USA Cycling bars Armstrong

Texas - USA Cycling says Lance Armstrong can't ride in a South Carolina event this weekend with several of his former US Postal Service team-mates.

Armstrong had hoped to ride with George Hincapie and several other former team-mates at the non-competitive ride that bears Hincapie's name. But because the ride is still authorised by USA Cycling, Armstrong can't participate under his lifetime ban for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Armstrong declined comment on Thursday.

Hincapie was among Armstrong's closest friends on the Postal Service team. But he also was one of the key witnesses against Armstrong in the 2012 report by the US Anti-Doping Agency that exposed Armstrong's doping.

Armstrong is facing a federal whistle-blower lawsuit by former team-mate Floyd Landis that could bring penalties approaching $100 million.