Armstrong’s attorney: leaks ‘unfair’

AUSTIN, Texas – Lance Armstrong’s attorney sent a letter to the federal prosecutor investigating the seven-time Tour de France winner and his associates for possible fraud and doping violations, complaining about leaks to the media.

Monday’s letter from Tim Herman to Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Miller in Los Angeles says it’s “especially unfair to subject Mr. Armstrong to this continuing media blitz when he is in the middle of his final Tour de France.”

A copy of the letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

The letter also said Armstrong’s attorneys talked to Miller about the leaks less than two weeks ago and are “extremely frustrated that these leaks have intensified.”

Armstrong has denied doping allegations.

The investigation was spurred by accusations from Floyd Landis, one of Armstrong’s former teammates on the US Postal team and a disgraced former Tour champion, in a series of e-mails sent to cycling and doping officials this spring.

“This appears to be a full-blown and largely unmonitored exploration of Floyd Landis’ patently unreliable and routinely changing accusations of possible improper conduct in the professional cycling industry at large,” Herman wrote.