A co-owner of a restaurant in Aspen, Colo., said an incident involving cyclists Lance Armstrong and Tyler Hamilton on Saturday was not a big deal.
That, however, didn’t stop Hamilton’s attorney from notifying federal authorities about it Monday, according to an ESPN.
“Lance never left the barstool,” Jodi Larner, co-owner of Cache Cache bistro, told ESPN.com. “It was like two dudes meeting serendipitously. It was not a big confrontation.”
Hamilton and Armstrong had a conversation and “aggressive contact” at the restaurant, Hamilton’s attorney, Chris Manderson, told federal authorities, according to reports.
Hamilton was reportedly unnerved by the episode, but whether the incident was physical or intimidating did not affect the decision to notify authorities, Manderson told the website.
“Lance Armstrong is a possible defendant in an investigation that’s been widely reported, and Tyler is a probable witness,” Manderson said. “When there’s any contact, especially aggressive contact, we as lawyers have a duty to inform the authorities. … What they will do with it, I don’t know.”
Federal officials are investigating whether Armstrong used sponsorship money to pay for performance-enhancing drugs. Hamilton claimed in a 60 Minutes interview last month that he had first-hand knowledge of Armstrong using PEDs.
