Lance Armstrong Sued Over Lying About Doping In Autobiographical Books

Dethroned cyclist Lance Armstrong may have been trying the first steps of a comeback with his much-publicized Oprah Winfrey interview, but that hasn’t stopped him from being hit with a lawsuit over lies pertaining to his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Los Angeles Times reports that two California men are launching a class-action lawsuit against Armstrong, on the premise that his two autobiographical books, “It’s Not About the Bike” and “Every Second Counts,” are full of lies.

The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, states that political consultant Rob Stutzman and professional chef Jonathan Wheeler, along with others, “would not have purchased the books had they known the true facts concerning Armstrong’s misconduct and his admitted involvement in a sports doping scandal.”

The lawsuit also names several publishers involved in the books, including “It’s Not About the Bike” publisher Putnam and “Every Second Counts” publisher Doubleday.

The two books, published in 2000 and 2003, respectively, are autobiographical accounts of Armstrong’s comeback from testicular cancer to win the 1999 Tour de France and his life since then, including several more Tour de France wins.

However, after USADA reports confirmed that Armstrong had used performance-enhancing drugs, the cyclist was stripped of his titles. Armstrong, who maintained his innocence throughout the entire affair, confessed to Oprah last week that he had indeed relied on drugs to win.

Because of that, Stutzman and Wheeler allege, the two books are full of lies. The two men claim they were drawn in by the book’s emotional story and were misled.

“Stutzman bought the book in California and read it cover to cover,” the lawsuit said. “Although Stutzman does not buy or read many books, he found Armstrong’s book incredibly compelling and recommended the book to several friends.”