of which was said to be operating while his team received government sponsorship.

"This case isn't like Bonds and Clemens," said one person familiar with the investigation, bringing up pitcher Roger Clemens' upcoming trial on perjury charges related to alleged use of PEDs. "Those were about lying. This is about corruption to the core."

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman with the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles, declined comment.

Mark Fabiani, counsel to Armstrong, criticized investigators for leaking "self-serving information."

"Persistent, inaccurate leaks can't change the facts: This inquiry has been going on for a year now, and the only result has been an enormous waste of taxpayer dollars and diversion of prosecutorial resources," Fabiani said.

The U.S. request to the French is one of the most recent developments in the case, which has also been progressing in the United States, Italy and other European countries, with investigators seeking phone and bank records, along with statements from dozens of witnesses who have had contact with Armstrong over the years.

One official who spoke with the AP described the combined efforts as a team trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle, though some skeptics have wondered aloud if it's worth the time and money to solve it.