Inside Lance Armstrong's hill-top fortress: Disgraced cyclist buys $4.3m hideaway in Texas (and it even has its own rope bridge to make a quick escape)

Fortress: Lance Armstrong's new $4.3million hill-top home overlooking Lake Austin, which he bought last week, has been described as a 'fortress for staving of the Zombie Apocalypse'

Clean lines: Mood lighting picks out the features on the home, which was designed by a local firm of architects

Escape route: Armstrong's latest purchase is not only out of town, but also includes a 200ft suspension bridge connecting it to a private boat house on the shores of Lake Austin.

The boathouse

Bargain struck: It is located in Austin's exclusive Rob Roy neighbourhood and was reportedly on the market for $5million, but Armstrong managed to seal the deal for $4.34million last week

Disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong has splashed out on a new $4.3million hill-top mansion in Texas described as a 'fortress'.

The seven-time Tour de France winner, who was last year exposed as a drugs cheat, bought the Lake Austin, Texas retreat after selling his home in central Austin.

He is perhaps seeking a lower profile after he was last year banned from sports for life and stripped of his titles by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Lance Armstrong Set For Competitive Return As A Swimmer

Disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong is planning to return to competitive sport as a swimmer.

Armstrong, 41, has entered the Masters South Central Zone Swimming Championships  in Texas this weekend.He is able to compete as US Masters Swimming events are not subject to USA or World Anti-Doping Agency codes.

Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after deciding not to defend doping charges filed against him last August.Armstrong is scheduled to compete in freestyle races over 500 yards, 1,000 yards and 1,650 yards at the event held in his home city of Austin.The Texan will compete with swimmers his own age or older and his first race, the 1,650 yards freestyle, takes place on Friday.

US Masters Swimming executive director Rob Butcher said he had not received any objections to Armstrong competing in the event.“The purpose of our organisation is to encourage adults to swim,” Butcher told the Austin American-Statesman newspaper. Armstrong was charged by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) in June 2012 with using performance-enhancing drugs.He filed a lawsuit against the organisation the following month, accusing it of “corrupt inducements” to other cyclists to testify against him.However, Armstrong then announced he would not fight the charges and was given a life ban by Usada.

In January, he confessed to taking performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins (between 1999 and 2005) in a television interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Culled from BBC Sports