Lance Armstrong settles $10m doping row

Disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong has resolved a 10-million-dollar (9 million euro) dispute over doping that has dragged on for more than a decade. The 44-year-old was ordered to pay back millions of dollars in bonuses he received during his career from Dallas-based company SCA Promotions.

Former cyclist Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles Reuters

In 2005, the company began pursuing evidence of doping against Armstrong and, when the seven-time Tour de France winner admitted to using performace-enhancing drugs in 2013, SCA demanded a refund.

Armstrong actually sued the company's chief executive, Bob Hamman, in 2004 after SCA withheld a payment of 5 million dollars over the doping allegations. The company was made to pay 7.5 million dollars, on top of an earlier payment of 4.5 million dollars.

Armstrong has not revealed how much he paid SCA as part of the settlement. In a statement on Sunday, he said he wanted to leave the matter behind him.

"I look forward to moving on. I do wish to apologise to SCA and Bob Hamman for any misconduct on my part in connection with our dispute and the resulting arbitration,” the statement said.

The dispute with SCA is one of several to hit Armstrong since his admission of doping.