Lance Armstrong sued by U.S. for post office sponsorship funds | CNN

Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

After denying the allegations for years, cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. As a result, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and an Olympic bronze medal. Click through the gallery for a look at his life and career.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong, 17, competes in the Jeep Triathlon Grand Prix in 1988. He became a professional triathlete at age 16 and joined the U.S. National Cycling Team two years later.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong wins the 18th stage of the Tour de France in 1995. He finished the race for the first time that year, ending in 36th place.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong rides at the Ikon Ride for the Roses to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation in May 1998. He established the foundation to benefit cancer research after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. After treatment, he was declared cancer-free in February 1997.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong leads his teammates during the final stage of the 1999 Tour de France.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong takes his honor lap on the Champs-Élysées in Paris after winning the Tour de France for the first time in 1999.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

After winning the 2000 Tour de France, Armstrong holds his son Luke on his shoulders.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong rides during the 18th stage of the 2001 Tour de France. He won the tour that year for the third consecutive time.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong celebrates winning the 10th stage of the Tour de France in 2001.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

After winning the 2001 Tour de France, Armstrong presents President George W. Bush with a U.S. Postal Service yellow jersey and a replica of the bike he used to win the race.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong celebrates on the podium after winning the Tour de France by 61 seconds in 2003.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Jay Leno interviews Armstrong on "The Tonight Show" in 2003.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

After his sixth consecutive Tour de France win, Armstrong attends a celebration in his honor in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong arrives at the 2005 American Music Awards in Los Angeles with then-fiancee Sheryl Crow. The couple never made it down the aisle, splitting up the following year.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong holds up a paper displaying the number seven at the start of the Tour de France in 2005. He went on to win his seventh consecutive Tour de France.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong testifies during a Senate hearing in 2008 on Capitol Hill. The hearing focused on finding a cure for cancer in the 21st century.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

In 2009, Armstrong suffered a broken collarbone after falling during a race in Spain.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Young Armstrong fans write messages on the ground ahead of the 2009 Tour de France. He came in third place that year.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong launches the three-day Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. The event was organized by his foundation.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

In May 2010, Armstrong crashes during the Amgen Tour of California. That same day, he denied allegations of doping made by former teammate Floyd Landis.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong looks back as he rides during the 2010 Tour de France.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong's son Luke; his twin daughters, Isabelle and Grace; and his 1-year-old son, Max, stand outside the Radio Shack team bus on a rest day during the 2010 Tour de France.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong finished 23rd in the 2010 Tour de France. He announced his retirement from the world of professional cycling in February 2011. He said he wanted to devote more time to his family and the fight against cancer.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

The frame of Armstrong's bike is engraved with the names of his four children at the time and the Spanish word for five, "cinco." His fifth child, Olivia, was born in October 2010.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong competes in the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Panama City, Florida, in February 2012. He went on to claim two Half Ironman triathlon titles by June of that year.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

Armstrong addresses participants at the Livestrong Challenge Ride on October 21, 2012, days after he stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer charity.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid announces the decision to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France wins and ban him from the tournament for life on October 22, 2012. "Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," he said.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —

In January 2013, Armstrong speaks with Oprah Winfrey about the controversy surrounding his cycling career. He admitted, unequivocally and for the first time, that he used performance-enhancing drugs while competing.

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Lance Armstrong's rise and fall

Story highlights

USPS paid about $40 million to sponsor Armstrong's cycling team, court document says

Justice Department is suing Armstrong, manager, company under False Claims Act

Complaint charges the use of prohibited drugs constitutes a breach of contract with USPS

Washington CNN —

The Justice Department late Tuesday formally filed its case against Lance Armstrong and his company Tailwind Sports for millions of dollars that the U.S. Postal Service spent to sponsor the cycling team.

“The USPS paid approximately $40 million to sponsor the USPS cycling team from 1998 to 2004,” the court document says.

The government said it was intervening to recover triple the amount of the sponsorship funds under the False Claims Act, which could bring a total of more than $100 million in damages.

Armstrong’s return to competition sunk

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charges that the use of prohibited drugs constitutes a breach of contract with the Postal Service.

The government had signaled it would in all likelihood file such an action. The complaint names Armstrong, team manager Johan Bruyneel and Tailwind Sports LLC as defendants. Under the law, the Justice Department faced a 60 day deadline to file its case, which runs out Tuesday night.

Lance Armstrong’s demise: How an all-American hero fell to earth