Paris • A new book which claims to further lift the lid on some of the dirtier secrets of Lance Armstrong’s (pictured right) successful cycling career will go on sale in France today.

The seven-time Tour de France champion is now retired, but a second book by Pierre Ballester and David Walsh – authors of the controversial “LA Confidentiel” two and a half years ago – claims to shed new light on their allegations that Armstrong’s feats came through the use of doping products.

Extracts of “LA Officiel”, which like the first book has been written only in French, will appear in today’s edition of Le Monde newspaper.

The book is centred mainly around an October 2005 legal dispute between Armstrong and an American insurance company, SCA.

On the basis of allegations in the first book by the pair, “LA Confidentiel”, SCA tried to pull out of a contract they had made with Armstrong in 2001, and according to which they would pay him $9.5m if he went on to win the Tour in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

SCA went on to lose the dispute with Armstrong, who in the face of several allegations over the years has always vigourously denied cheating.

In the new book the testimony of Australian doctor Michael Ashenden, a former Australian Institute of Sport scientitst who is credited with creating a blood test to uncover blood boosting drug EPO (erythropoietin), suggests otherwise.

Some doctors had previously stated that the American’s recovery from cancer, his change of morphology and his extraordinary lung and heart capacities were the key to Armstrong’s almost superhuman endeavours.

However Ashenden says in the book that Armstrong’s lung and heart capacities are not “exceptionally high”, and added: “There’s no doubt: he (Armstrong) used doping products.”

The book also uses the testimony of Frankie Andreu, a former team-mate of Armstrong’s who recently claimed he used EPO in 1999 when riding with Motorola.

Andreu’s wife Betsy also appears. She was also a key witness in SCA’s dispute with Armstrong, whom she claimed to have heard admitting that he had used banned doping products prior to contracting cancer, in 1996.

The book’s co-author, Pierre Ballester, said their aim was not a relentless pursuit of Armstrong.

“It’s a vital addition to an inquiry which throws the spotlight back on claims which in the past tried to reveal Armstrong’s personality,” Ballester said.

“(He is) a rider whose career has been characterised by lies and cheating, but who nonetheless left the sport unsanctioned, unblemished and untouchable.”

The 236 pages of “LA Officiel”, which will go on sale today in France, are bound to cause controversy.

However it remains to be seen if Armstrong takes any legal action for defamation.

The 35-year-old American, who is set to run the New York marathon in November, pulled out of an initial threat to sue the authors in France over their first book.

Basso and team CSC decide to part ways

Meanwhile in Copenhagen, Danish cycling team CSC has parted ways with top Italian rider Ivan Basso, who missed the Tour de France because of doping allegations but who was last week cleared to start racing again. The decision was taken with the mutual consent of both parties, CSC said.

CSC team manager Bjarne Riis thanked Basso for his oustanding results while with the team and said: “After all that has happened, especially this summer, Team CSC and Ivan Basso have agreed to part ways.

“It has been a very difficult decision, but both parties agree it is time to move on. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ivan for his time with the team and for the great results he and the team have achieved together,” Riis added.

Basso, who was under contract with CSC until 2008, was one of a number of riders suspected of being involved in a doping and blood doping ring which Spanish police uncovered at the end of May only days before Basso’s Tour of Italy triumph.

However last week a Spanish judge, overseeing the investigation, said the evidence from the investigation, dubbed ‘Operation Puerto’, could not be legally used to seek sanctions against the riders who are implicated.

Basso repeated he had nothing to do with the blood-doping network, allegedly the brainchild of Madrid doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

Basso, 29, took another step towards competing again when the Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) on Thursday recommended that all charges against him be dropped.

Coni has reserved the right to re-open the case in the event of fresh evidence coming to light, but it appears the Italian cycling federation is all set to give Basso the green light.

Basso will now become one of the most sought after cyclists for interested teams, if it is assured that the International Cycling Union (UCI) is not going to pursue a case against him based on the evidence from Operation Puerto.

The UCI said a few weeks ago that if Basso was cleared by the Italian authorities they would look into pursuing a sanction by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Basso said he is now in talks with a number of teams. According to recent speculation the Discovery Channel team, in which Armstrong still has a financial interest, is looking to sign Basso.