Seven-time-Tour-de-France-not-winner, Lance Armstrong lied and cheated his was through his career, he told talk show host Oprah Winfrey during the first of their two-part interview. Although he denied being part of ‘sport’s biggest doping programme’ and repeatedly demurred when asked about other people’s involvement (notably on the subject of his former doctor Michele Ferrari), Armstrong confessed to riding dirty on all seven of his TdF ‘wins’. The Texan’s ‘defence’ (although far from in the legal sense as we are sure to see in the coming weeks) appears to be that he didn’t view doping as cheating, but rather as ‘levelling the playing field’ as the culture was, then, so widespread.
Travis Tygart, CEO of the Untied States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), who doggedly pursued Armstrong, responded to the interview ‘revelations’ in a statement: ‘Tonight, Lance Armstrong finally acknowledged that his cycling career was built on a powerful combination of doping and deceit. His admission that he doped throughout his career is a small step in the right direction. But if he is sincere in his desire to correct his past mistakes, he will testify under oath about the full extent of his doping activities.’
Cyclo will bring you further reaction and analysis over the coming days, but thought a few choice quote comparisons might be in order:
Lance Armstrong: ‘I have never doped. I can say that again, but I’ve said it for seven years.’ (August 2005)
Oprah Winfrey: ‘Did you ever take banned substances to enhance cycling performance?’
Lance Armstrong: ‘Yes.’ (January 2013)
Lance Armstrong: ‘I have no regrets at all. I’ve got no reason to lie.’ (June 2009)
Lance Armstrong: ‘I view this situation as one big lie I repeated a lot of times.’ (January 2013)
Lance Armstrong: ‘I’ve lived by the rules. You think someone with my health history would take something like that? There’s no way.’ (July 2001)
Lance Armstrong: ‘It was win at all costs. When I was diagnosed (with cancer) I would do anything to survive. I took that attitude – win at all costs – to cycling’ (January 2013)
