Lance Armstrong's former team-mate Tyler Hamilton has clamed he saw the seven-time Tour de France winner use EPO the first year he won the race in 1999.
Hamilton told 60 Minutes host Scott Pelley that he witnessed Armstrong using EPO, which is designed to increase endurance by boosting production of red blood cells.
"I saw it in his refrigerator," Hamilton told the American news program in the interview to air on Sunday.
"I saw him inject it more than one time, like we all did, like I did many, many times."
Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 but recovered and returned to racing, winning the Tour de France an unprecedented seven consecutive years from 1999 to 2005.
The Texan has vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs during his controversial career and reiterated his stance today via Twitter.
"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case," he said.
Hamilton, who finally admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs after years of denial, retired from cycling in 2009 after a second positive drug test.
A support rider of Armstrong's at the US Postal Service team for his first three Tour victories, Hamilton says Armstrong also took a blood-booster before the 2000 and 2001 Tour de France races.
Armstrong "took what we all took... the majority of the peloton," Hamilton told 60 Minutes.
"There was EPO... testosterone... a blood transfusion."
Armstrong's lawyer, Mark Fabiani, said Hamilton's accusations are untrue.
"Hamilton is actively seeking to make money by writing a book and now he has completely changed the story he has always told before so that he could get himself on 60 Minutes and increase his chances with publishers," Fabiani said.
"But greed and a hunger for publicity cannot change the facts: Lance Armstrong is the most tested athlete in the history of sports. He has passed nearly 500 tests over 20 years of competition."
Armstrong is the subject of a probe by federal investigators who are trying to determine if the US Postal cycling team owes much of its success to a systematic doping program.
The 39-year-old retired for a second time in February, having placed 67th in the Tour Down Under in Australia.
Hamilton is just the latest in a growing list of former team-mates, ex-associates and co-workers to accuse Armstrong of cheating.
In 2010, former team-mate Floyd Landis launched a series of damning allegations against Armstrong, with whom he rode in the US Postal team for several years, claiming Armstrong had used banned substances throughout his career.
A recent Sports Illustrated report cited another former member of Armstrong's inner circle, New Zealander Stephen Swart, who told the magazine the Texan was the driving force behind some of the team members deciding to use EPO in 1995.
"He was the instigator," Swart is quoted as saying in the report.
"It was his words that pushed us toward doing it."
Hamilton told 60 Minutes host Scott Pelley that he witnessed Armstrong using EPO, which is designed to increase endurance by boosting production of red blood cells.
"I saw it in his refrigerator," Hamilton told the American news program in the interview to air on Sunday.
"I saw him inject it more than one time, like we all did, like I did many, many times."
Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 but recovered and returned to racing, winning the Tour de France an unprecedented seven consecutive years from 1999 to 2005.
The Texan has vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs during his controversial career and reiterated his stance today via Twitter.
"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case," he said.
Hamilton, who finally admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs after years of denial, retired from cycling in 2009 after a second positive drug test.
A support rider of Armstrong's at the US Postal Service team for his first three Tour victories, Hamilton says Armstrong also took a blood-booster before the 2000 and 2001 Tour de France races.
Armstrong "took what we all took... the majority of the peloton," Hamilton told 60 Minutes.
"There was EPO... testosterone... a blood transfusion."
Armstrong's lawyer, Mark Fabiani, said Hamilton's accusations are untrue.
"Hamilton is actively seeking to make money by writing a book and now he has completely changed the story he has always told before so that he could get himself on 60 Minutes and increase his chances with publishers," Fabiani said.
"But greed and a hunger for publicity cannot change the facts: Lance Armstrong is the most tested athlete in the history of sports. He has passed nearly 500 tests over 20 years of competition."
Armstrong is the subject of a probe by federal investigators who are trying to determine if the US Postal cycling team owes much of its success to a systematic doping program.
Hamilton is just the latest in a growing list of former team-mates, ex-associates and co-workers to accuse Armstrong of cheating.
In 2010, former team-mate Floyd Landis launched a series of damning allegations against Armstrong, with whom he rode in the US Postal team for several years, claiming Armstrong had used banned substances throughout his career.
A recent Sports Illustrated report cited another former member of Armstrong's inner circle, New Zealander Stephen Swart, who told the magazine the Texan was the driving force behind some of the team members deciding to use EPO in 1995.
"He was the instigator," Swart is quoted as saying in the report.
"It was his words that pushed us toward doing it."
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