A FORMER STEROID supplier has claimed disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong should come clean and admit his doping sins.
Founder of sports nutrition centre BALCO, Victor Conte and his company were found guilty of supplying illegal supplements to Dwain Chambers and Marion Jones.
Conte served time in prison in 2005 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering, and he said it is time for Armstrong to admit his own guilt after his elaborate blood doping operation was uncovered.
However, he believes the Texan will not own up to his role in the operation that helped him win seven Tour de France yellow jerseys, which have since been stripped from him.
“I think my opinion is that he has always been guilty of doping. It is what it is and people will believe what they want to believe,” Conte said.
“Do I think he was alone? Do I think he was in a sport where there is a use or lose mentality that athletes have? I do.
“Of course, others that came out now that are giving evidence against him did this in exchange for leniency, so I have an issue with that and that is not what happened with me.
“I accepted full responsibility and consequences. I didn’t co-operate because I was leading people down this slippery slope and it certainly didn’t sit well with me to be the person testifying against the same people if I was at the top of the food chain and guilty of such wrongdoing. Why would it make sense to me?
“At a certain point, a human being has to accept accountability before they can move on and that is part of the reason I say I don’t believe Lance Armstrong will do that, because I don’t foresee an admission by him.”
