LONDON >> Bradley Wiggins is convinced Lance Armstrong doped when the American returned to cycling in 2009, claiming he was robbed of being feted on the podium in the Tour de France that year.

Armstrong has confessed to doping during all seven of his Tour wins from 1999-2005, but insisted he raced clean when he made his comeback in 2009.

Wiggins, the current Tour de France champion, finished behind Armstrong in fourth in ‘09 but has his suspicions after racing alongside the American in key mountain stages.

Wiggins, speaking at a Team Sky training camp in Mallorca, says, “I saw at the top of the Verbier in 2009, to the man I saw at the top of the Ventoux … it wasn’t the same bike rider.”