I celebrated quietly with family after probe ended, says Lance Armstrong

Washington, Feb 10 (ANI): Lance Armstrong has divulged that he felt relieved when the doping investigation against him was dropped, after a nearly two-year enquiry into the matter.

The seven-time Tour de France winner, in his first interview since prosecutors in Los Angeles closed their investigation last Friday, said that he was always confident of not being charged.

"It's not a pleasant experience," the CBS quoted him as saying.

"It was difficult at times,"

"But I was confident that we would always end up in this place," he said.

For the 40-year-old, this is the end of all the rumours about using performance enhancing drug during his career.

"It's over... I'm moving on," he said.

The World Anti-Doping Agency this week urged US federal authorities to quickly hand over evidence collected in the investigation that was aimed at whether the world's most famous cyclist and his teammates joining in a doping program during his run of Tour victories from 1999-2005.

"I don't want to get bogged down with that. I'm not concerned with that. I'm not going to worry about that," he said.

Armstrong, who has been known to attack his critics in the media and on Twitter, had only issued a muted written statement in response to the end of the investigation when the decision was first announced.

He was reluctant to talk much further about it on Thursday, but revealed that he had a quiet celebration with his family when the investigation was closed.

"I hugged my kids, hugged my girlfriend and went and opened a cold beer," he said.

Although Armstrong was convinced that he would not be indicted, the cyclist said he was ready to fight a costly legal battle if he was.

"You had to consider all possibilities," he said.

The champion said he'd turn his attention in 2012 to competing in Ironman triathlons and supporting an anti-smoking campaign in California. (ANI)