Lance Armstrong and his attorneys have reached an out-of-court settlement worth $5 million with the United States government and former teammate Floyd Landis rather than taking the False Claims Act lawsuit to trial next month.
The decision to settle outside of the courtroom was announced last night with Armstrong agreeing to pay $5 million to the United States government and an additional $1.65 million to Landis for legal fees and expenses.
The former seven-time Tour de France champion will no doubt consider this a victory as the potential lawsuit could have cost him $100 million.
As is well known by now, Armstrong's former domestique and disgraced Tour champion Landis filed the original lawsuit back in 2010 under the claim that Armstrong had defrauded the US Postal Service by taking illicit drugs to race throughout his career.
Originally, Armstrong vehemently denied the claims of Landis but it quickly unravelled with US Anti-Doping charging him with several landmark anti-doping violations in 2012. The next year, Armstrong then appeared on an Oprah Winfrey televised special to confess to his doping.
This then sparked the US government's decision to join the trial in an attempt to recoup the millions of dollars spent by the US Postal Service for the $32m sponsorship of Armstrong's team between 1999 and 2004. It is believed Armstrong personally received $13.5m.
After five years of discussion and preparation for court, it looked as if this landmark case would finally reach Washington DC next month however the two parties have reached an agreement.
This saves the blushes of a public trial in which the government had planned to call 50 witnesses to the dock.
As for Armstrong, it's a question of what now? He will no doubt be breathing a sigh of relief. If gone to trial he could have been stung with a $100m fine. Many also speculated that an out-of-court settlement would have been triple the agreed fee.
Armstrong has one year to pay the government and Landis. His Austin property, which is currently on the market for $7.5m, will offer collateral.
Armstrong will also continue his quiet re-emergence into the world of cycling. Alongside co-host JB Hager, Armstrong records the Stages Podcast about professional cycling. The Texan was also scheduled to attend this year's Tour of Flanders as a special guest but cancelled at the 11th hour due to personal issues.
'I am glad to resolve this case and move forward with my life,' Armstrong said in a press release.
'I’m looking forward to devoting myself to the many great things in my life — my five kids, my wife, my podcast, several exciting writing and film projects, my work as a cancer survivor, and my passion for sports and competition. There is a lot to look forward to.'