Offical 2013 Lance Armstrong/Oprah Winfrey Interview Discussion Thread

so has anyone figured out why/if he can plausibly deny PEDs in the comeback tours? Is that a statute of limitations thing? Just lying? Or is it possible?

Wasn't there some biological passport data that looks like proof he used PEds in teh comeback?

July 1999: "I have been on my deathbed, and I'm not stupid. I can emphatically say I am not on drugs."

Dec 2000: "We are completely innocent. We run a very clean and professional team that has been singled out due to our success … Before this ordeal I had never heard of [the performance-enhancing drug Actovegin]."

Jan 2001: "The simple truth is that we outwork everyone. But when you perform at a higher level in a race, you get questions about doping."

Jan 2004: "I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance-enhancing drugs."

July 2004: "We're sick and tired of these allegations and we're going to do everything we can to fight them. They're absolutely untrue."

Aug 2005: "I have never doped. I can say it again, but I've said it for seven years."

Aug 2005: "Why would I enter into a sport and then dope myself up and risk my life again? That's crazy. I would never do that. No way."

Nov 2005: "How many times do I have to say it? … Well, it can't be any clearer than 'I've never taken drugs.'"

July 2010: "As long as I live, I will deny it. There was absolutely no way I forced people, encouraged people, told people, helped people, facilitated. Absolutely not. One hundred percent."

Jan 2011: "If you're trying to hide something, you wouldn't keep getting away with it for 10 years. Nobody is that clever."

May 2011: "Twenty-plus-year career, 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case."

June 2012: "I have never doped … 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."

Jan 2013: "All the fault and all the blame here falls on me. I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times. I made my decisions. They are my mistakes, and I am sitting here today to acknowledge that and to say I'm sorry for that."

I believe USADA is convinced (based on biological passport data) that Lance cheated during his comeback. I'm not sure doing the Oprah interview was in his best interests, particularly if it's proven that he lied about his '09 and '10 Tours.

I wonder what the rest of the interview will hold, Rojo and everyone seems to have judged the interview and Oprah on only the first half of the race here. Surely O saved some of the good stuff for the finish.

It seems that, not surprisingly, a lot of people have their minds made up already as either:

camp 1: they insist that there's something more that Lance needs to do

camp 2: they say what more can he do, he confessed

Bonds and Clemens denied it. Who says they have to confess? Isn't it up to them?

Lance has confessed, its his confession so it is gonna come in his words. Honestly, I prefer this to some "statement" drafted by a lawyer.

Really strange to me how his confession can elicit such passion from people. His family and kids must be hurting a lot more right now than Betsy Andrieu is.

Like I said, no winners. And cycling in America? geez I would say it is close to over at the end of the day here. It is not like if Usain came out and confessed, it is like if they held the olympics and there is only 1 winner (1 event) and the winer of the last 7 times and all the competition confess, that it has all been a sham, they'd shut the thing down.

Just my thoughts

My take away from the interview was that Lance saved cycling in '99, destroyed it over the next 10 years and now has the opportunity to save it. To do this he will have to name names and protocols.

I'm just hoping that this confession, and hopefully follow up participation, has far reaching ramifications into T&F, Soccer and the American sports. If we can get to the doping infrastructure; agents, doctors, pharmacies, then Lance could be the best thing ever to happen to sport. It’s a win/win.

Can you imagine Lance using his powers for good rather than evil? He chairs WADA and Nike gets behind him?

I’d take that deal with the devil any day.

Jefe in the CO wrote:

My take away from the interview was that Lance saved cycling in '99, destroyed it over the next 10 years and now has the opportunity to save it. To do this he will have to name names and protocols.

I'm just hoping that this confession, and hopefully follow up participation, has far reaching ramifications into T&F, Soccer and the American sports. If we can get to the doping infrastructure; agents, doctors, pharmacies, then Lance could be the best thing ever to happen to sport. It’s a win/win.

Can you imagine Lance using his powers for good rather than evil? He chairs WADA and Nike gets behind him?

I’d take that deal with the devil any day.

i agree with this wholeheartedly. however, dont we HAVE to assume that science/doctors/pharma/drugs will always be one step ahead of regulators/governing bodies/government/testers simply because the payoff is greater? i mean there are a whole hell of a lot MORE good/ethical/fair accountants/bankers/lawyers than there are dirtbags but no society will ever be able to complete stamp out the dirtbags because the reward is just too tempting vs. the risk. anything short of the death penalty and i think it will always be an issue (no i dont think the death penalty is the answer, btw).

Oh.

My.

God.

246 posts?

Seriously?

You people need to get a life.

I didn't watch the "special," and I don't know what jealous lying lowlife Oprah got to say something bad about Lance because they thought there might be a Buick under their chair, but it doesn't change the FACTS.

And the fact is that Lance has been tested over 500 times, more than anyone else in the history of sports. Why has he been tested so much? Because the European socialist, sandal-wearing girlie-men are upset that a red-blooded American outworks them and is better than them. And guess what? Every test has proven beyond a shadow of a DOUBT that he is CLEAN.

So drop it, you CAT 4, metric century riding, 17 minute 5K wannabees.

Get off the computer in your mom's basement for a few hours and try training for a change. Then maybe you'll finally understand why Lance is so good.

Why does everyone attack Lance Armstrong. Because everyone else got caught during their career and he did not. The USADA was pissed that one cyclist got away with everything and happen to win 7 tours. But guess what, everyone around him was doping, UCI knows they were and still hasn't cleaned up the sport.

Lance got away with doping, amongst dopers and happened to win. Everyone else doped too, but they didn't get to win. I wonder why they are pissed and attacking one guy,

But guess what. Lance is the only rider to have such a great success building an organization that helps fight cancer and built one of the most well known Brands on this earth. Where was everyone else. Doping to try and catch him. Sorry, he won and did it without getting caught. Everyone else is just a damn cry baby.

I hope you and King Lance are simply trolling. If not, you're two of biggest idiots ever on Letsrun and that's quite something.

buy a vowel wrote:

I hope you and King Lance are simply trolling. If not, you're two of biggest idiots ever on Letsrun and that's quite something.

If supporting a man who's being mercilessly attacked just because he cures cancer and he's fast makes me an idiot, than I'm guilty as charged.

How many diseases have you cured and what's your 5K PR, brah?

I'm guessing none, and about 19:30 on a downhill course.

How'd I know?

Guess what? If you were BIKING a 5K and Lance were running it, he'd still beat you. And he's 15 years older than you.

Keep up the Lance-bashing, brah. It just lets the rest of us know you're a jealous loser.

Don't forget, Greg Lemond accused Lance of doping, years ago, and Lance went after hime and tried to ruin him.

I guess he was very jealous of someone winning the tour clean.

This situation makes one wonder,..."what will the Mo Trafeh interview be like?"

King Lance wrote:

[quote]buy a vowel wrote:

Guess what? If you were BIKING a 5K and Lance were running it, he'd still beat you. And he's 15 years older than you.

Keep up the Lance-bashing, brah. It just lets the rest of us know you're a jealous loser.

______________________

I'm 52. I currently run around 17 min for a 5k.

I ran the Boston Mthn 6x, and all in my 40's.

Lance ran 2:46 at 34?

I ran all Boston's in my 40's, under 2:44. All of them.

What does that tell you when you compare a 40+ yr. marathoner compared to a 34/35 year old, who is the best in cycling?

It tells me cyclists are pu$$ies.

Wow...I guess I must have been really cool cause I knew.. But then why did everyone(my American friends) think I was such an ahole?

I figured the 2000 victory was enhanced, but I went along with it because it seemed everyone else was in on it, so why not just go along for the stupid ride.

BUT after the second victory I thought he would be a bit sporting and back off. But no. After every win I became more and more pissed.. I suffered more than 7 years of being pissed off every August and no one believing the obvious...The familiar refrain of "I never failed a drug test" somehow worked it's magic on the minds of most Americans..

NO ONE in this country wanted to believe this about Lance, Marion, Regina, all the home run kings, etc. etc. etc. It was shameful...I was actually reviled at a sports job because I suggested that a lot of the stars we were covering were HGH whores.

As early as 95 when I was living in Europe a lot of reporters were pointing out the obvious about all the dirty athletes.

Don't forget that Carl Lewis, Mary Decker and even the great Salazar had questions surrounding this issue. And lets not forget the secret list of 20 USA athletes that were covered up just before the 1988 Olympic Games..

I just don't get people and their Disney like belief in all these fake sports heroes... I don't believe in heroes.. Now lets talk about Notre Dame...

ohh yeah... And why did Oprah handle this..After her puff job of interviewing Marion Jones I would think she was uniquely unqualified to do this sort of thing... If you can check it out. She even told Marion that she was sure she would have won the medals without drugs.. Now she wants to skewer Lance?

Yeahhh...

I'm new to Letsrun, but why do the owners or writers of this running site focus so much on Lance who is a cyclist? Why don't they care as much about positives and systematic doping that implicates runners? It seems like they hate this guy a lot more than other athletes that test positive. It's kind of scary reading their stuff on the home page of this site. Can someone explain why?

Matsers vetren wrote:

King Lance wrote:

[quote]buy a vowel wrote:

Guess what? If you were BIKING a 5K and Lance were running it, he'd still beat you. And he's 15 years older than you.

Keep up the Lance-bashing, brah. It just lets the rest of us know you're a jealous loser.

______________________

I'm 52. I currently run around 17 min for a 5k.

I ran the Boston Mthn 6x, and all in my 40's.

Lance ran 2:46 at 34?

I ran all Boston's in my 40's, under 2:44. All of them.

What does that tell you when you compare a 40+ yr. marathoner compared to a 34/35 year old, who is the best in cycling?

It tells me cyclists are pu$$ies.

Dude, You seriously want me to believe that, in your 40's you were faster than the greatest athlete in the history of America was at 34, and you're not juicing?

You seriously think you could come anywhere close to competing with him if it were a level playing field?

You and your chemically enhanced PR's are the reason no one pays attention to running any more.

Part 2 in less than 10 on:

http://ownspecial.oprah.com/lancearmstrong.html

Anyone else wearing Livestrong gear while watching this?