The US government has joined a lawsuit against Lance Armstrong after talks with his lawyers broke down.
"Lance Armstrong and his cycling team took more than $30m from the US Postal Service based on their contractual promise to play fair and abide by the rules - including the rules against doping," said Ronald C Machen Jr, US Attorney for the District of Columbia. "This lawsuit is designed to help the Postal Service recoup the tens of millions of dollars it paid out based on years of broken promises." "In today's economic climate, the Postal Service is simply not in a position to allow Lance Armstrong or any of the other defendants to walk away with the tens of millions of dollars they illegitimately procured."