Seeking “tens of millions” paid to Lance Armstrong for “years of broken promises”, the US government joined a lawsuit alleging the doping cyclist defrauded former sponsor US Postal Service.

The government filed paperwork in federal court Friday to join a lawsuit by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis after talks with Armstrong over damages issues broke down.

“Lance Armstrong and his cycling team took more than $30 million from the US Postal Service based on their contractual promise to play fair and abide by the rules — including the rules against doping,” said Ronald Machen, US Attorney for the District of Columbia.

“This lawsuit is designed to help the Postal Service recoup the tens of millions of dollars it paid out to (Armstrong’s) cycling team based on years of broken promises.

“In today’s economic climate, the US Postal Service is simply not in a position to allow Lance Armstrong or any of the other defendants to walk away with the tens of millions of dollars they illegitimately procured,” Machen said.