Lance Armstrong has said he is relieved by the end of the federal investigation into doping allegations against him, and said he always remained confident he would not be charged.
"It's not a pleasant experience," Armstrong said on Thursday in his first interview since prosecutors in Los Angeles closed their investigation last Friday, after almost two years.
"It was difficult at times," the seven-times Tour de France winner said. "But I was confident that we would always end up in this place."
For him, this is end of the doping questions. The federal government's decision should put a stop to any allegations or rumours about performance-enhancing drug use during his career, Armstrong said. "It's over," he said. "I'm moving on."
The World Anti-Doping Agency this week urged US federal authorities to hand over quickly evidence collected in the investigation into whether the world's most famous cyclist and his team-mates joined in a doping program during his run of Tour victories from 1999 to 2005.
"I don't want to get bogged down with that. I'm not concerned with that. I'm not going to worry about that," he said.
Armstrong, who has been known to attack his critics in the media and on Twitter, was reluctant to talk further about it on Thursday, but said he had a quiet celebration with his family when the investigation was closed. "I hugged my kids, hugged my girlfriend and went and opened a cold beer," he said.
Although Armstrong was convinced that he would not be indicted, the cyclist said he was ready to fight a costly legal battle if he was. "You had to consider all possibilities," he added.
The 40-year-old Armstrong said he is turning his attention in 2012 to competing in ironman triathlons and supporting an anti-smoking campaign in California.
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