Lance Armstrong: Ashley Olsen is Just a Friend

Trying to quell the recent rash of hot, strange dating rumors surrounding him, Lance Armstrong is now denying that he and Ashley Olsen are an item.

"Ashley Olsen and I are strictly friends," he told the New York Post. "We have hung out amongst other friends, and she strikes me as a nice, smart lady."

The actions of Lance and Ashley paint a different picture, however.

As we reported last week, the odd pair â€" 36 and 21, respectively â€" both booked rooms at the luxe NYC hotel SoHo House and dined a deux at NYC's Waverly Hill after taking in the Broadway play Young Frankenstein October 29.

Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong's ex, Sheryl Crow is trying to debunk Life & Style's claim that she was disgusted by the May-December romance.

The tabloid said that when asked about the Ashley Olsen-Lance Armstrong fling, "Sheryl rolled her eyes and said, 'That's pathetic. Ashley's a kid.'"

But Sheryl Crow, 45, blogged: "Lance and I are friends. I have a lot of respect for him and what he does in the world of cancer. What he does in his personal life ... it is none of my business. Nor would I ever comment on it."

Does this mean Ashley Olsen and Lance really aren't hittin' it? Sad. Here's hoping Mary-Kate Olsen and Stavros Niarchos are still hot and heavy.