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Cycling cheat Lance Armstrong fined $10 million

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong will be forced to pay $10 million in damages to a marketing company after covering-up his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The 43-year-old was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life after being found guilty of doping in 2012.

Armstrong lost the trial against SPA Promotions this month and was found guilty of lying under oath in a case of “unparalleled pageant of international perjury, fraud and conspiracy”.

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SCA Promotions paid Armstrong $12 million in bonuses during his career, but refused to pay Armstrong his sixth Tour de France bonus in 2004 amid allegations of cheating.

The athlete took the matter to court where he testified under oath to never using performance-enhancing drugs, despite later admitting to doping for much of his career.

In 2006, SPA Promotions settled with Armstrong for $7 million and paid him $2.5 million in damages.

The company decided to sue the cyclist after he admitted to doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2012.

A Texas court heard the $10 million was a penalty for Armstrong’s lying and efforts to intimidate or coerce witnesses in the previous case.

SPA Promotions said their dispute with Armstrong was not over, and were pursuing additional claims against him.

Armstrong made headlines earlier this year in an interview with the BBC when he said he would take performance-enhancing drugs again.

“If I was racing in 2015, no, I wouldn’t do it again because I don’t think you have to,” Armstrong said.

“If you take me back to 1995, when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again.”

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