Armstrong denies USADA donation claim

Lance Armstrong has denied claims made by the United States Anti-Doping Agency that he offered it a substantial donation while he was under investigation by the organisation.

USADA's inquiry led to Armstrong's downfall and its chief executive Travis Tygart told "60 Minutes Sports" last week that the 41-year-old Texan made the offer last year.

In the second part of his television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong said: "I had no knowledge of that, but I've asked around. I think the claim was 250,000 dollars. That's a lot of money. I would know. That is not true."

Co-operation with USADA appears as distant as ever as Armstrong also again denied doping during his comeback to cycling in 2009 and 2010, despite evidence to the contrary in USADA's report.

A USADA spokesperson said in a statement issued to Press Association Sport: "We stand by the facts both in the reasoned decision and in the 60 Minutes interview."

Armstrong was emotional in the second and final instalment of his interview with talk-show host Winfrey.

He claimed he was undergoing therapy to deal with his demons and said he felt he deserved to be able to return to competition at some point following his confession to doping.

After years of denials, Armstrong has confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France victories. He was stripped of all results from August 1, 1998 and banned from sport for life after refusing to cooperate with USADA's investigation.

He insisted he had stuck to a pact made with first wife Kristin that he would not dope during his comeback to cycling; was tearful when addressing the fact his 13-year-old son Luke defended him; and insisted this confessional was not the most challenging time in his life. That was his successful battle with cancer.