When stories began circulating last week that Lance Armstrong might be considering making a confession, more than one joker on Twitter suggested that Oprah Winfrey might be just the person to facilitate such a discussion. Well, we don't know whether an admission of doping will be forthcoming, but Armstrong will be interviewed by Winfrey next Thursday, and what's more, the transmission will be streamed live worldwide on the Oprah.com website.
A press release published on Tuesday on Oprah.com suggests that anyone expecting a confession, however limited, shouldn't hold their breath. It reads:
Los Angeles, CA – Oprah Winfrey will speak exclusively with Lance Armstrong in his first no-holds-barred interview. Armstrong will address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating, and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career.
The special 90-minute Thursday night episode of Oprah's Next Chapter will air Thursday, January 17 (9:00 – 10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. In addition-the interview will be simultaneously streamed LIVE worldwide on Oprah.com.
In the interview, Winfrey speaks with Armstrong at his home in Austin, Texas in the only interview since the seven-time Tour de France winner was stripped of his titles and dropped from millions of dollars in endorsement deals after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released an extensive report accusing the renown cyclist of doping throughout his career. Armstrong was given a lifetime ban on competing professionally. Late last year, Armstrong resigned as chairman of the foundation he created, Livestrong, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the fight against cancer.
Whether Winfrey will pull her punches only time will tell, but she is certainly not the sort of media figure to be daunted by the Texan, even in his own home.
Armstrong's motives for doing the interview can only be guessed at, but since the weekend it has certainly seemed that the Armstrong camp is testing the waters ahead of some action by their man most likely some form of confession or partial confession. From a legal point of view any confession by Armstrong would be a dangerous gamble, but maybe the calculation is that a redeemed Armstrong can make more than he loses - even though he risks losing his freedom. He won't be making any money for his Oprah interview - not from the show anyway. According to a show spokeswoman contacted by the BBC Armstrong is not being paid for his appearance: "No payment for the interview. No editorial control, no question is off-limits." Interestingly she refused to say when the interview would take place leading some to conclude that it already has - the French newspaper, L'Equipe has already run a story to that effect.
Winfrey and Armstrong do share some common ground. Both have made high profile visits to Australia, and both those trips cost their host country's taxpayers dear - a fee estimated to be between A$3 million and A$5 million in the case of Winfrey for her Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure in 2010, while the previous year had seen Armstong trouser a fee generally reckoned to be A$2 million for his comeback race in the Tour Down Under. He'd be back for more the following year.
News of the programme comes as CBS prepares to screen an interview on its 60 Minutes Sports show on Wednesday evening with Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, in which he claims that Armstrong offered the organisation a 'donation' of $250,000 in 2004.
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42 comments
Just seen that BBC clarify that no money exchanged hands for the interview.
Can't be arsed to watch him spouting his lies. It will be all over the BBC news the following day anyway.
Now, if Dame Edna had been doing the interview that would have been different
Having looked at the drivel spouted on the Oprah website, it is so good to read all these cynical comments from 'haters' and 'trolls'. Please keep it up guys, because we need to repeat again and again... 'He isn't the messiah, he's a very naughty boy.' Monty Python, Life of Brian, quoted by David Walsh.
Head over to our Facebook page it's a bit more like old times there
https://www.facebook.com/roadcc
You guys are all dicks... I bet if you were in his shoes you'd do the same thing. If I was on the brink of death and survived and had a chance to come back and start over, I'd do the same thing. I'd be all in, no half assing, you're either with me or against me, cause life is too short to f*** around.
I wonder if the interview will be on that long couch in the room with the 7 yellow jerseys hanging on the wall. I wouldn't be surprised.
(On the assumption that you're not being ironic). If you cheat to win, you are by definition NOT a legitimate winner. What bit of that don't you understand? If wanting a drug free sport makes me a "dick", well, just call me Richard.
If Lance does own up (and given his past history that's a very big if) - I'd hope that the Police arrest him on suspicion of perjury there and then.
However, I've seen too many people verifiably lie in court to expect that to happen.
One thing that worries me is how Lance is being made a scapegoat for what was (and possibly still is) a widespread problem. I can't decide which is worse, that so many cyclists cheated or that the UCI didn't catch them.
I feel a musical coming on...
Lance! the oprah.
Yeah, you tell em! If I had just endured cancer and chemotherapy and recovered, the first thing I'd do is pump myself full of more drugs, particularly ones that are thought to increase the likelihood of developing testicular cancer. Yeah!
The sad part of that is that if he had come back and been a good racer, won a couple of stages or the odd classic, and been a good domestique in the GTs, it would have STILL been a wonderful cancer survival story, and it would have been true. As it is, the whole thing was built on sand.
'Jon Inman interviewing Vlad the impaler' Genius!
Written about this in skippyblogging.blogspot , and included as couple of thedse comments !
Thought at one time the guy was about to have his toes curl up with his second go round of cancer !
Cancer will get him before he confesses unreservably !
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