Is Lance Armstrong on the verge of doping confession?
Lance Armstrong is preparing to confess doping, according to a New York Times article published yesterday. The newspaper said he is talking to anti-doping bodies about an admission in exchange for eligibility to compete.
The Texan, wrote the newspaper, "has told associates and anti-doping officials that he is considering publicly admitting that he used banned performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions during his cycling career, according to several people with direct knowledge of the situation."
It would be a complete reversal for Armstrong, who denied doping throughout his career that included seven Tour de France wins. To protect himself over the years, he sued the Sunday Times and won the SCA Promotions case.
The situation changed this summer when the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) followed up the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation to find Armstrong guilty. On October 10, it published its 202-page Reasoned Decision and sent a 1000-page version to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
The UCI followed suit to strip Armstrong of all his results since 1998, including his seven Tour de France wins. He remains the 1993 World Champion and winner of two Tour stages (1993 and 1995).
Armstrong unsuccessfully tried to block the USADA in a US district court. He gave up the fight against the USADA on August 23 and last month let the time lapse to appeal the doping case to the sport's high court, CAS.
As part of the US agency's decision, Armstrong received a lifetime ban from competition. He had been successfully competing in triathlon races mainly in the USA. The admission might allow the 41-year-old to return to competition and help win back sponsors to earn money. Trek, Oakley, Nike and most of his big sponsors abandoned him in the wake of the agency's decision.
A confession, however, could accelerate a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former team-mate, Floyd Landis in 2010. The US Department of Justice is considering joining the lawsuit that could see Armstrong and Tailwind Sports issued a penalty of around $90m. The admission would also make the Sunday Times $1.5m-lawsuit (£1m) an easy win.
Regarding an admission, Armstrong's lawyer Tim Herman told the New York Times, "Lance has to speak for himself on that."
According to the newspaper, Armstrong has reached out to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and USADA.
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Reader comments
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Frank King
January 05 15:48
When I think about what happened to Lance, my mind goes to Mel Gibson, Tiger Woods and even Jim Bakker (remember him?). Together, they inspired me to write this essay: http://bit.ly/U1gP77
jonathan polley
January 05 16:47
Oh Frank - don't bring God into this.
lee
January 05 19:56
Frank - its got nothing to do with God what so ever and everything to do about a lying and manipulative cheat who conned major companies out of money and ruined clean athletes careers.
Phil Jones
January 05 20:49
Admitting in exchange for the eligibility to compete?? - That's the only reason he'll admit to it. I can't believe they'd allow him to compete again, with all the transfusions and planning etc, it's not like he's someone who accidentally got caught because they happened to be on the wrong meds at the wrong time. This guy is so arrogant, has brought the legitimacy of cycling into question and deserves the obscurity which a lifetime ban should give him.
roginoz
January 06 04:48
PLEASE lets get this thing over and done. If he does confess, he should be allowed to compete so he has a chance to redeem himself. He does at least deserve that chance. When he made a comeback it was in my view because he missed the limelight and adulation which he has craved all along , MAYBE because his father did not want to know him in his formative years . Everything has a reason. Would YOU have liked to have dealt with that rejection? I am not condoning , just think he could redeem himself and make this a positive , ( oops! ) to turn his life around and do some good with it .
Terry
January 06 16:56
I'm sorry to say, but I think I'm past caring. He was my hero, because of him I got loads of people at work interested in the TdF now I feel foolish for doing so. Time to stop looking back and look forward to Sir Wiggo of Kilburn (and all others on the same wavelength) restoring some integrity and pride back into this sport.
bigsambw
January 06 20:49
going to make floyd rich either way (confession or court) doping does pay! how bizarre is that.
S Monroe
January 08 06:37
Maybe this has already been addressed, but I am wondering if the steroids could have been responsible for testicular cancer?
bigsambw
January 08 18:53
what concerns me is a report recently in a broadsheet paper about a new undetctable type of epo, that the reporter said was used at our olympics, also new pills from eastern europe and china, all not detectable yet, it just goes on & on & not just cycling but other sports.
adam
January 08 19:49
He won't be able to compete. If he admits it he'll a) spend so much time in court he'll have no time to train and b) be in prison anyway for perjury :)