Doping gossip won't damage cancer work: Armstrong

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong today insisted his cancer charity work will not be damaged by questions over the use of performance enhancing drugs.

The seven-time Tour de France winner faced intense scrutiny throughout his record-breaking career after beating testicular cancer and becoming one of the most successful cyclists in history.

But Armstrong warned allegations over doping would not affect his efforts to tackle the worldwide cancer issue.

“Definitely all sports have been affected by that, specifically as we know cycling, but I’ve been around too long to let that detract from what I do,” Armstrong said.

“Of course there’s always that story, there’s always that angle but it’s been one of the great things about this comeback.

“If I can spend four years away and be 38 years old and still come third in the Tour de France and ride with all the young guys and be tested more than any other athlete in the world – 365 days a year, 24/7 to be made available – those questions have been answered so I don’t think about it.”

Armstrong, who is in Dublin for a three-day global cancer summit organised by his Livestrong foundation, said questions over drug use and testing were fair because of the situation with doping in all sports.

The Texan has consistently denied wrongdoing and never failed a drug test in competition. Earlier this year, after coming out of retirement to ride the Tour de France again, Armstrong was accused of flouting French anti-doping rules after missing a test.

With the cancer summit under way, Armstrong said his focus now was on bringing politicians and grassroots groups together to fight the disease.

“By 2010 it will be the biggest killer around the world, so I think that the numbers speak for themselves,” he said.

“I also think we as a society, not just in the US but all over the world have become complacent about this issue. We need to readdress our efforts and readdress our focus on this epidemic.

“It’s a personal issue. It sort of came and found me and this has been my life for the last 12 years.”

More than 500 politicians, health officials and business leaders have gathered in the RDS in Dublin for a series of cancer seminars and expert panels.

The Livestrong conference has also seen the launch of the first study measuring the worldwide cost of the disease in economic terms.

According to the Global Burden of Cancer report, cancer will cost the world £185.8bn (€212.5bn) this year – from in-patient costs and drug expenditure to loss of earnings and carers’ fees.

Armstrong was also in the country to compete in the Tour of Ireland race but was forced to pull out in Cork last weekend with back trouble.

He later admitted it had been a long season.

“That particular Sunday I had terrible back problems, and I don’t know if my bike was set up improperly or if it’s just the fact that I’m 38-years-old and you have those days,” he said.

“But I know St Patrick’s Hill [in Cork] from 17 years ago, and in cycling when your back goes everything goes.”