Floyd Landis reveals Lance Armstrong sold racing bikes to fund doping program

American cyclist Floyd Landis has claimed that former cycling champion Lance Armstrong raised funds for an elaborate doping program by selling off expensive racing bikes provided by the Trek Bicycle Corp.

Armstrong has denied the accusations leveled by his former teammate in an interview to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

In a pair of articles posted on the Journal's Web site Friday night, the New York Daily News quoted Landis as saying he was annoyed in 2004 to be forced to race on rickety old bikes while riding in support of Armstrong at the Tour de France.

Landis says he then did some investigating and learned that the team was selling off newer bikes to help fund exotic cheating methods that included testosterone patches and blood transfusions.

Landis, who has cooperated with federal investigators probing cycling's doping secrets, elaborated in the newspaper interview on the astonishing accusations he made against Armstrong and others in a series of e-mails he sent to cycling officials at the end of April.