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SA government maintains Armstrong was worth it
The South Australian government believes it got value for money from bringing alleged drug cheat Lance Armstrong to Adelaide to ride in the Tour Down Under.
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Premier Jay Weatherill says the government won't ask for appearance money paid to Armstrong to be returned despite the growing evidence that the American used drugs during his cycling career.
The government won't reveal how much the cyclist was paid.
Armstrong rode in the Tour Down Under three times between 2009 and 2011.
Before his first appearance the race was worth about 17 million dollars to the SA economy and by 2012 that had grown to more than 40 million dollars.
Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by the US Anti-Doping Agency and banned from the sport for life after the organisation claimed he orchestrated the most sophisticated doping program ever seen.
