Tyler Hamilton says Lance Armstrong gave him an illegal blood booster before the 1999 Tour de France and that the teammates took blood transfusions together during the cycling race the following year.

Hamilton makes the allegations in his book, ''The Secret Race. Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France, Doping, Cover-ups and Winning at All Costs,'' set to be published Sept. 5. The Associated Press purchased a copy Thursday.

Hamilton and Armstrong rode together on the U.S. Postal Service team from 1998 to 2001.

Armstrong has long denied doping but last week chose not to fight drug charges by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. USADA has erased 14 years of Armstrong's competitive results, including his seven Tour de France titles.

The books covers much of what Hamilton said in a 2011 interview with ''60 Minutes'' and what he said he told federal criminal investigators looking into doping allegations on the Postal team. Officials closed that investigation in February without bringing any charges against Armstrong.

But Hamilton also provides sharper, personal details of what he says was an alleged doping program encouraged by Armstrong and other team leaders. He describes in detail how he and other cyclists doped and how they avoided getting caught.

''Lance worked the system ... Lance was the system,'' Hamilton wrote.

Armstrong's agent Bill Stapleton declined comment when contacted by phone.

Hamilton discusses at length his own descent into performance-enhancing drug use and said the team started even before Armstrong joined in 1998. He and Armstrong soon became roommates and confidants who would discuss using the blood-booster EPO and other PEDs.

''Nobody sets out wanting to dope,'' Hamilton said.

While visiting Armstrong's home in Nice shortly before the 1999 Tour, Hamilton said he asked him if he had any EPO and Armstrong pointed to the refrigerator.