Greg LeMond Claims Lance Armstrong Wouldn't Have Been Top Cyclist Without PEDs

Just when the outcries against Lance Armstrong and his wrongdoings seem to die down, an angry individual brings them back up to the surface.

This time it’s former cycling star Greg LeMond who, during an in-depth interview on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Monday night, claimed that without drugs Armstrong would have been “top 30 at best.”

That was the beginning of a string of insults LeMond fired against Armstrong during the interview, which included calling him a thug and a fraud and saying he should go to jail. This was the first time LeMond spoke publicly against Armstrong since his confession last January.

According to the Associated Press via USA Today, during a symposium on doping in sports last April in Austin, LeMond claimed to have no vendetta against Armstrong.

On Monday, his tune had changed. LeMond claimed that the doping problem has ruined professional cycling and that Armstrong manipulated the cancer community.

When Cooper asked LeMond if he considered Armstrong to be the greatest fraud in sports history, he stated:

"

Absolutely. Absolutely. The greatest fraud was that—I mean, I know his physical capability. He is a top 30 at best. I mean, at best. No matter what. If he was clean, everybody was clean, he was top 30 at best. He is not capable of, not capable of the top five.

"

LeMond is now the only American who officially won the Tour de France, in 1986, 1989 and 1990. He is known as a vocal anti-doping campaigner and had accused Armstrong of doping dating back to the early 2000s.

Armstrong was exposed of doping during his cycling career. After years of accusations, he officially admitted to his offenses to Oprah Winfrey in January.   

Armstrong was formally stripped of the seven Tour de France Titles he won between 1999 and 2005. Last month, he returned his bronze medal from the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

While Armstrong's cycling days, along with his violations and subsequent admissions, may be behind him, his critics continue to be present. LeMond's comments are just the latest reminder that Armstrong's actions have left behind an ugly mess that will be difficult to wash away.