Armstrong moves to block SCA legal battle

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Lance Armstrong has asked the Texas Supreme Court to stop the re-opening of his legal arbitration case with insurance company SCA in a late attempt to avoid paying back an estimated $12 million dollars.

The disgraced Texan has been in dispute with SCA since 2005, when the company first investigated claims of doping and refused to pay out bonus award for Armstrong's Tour de France victories. The two parties eventually settled and the case was closed, but Armstrong gave sworn testimony that he did not dope. That proved not to be true when he admitted doping last year, was suspended for life and lost his seven Tour de France victories.

SCA Promotions began legal action to re-open the case and regain $12 million last year but Armstrong's legal team believes Texan law does not allow parties to revisit voluntary settlements. Lower courts have refused to stop the case, now Armstrong has appealing to the state's highest civil court.

Armstrong has faced several lawsuits since admitting doping and has already settled with the Sunday Times newspaper and Acceptance Insurance, which paid him $3 million in bonuses in a similar way to SCA. Armstrong reached a deal with Acceptance just before he was scheduled to be questioned under oath about his doping.

Armstrong also faces a federal whistleblower lawsuit as the US government attempts to recover more than $30 million the U.S. Postal Service paid to Armstrong and the US Postal Service team. Under the Whistleblower law, penalties in the case could reach up to $100 million, with former teammate turned testimony Floyd Landis in line to receive part of any payment.