A Texas judge in Travis County has ruled that a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Lance Armstrong can move forward.
Nebraska-based Acceptance Insurance Holdings is suing the disgraced athlete for the $3 million in bonuses that it gave him for three of his seven Tour De France victories between 1999 and 2001, reports USA Today.
The company sued to recover its money after Armstrong admitted in January that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour every year from 1999 to 2005. Now the company wants the money back and it plans to call Armstrong as its first witness, despite the cyclist's reluctance to testify in several lawsuits pending against him.
Armstrong's attorneys had asked Travis County Judge Darlene Byrne to dismiss the case, arguing the statute of limitations on any fraud or breach of contract claims expired by 2011. However, the company argued that the clock didn't start until Armstrong admitted to doping earlier this year, the Associated Press reported.
Judge Byrne denied Armstrong's request to dismiss on Monday, allowing the case to proceed. Mark Kincaid, an attorney representing the insurance company, said that Acceptance will seek to question other witnesses besides Armstrong under oath.
"Lance Armstrong would be the No. 1 witness," Kincaid said.
Armstrong is facing a handful of lawsuits seeking repayment of millions paid to him during his career. Most notably, a federal case is seeking to recover more than $40 million that was paid to him and his team by the U.S. Postal Service when the agency was his team's primary sponsor. Federal prosecutors have said they intend to seek treble damages, which could push penalties up to more than $100 million.