No tears, no emotion and the admission that he was a bully about doping in an effort to be the best, Lance Armstrong got specific about his life and the people he has hurt during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
One of those people who stood silently as the events unfolded, repeatedly denying media requests to talk about the case, was Lance Armstrong's teammate George Hincapie of Greenville. In October, Hincapie admitted that he also used performance-enchancing drugs to compete. Hincapie retired in August from cycling after completing the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, has confessed to Oprah that he did in fact take performance-enhancing drugs to help him win.
“Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive,” will air Friday night.
Over the years, Armstrong vehemently protested his innocence all the way through, tweeting the following statement just prior to losing his titles:
I have been notified that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars but governed only by self-written rules, intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned. These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity. Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play.
I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence.
So if Armstrong has indeed now admitted that all that was a lie and he did in fact participate in doping, what do you think should happen to him? Should he face perjury charges? Should he refund prize money and endorsement payments? Do you forgive Lance Armstrong? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.