Holy showtime Batman - Lance to admit doping?

[fatdudeonabike]

wow, that's huge news!

1pm next Friday Sydney time for the worldwide stream... and hopefully an australian network might pick it up and show it live or near live. i don't have 90 minutes to watch it during work

i expect we'll wake up on Saturday the 19th to the news that he's been arrested overnight...

[norbs]

Oh man, Lance is the gift that just keeps on giving!

[boss]

Whether or not he admits...

[roller]

[norbs]

LOL. I did one on my blog and already have had to delete to comments from those of the yellow wristband using language even too fruity for me.


http://cycling.norbtech.com/2013/01/exc ... nce-oprah/

[familyguy]

At least he'll get a car...or something. Oprah's good like that to the less fortunate.

Jim

[ColinOldnCranky]

Hmmm. THis should be full of syrupy goodness and touching and sympathetic vibes.

Oprah, if you had any sense of the greater good you would refuse Lance the opportunity to give a sanistised persona and push him towards a session with a serious journalist. Say, David Walsh.

Lance, if you had anything with which to defend yourself you would be keen to put yourself before a genuine and persistent journalist or two.

Why am I not surprised. Both dress themselves up in clothes of doing great things for the wider community and both are un-apologetic self-promoters. Though at least Oprah gives an impression of modesty.

[biker jk]

Juan Pelota still thinks he won seven TDFs.

'Armstrong recently updated his profile bio: “According to my rivals, peers, and teammates I won the Tour de France 7 times.”'

http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/01/news/armstrong-still-the-tour-champion-or-so-he-says-on-social-media_270725

[ColinOldnCranky]

Ha ha ha. http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sport/lance-armstrong-to-appear-on-oprah-winfrey-tv-show/story-fndukor0-1226550017276

LANCE Armstrong will be grilled by Oprah Winfrey in his first public interview since he was stripped of his Tour de France titles in disgrace.

I don't think the writer ahs ever watched oprah. She doesn't grill, she somewhat subtely sycophancts.

Unless she had George Foreman on. Then would would don a clean designer apron and grill something. Product placement and all that sort of stuff.

[Red Rider]

He gave sworn testimony in 2005 that he was clean, admitting to doping could lead to perjury and land him in jail. The Oprah interview sounds like a farce.

With the current evidence available, you could argue that he should face perjury charges anyway.

[biker jk]

Do you think Oprah will ask Lance about his offer to "donate" $250,000 to the USADA in 2004?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57562781/armstrong-offered-large-donation-to-doping-agency/

[ColinOldnCranky]

He gave sworn testimony in 2005 that he was clean, admitting to doping could lead to perjury and land him in jail. The Oprah interview sounds like a farce.

With the current evidence available, you could argue that he should face perjury charges anyway.

It appears that there is a statutory limitation applicable, one that is shortly to expire. If true it is a pity because that seems to be the only avenue fro getting him in front of truly inquisitorial questioning where he is unable to control or direct the conversation.

[roller]

LANCE Armstrong will be invited to enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich prepared by Oprah Winfrey in his first public interview since he was stripped of his Tour de France titles in disgrace.

fixed.

[fatdudeonabike]

Oprah, if you had any sense of the greater good you would refuse Lance the opportunity to give a sanistised persona and push him towards a session with a serious journalist. Say, David Walsh.

Because Armstrong would obviously jump at that...
Walsh is every bit as much a sycophant as Armstrong is. For gods sake, he just wrote book that, to me, looks as though its barely about Armstrong - its about himself, and how he spent 13 years being right. What a tool...

[boss]

Oprah, if you had any sense of the greater good you would refuse Lance the opportunity to give a sanistised persona and push him towards a session with a serious journalist. Say, David Walsh.

Because Armstrong would obviously jump at that...
Walsh is every bit as much a sycophant as Armstrong is. For gods sake, he just wrote book that, to me, looks as though its barely about Armstrong - its about himself, and how he spent 13 years being right. What a tool...

As someone who hasn't had a microscope on cycling for the last 13 years, I actually found it quite an interesting read if not a little repetitive at times, due to the nature of reading articles that progressively get juicier as more information comes out.

Interesting perspective on how everyone in the industry ignored the obvious, really.

One of the weird things that I've never understood is how Lance has labelled dopers or ex-dopers as liars, and followed that up with 'you can't trust him because he is a liar'. The way he dealt with Floyd Landis was a perfect example - Floyd lied for money (in a book about not doping), and then after the dust settled, Floyd cleared his conscience and stated he did dope (for no personal gain). It's a really odd train of logic, and I don't know why anyone in their right mind would believe it.

[vince]

will Oprah tearfully admit to doping too? you know the whole oprah empathy thing she has going on ?

[Mulger bill]

He was right, it isn't about the bike, it's about MEEEEE!

Can I borrow a rock to help him hide under?

[AUbicycles]

Lets read between the lines on the Oprah Interview announcement. It is a Tell-All interview, but doesn't actually mean there will be an admission of guilt.

I agree that this interview could potentially be used for an admission, if some tears are shed and any failures are then forgiven by the worlds most influential talk-show host (and audience) then the gains are retaining celebrity status and profile rather than being rejected by the entertainment and media industries.

On the flip side, it could also be public relations and holding his line.

--

In related news, a BNA writer (trailgumby) has reported that a work colleague spotted Lance Armstrong in Sydney after Christmas. I guess the 2009 Tour Down Under and Lance Armstrong comeback was one of his most recent biggest publicity successes though after the USADA conviction he was no longer on the good side of the TDU race organisers... or vice versa

[zero]

One of the weird things that I've never understood is how Lance has labelled dopers or ex-dopers as liars, and followed that up with 'you can't trust him because he is a liar'. The way he dealt with Floyd Landis was a perfect example - Floyd lied for money (in a book about not doping), and then after the dust settled, Floyd cleared his conscience and stated he did dope (for no personal gain). It's a really odd train of logic, and I don't know why anyone in their right mind would believe it.

They successfully sued this story into the ground in mid 2000s, so they've always believed in attack as right strategy, and its both in Lances and his lawyers nature. They couldn't easily sue Landis because he was making his statements in America, and the libel laws are difficult to work with, so they used character assassination. Its fine anyway because what they want to do is make prosecutors uneasy about Landis as a witness, and distract the Livestrong faithful from the Lance is a cheat story to the safe and easily proven Landis is a liar story.

They could sue in the UK, and they sued the Sunday times into a settlement for running the story, but that is backfiring on them now, as the Sunday times has filed to reopen the case for return of the damage, interest and costs. One imagines it fell apart as a strategy because even Lance can't character assassinate George Hincappie, and Hincappie is reliable proof that cheats could beat the tests, and that Lances team had those cheats.

Wouldn't be suprised to find that this leak is all fundamentally distraction to PR manage the fallout of that suit (ie this strategy appears to be a response to further public bad news).

[sogood]

He gave sworn testimony in 2005 that he was clean...

When the top public official don't hold their promises, what would LA care about it?

[toolonglegs]

He isn't too worried what the cycling world thinks anymore... he is going after the bigger picture... and in USA it doesn't get any bigger than Oprah after all.
He needs to get this out of the closet so he can move on to other ambitions that I suspect have nothing to do with sport.

[grantw]

It will be a ratings winner, whatever the "grilling" reveals. Everyone will be smiling at the end, as they count their money.

[toolonglegs]

Personally I won't be watching... the round up will be enough cringe worthy for me.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Oprah, if you had any sense of the greater good you would refuse Lance the opportunity to give a sanistised persona and push him towards a session with a serious journalist. Say, David Walsh.

Because Armstrong would obviously jump at that...
Walsh is every bit as much a sycophant as Armstrong is. For gods sake, he just wrote book that, to me, looks as though its barely about Armstrong - its about himself, and how he spent 13 years being right. What a tool...

I have just finished the book this arvo. It IS about the chase. And so, yes, it is a lot about Walsh. It has been his largely under-attack life for thirteen years and at great cost to him, perpetually on the losing side and cast out with the leppers. What do you expect?

The stuff you may be looking for can be found in the Reasoned Decision. Or perhaps LA Confidential.

Get used to it though - there will be plenty of books and articles written from a wide range of contexts covering emphasising a whole universe of purposes, targets and whatever else.

[fatdudeonabike]

I really liked Tyler Hamilton's account of it - when the drama went down last year I wondered if I'd be able to enjoy the TDF this year. After reading Hamilton's book, I have a lot more faith that that cycling is as clean as it will ever get.
With that said, Contador is far from a clean skin, we have pretty good reason to suspect the Schlecks, and if Wiggins wasnt an anglo, we'd be wondering how the hell he got so good so quickly.

For the record, Sportsbet have opened a market!
"Will Lance admit to doping?"

No - $1.67
Yes - $2.10

This is free money! 67% percent on a one week investment.
I've gotta get a Sportsbet account - I use other bookies, and always regret it cos they do awesome novelty bets.