Lance Armstrong Sued: Autobiographies Are Lies, Reads Lawsuit

(Photo: Reuters/Eric Gaillard/Files)
Radioshack team rider Lance Armstrong poses on the podium in Paris after the final 20th stage of the 97th Tour de France cycling race between Longjumeau and Paris in this July 25, 2010 file photo.

By Brittney R. Villalva , Christian Post Reporter

January 28, 2013|2:12 pm

A class action suit has been filed against Lance Armstrong's memoirs citing that the "non-fiction" books are filled with "lies."

Two men from Sacramento, Calif. have filed suit against the infamous athlete who has published two books: "It's not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" and "Every Second Counts." Last year Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France gold medals due to suspicions of drug use. In early January, the cyclist admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he was guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs.

The men involved in the lawsuit are Rob Stutzman, a public relations executive who served as a deputy chief of staff for former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jonathan Wheeler, a chef and amateur cyclist, Reuters reports.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday and alleges that others "would not have purchased the books had they known the true facts concerning Armstrong's misconduct and his admitted involvement in a sports doping scandal."

Stutzman is particularly offended because he not only bought the book, but also recommended it to others as a "compelling" read.

"Stutzman bought the book in California and read it cover to cover," the lawsuit said. "Although Stutzman does not buy or read many books, he found Armstrong's book incredibly compelling and recommended the book to several friends."

The books claim to be autobiographies about Armstrong's life and success as Tour de France record holder. But his struggle depicted in the book is a lie, say both men in the lawsuit. The legal action is also not the first pressing on Armstrong since the break of the drug controversy.

SCA Promotions Inc., the company responsible for paying Armstrong's incentive bonuses after winning the Tour de France has threatened legal action if he fails to pay back the $12 million he was awarded between 2002 and 2004. A second lawsuit includes The Sunday Times in the U.K. and potential $1.5 million suit.