Recently retired Thor Hushovd released his autobiography Thor on Wednesday, in which the Norwegian reveals that Lance Armstrong admitted to him that he doped. At a 2011 lunch in Los Angeles, one year before a US investigation found Armstrong guilty, Armstrong told the Hushovd: "We all did it."
"I was invited to lunch when I got to the hotel," Hushovd wrote, according to Norwegian broadcaster TV2.
"We ate good food and drank rosé wine. Far down we saw Los Angeles. When the others left the table, Lance and I remained behind to chat. We got into allegations of Tyler Hamilton when Lance entirely unsolicited, admitted that he doped. 'We all did it,' he said."
Hushovd won the 2010 World Championships in Geelong, Australia, the year before and visited the US for the Tour of California during the time of the lunch. The 36-year-old also won two green jerseys at the Tour de France before retiring on September 20.
Armstrong's former team-mate Tyler Hamilton helped the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in its case. The agency found Armstrong doped throughout his career and during his comeback. Armstrong only admitted his drug use in January 2013.
"I did not believe what I heard. He sat there and said straight out that he was using drugs!" continued Hushovd.
"Doping was completely unthinkable for me. But it seemed to him as if it was not a big deal, that it was not anything special that he sat there and told me this."
When the US agency found Armstrong guilty, Hushovd said at the time that he did not know about it.
"I felt that it was wrong to say anything. In some settings it is just stupid to say things, which I felt was such a situation. I regretted that afterwards. I would say that I was clean, that I never used drugs and that I never got into it," Hushovd wrote in his book.
"After he came forward and admitted drug use, I haven't seen Lance Armstrong. But he sent me a text message after reading one of my comments in the media. He was really annoyed.
"'Do you really think I'm the only one who cheats out there? How stupid can you possibly be,' he wrote. It was a little uncomfortable."
Hushovd explained that anti-doping testing should be out of the UCI's control and handled by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to avoid cover ups. An independent branch of cycling's governing body currently handles it.
More on Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd retires: his career in pictures
Thor Hushovd's final race this weekend
Norwegian Thor Hushovd retires after this Saturday's GP Impanis-Van Petegem, concluding an illustrious career
Thor Hushovd to retire at end of 2014
Norwegian former World Champion and double Tour de France green jersey winner Thor Hushovd will quit at end of season
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Chris Boardman becomes the first commissioner of Active Travel England
Former cyclist will head up the new cycling and walking body, which is responsible for £5.5 million investment in active travel schemes
-
'Well, I'm getting off here': Miguel Ángel López's final moments with Movistar seen in snippet of latest documentary season
The Colombian responds to the release of the trailer, making light of the incident
-
Trial begins into French doctor and two others accused of attempting to dope cyclists
Bernand Sainz has been involved in cycling circles for the best part of six decades
-
Johan Bruyneel: 'Lance Armstrong was the perfect target to be sacrificed' to clean up cycling
The former rider and team boss says in his era the choice was 'either you adapt and you dope yourself, or you disappear'
-
British Paralympic hopeful cyclist banned for three years for doping offence
Erin McBride, who joined the British Cycling team after switching from athletics this year, tested positive for a banned substance
-
Two Italian cyclists banned following doping violations
One was an amateur time trial champion
-
'I was almost dead': Jan Ullrich speaks out on his recovery on Lance Armstrong's podcast
The former Tour de France winner spoke about how finding friends in Armstrong and others after re-adopting a healthy lifestyle
-
German former rider receives nine year doping ban and stripped of 11 years worth of results
Björn Thurau retired from racing at the end of 2019
-
Doping ban for former Trek-Segafredo rider upheld after his appeal fails
The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the four-year ban for the 36-year-old
-
Delko rider banned for doping says he tested positive after eye surgery
A Delko rider banned for doping has claimed he tested positive after having eye surgery.
