The "Le Monde" journalists managed to publicize a sensational material about Lance Armstrong. After fighting for almost a year against allegations from Tour de France officials and L'Equipe newspaper concerning him using banned substances during the 1999 edition of the competition, the French media takes another shot at Lance. They discovered that the American champ used erythropoietin (EPO), testosterone and growth hormones.

Still, there's no need to worry. This happened a long time ago, before the 1999 Tour de France. More exactly, when the American was treating for testicular cancer. His doctor, Frankie Andreu, stated that Lance Armstrong admitted - only to him and his wife - that he had used banned substances in the past.

"According to new testimonies gathered from October 2005 to January 2006 by a court in Dallas, the seven-times Tour de France winner told a Indiana University Hospital doctor on October 28, 1996 he has taken performance-enhancing drugs. The doctor questioned him on a possible use of doping products after his brain surgery in order to prescribe his post-surgery treatment. In front of Franckie Andreu and his wife, who have testified under oath in Dallas, Armstrong said he had taken 'EPO, testosterone, growth hormones and cortisone", mentions Le Monde.

Knowing that keeping all that a secret would jeopardize his operation - which proved to be a success after all - Armstrong wanted to take no chance, so he came clean before the doctor. So, even if he repeatedly stated that he had never used banned substances in his life, the American champion will now have to start another fight for clearing his name.

Armstrong did not give any statement so far, but it is more than likely that he will do so in the next few days - or even hours. After proving everybody - with the help of a Dutch law firm - that he didn't take any banned substances during the 1999 edition of Le Tour, he will now have to demonstrate that "Le Monde" accusations are not true. It seems, after all, that his seven wins series in the French competition did the American more harm than good, in terms of image throughout the cycling fans all over the world.