Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

A hot topic at the moment actively discussed in this thread: Will Lance Armstrong Admit to Doping?

There are a lot of convincing arguments (and speculation of course) for and against an admission of guilt by Lance Armstrong.
Short and sweet, what does your best judgement tell you - will there be an admission to doping by Armstrong on Oprah?

Judging from his ornery Texan pigheadedness I'd say no, he won't fess up. Of course, his pigheadedness is what makes him so fiercely competitive.

I would like him to come out with the truth and I hope I am wrong. Maybe then he could look himself in the eye and feel good about himself.

He'll wait until he has written a book about it, that way he can make some cash out of it. He won't admit to doping just because he thinks it's the right thing to do.

He'll probably go on Oprah knowing that she doesn't know anything about cycling he can control the conversation, he'll talk about everyone else doing it, he's the victim, he had cancer, bad upbringing. He'll then announce he'll be giving out free livestrong wristbands to the audience and they'll go wild and carry him out on their shoulders chanting his name.

I reckon he will. But it will be a soft admission and he will say everyone else was doing it. The cancer card will be played and he will dictate terms. Don't expect any massive surprises. It is all about The Lance!

Nope. I doubt it. But really, who cares? He's just another self-absorbed celebrity.

I have more respect for the average punter who's out there rain, hail or shine.

I really don't care and I won't watch the interview.

The average cyclist who is out there giving it a go gets my respect too.

For the record I voted no. It will be a politician style interview where he doesn't answer the questions directly.

Not in plain English he won't

Yes. Last chance of redemption via the Queen of Media or be damned for eternity.

I voted no ,this is about money,a sympathetic forum, more spin. He gets a chance to sell the Lance Armstrong image. Change and confuse the public perception of himself, into being the persecuted wrongly accused Lance the Cancer patient champion.
He will only admit to it when he loses public, media attention,when no one cares. When he feels that the public attention and financial reward would be greater than not admitting his guilt. Lance is a great business person if nothing else. He will talk but say nothing.

Dopings been noted as far back as 1886 in cycling. It's nothing new so I vote no. It's a nice media rating $ grab for all. Smart business one would say.

Simple terms - No.

Lance would open himself up to perjury charges and possible jail time (any remember Flo Jo ...?)

He will need to lock in immunity before exposing himself to consequences of lying under oath.


Matt

Oprah is hardly a hard hitting journo. They way she gushes over celebrities is terrible. He probably agreed to the interview with her because of this.

I think he will, but it will be the bare minimum required of him so that he can move forward. I'm not sure if moving forwards will be in sports, or as a 'personality'.

The media seem to think they're onto something with the confession angle. Of course, only time will tell... But the source must be reasonably reputable for it to have been reported, and then for further information to be brought to light.

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Maybe the source isn't reputable, but is part of the campaign to feed out info (right, wrong and distorted) to fuel public interest.

What are the chances that the New York Times picks up on an unconfirmef story that Armstrong will admit guilt and about a week later a massive broadcaster announces the are running the story?

AUbicycles wrote:Maybe the source isn't reputable, but is part of the campaign to feed out info (right, wrong and distorted) to fuel public interest.

What are the chances that the New York Times picks up on an unconfirmef story that Armstrong will admit guilt and about a week later a massive broadcaster announces the are running the story?

I'm not saying you're wrong, but that's a pretty cynical view of the way things work! I guess it is America...

Time will reveal all.

I agree with Boss. LA needs to move on and maintain what remains of his personal cult and Oprah is the perfect route to achieve that outcome. This is PR 101. We'll see.

He wont, there is the big risk of gaol time for perjury if he does. Not a small risk to be concerned about.

Most of the media reports about the LA doping scandals have portrayed him as the kingpin who forced team mates to follow suit or to get out.

He will have to talk about the use of PED’s in professional cycling during his career, and while I doubt very much he will outright admit to using PED’s, I do expect him to soft soap the whole issue, and deny that he was an instigator while hinting that the use of drugs was expected, and the normal thing to do at that time.

I expect him to talk about the pressure on cyclists at that Tour the France level, by sponsors, the media, and the general public to perform at their peak for such a gruelling tour.

I also expect him to have a bitch about having been singled out to be banned for life while others received a far lesser penalty.

It will be spin and more spin, while trying to get sympathy for what he obviously believes is his unfortunate plight for having been singled out and haunted by those who vowed to see him fall from grace.

I voted No

I voted "yes", but it's qualified.

"Everybody else was doing it, my hand was forced"
"If we were going to do it, we better to do it right"
"I paid a far higher cost than any other athlete, cancer!!!"

If it isn't spun into some story of victimisation, it won't work on Oprah.

Then again, Oprah is a far bigger celebrity than LA, maybe she needs a good "hard hitting" story to get her failing OWN network some ratings and see's LA as an easy target? It could happen.

greyhoundtom wrote:Most of the media reports about the LA doping scandals have portrayed him as the kingpin who forced team mates to follow suit or to get out.

For good reason - that's what the USADA's reasoned decision discussed in great detail. It's not like the media has twisted it... They just read the reasoned decision and reported on it!

In the voting I purposely simplified it (yes/no) but of course there are different levels to this.

When we here media reports on Armstrong admitting to doping, of course we are thinking "reveal all" and Armstrong admitting to his role as outlined by the USADA and the Tyler Hamilton biography. I agree with drubie and greyhoundtom that if it were to come to an admission of guilt that Lance will portray himself as the victim, perhaps it was only once or twice that he doped and even outside of the Tour de Frances (so that his claim to 7 victories isn't questioned).

On sympathy, Armstrong makes it very hard with his personality "you are either with me or against me". Even under the pressure he obviously is facing, he has always been very vocal in his attacks and questioning that character of others.

But I can speculate privately about bombshells that could be released during the interview that would make me change my mind.... these remain best in my brain.

AUbicycles wrote: But I can speculate privately about bombshells that could be released during the interview that would make me change my mind.... these remain best in my brain.

Go down in a ball of flames and take the UCI with him.

greyhoundtom wrote:

AUbicycles wrote: But I can speculate privately about bombshells that could be released during the interview that would make me change my mind.... these remain best in my brain.

Go down in a ball of flames and take the UCI with him.

Perversely, this is the only outcome that offers me any personal satisfaction

yes, it will be tearful, and he will one day compete again (fairly).

Yes, but... it will be the most self-serving and heavily spun confession that would be humanly possible to make.