"Time to Lance The Boil of Doping?"
The Livestrong Legend of Lance Armstrong will be tested
"The most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen." This is how Travis Tygart, USADA chief executive, labelled the doping regimen allegedly carried out by the US Postal Service/Discovery team that Armstrong once led.
Given the years of denial the interview will be incredible. Have a look at The Telegraph montage.
By now Lance Armstrong has given his exclusive, “no holds barred” “no questions off-limits” 90 minute interview to Oprah Winfrey, due to be broadcast on Winfrey's OWN network and live-streamed online from 21:00 EST on Thursday 17 January (02:00 GMT on Friday in the UK) Jan 18.
“No holds barred” Really?!!!!
In a text to the AP on Saturday, Armstrong said: "I told her (Winfrey) to go wherever she wants and I'll answer the questions directly, honestly and candidly. That's all I can say."
After recording the interview on Monday, Winfrey tweeted: "Just wrapped with @lancearmstrong. More than 2 1/2 hours . He came READY!"
Surely not?! Rehearsed?! Shocked! I don’t think that his lawyer, Tim Herman, would have allowed his client to have a comfy sofa chat with Oprah in his home in Austin, Texas given that Armstrong has a decade of libel cases and is currently being sued by The Sunday Times, SCA Promotions, and potentially the US Department of Justice, donors to Livestrong Foundation, and the Tour de France. Given that he has lost his sponsors Nike, Trek and Budweiser he is down to date by about £13m.
He could also face perjury charges if he openly confesses to using performance-enhancing drugs, because he made sworn testimony in a 2005 court case that he had never done so. Someone turn the fan on and get the tissues out. This will be a weepy, heartfelt confession of pain and anguish, of “everyone else was doing it, we were just better”.
So why give the interview? Rumours of him wanting to run for governor of Texas
What is certain is that his commercial and brand worth is zero and this is an opportunity to be selective with the truth, tell a fantastic story, and re-build brand Armstrong. Typically called a “re-launch”.
Everyone else does it nowadays so why not?
However it is tough to do when you start with a level of arrogance seen in his tweet of 10 Nov 2012: “Back in Austin
When you examine the litany of accusations in the USADA report below, what is evident is that Armstrong is hugely mentally and physically driven, a fighter, a cunning manipulator, strategic and a maverick. There is no doubt he has been well rehearsed and that his questions will have been agreed and prepped in advance…we live in a PR driven, rehearsed, social media and celebrity brand age.
Armstrong USADA report key claims
Achievements of USPS/Discovery Channel pro cycling accomplished through the most sophisticated, professional and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen
Armstrong's career at the team was fuelled from start to finish by doping
More than a dozen former team-mates, friends and former team employees confirm a fraudulent course of conduct
Armstrong acted with the help of a small army of enablers, including doping doctors, drug smugglers and others within and outside the sport and his team
He had ultimate control over not only his own personal drug use but over the doping culture of the team
Team staff were good at predicting when testers would turn up and seemed to have inside information
Evidence is beyond strong and as strong as any case ever brought by Usada
Evidence is beyond strong and as strong as any case ever brought by Usada
USADA's key claims accompany allegations of bribery by Armstrong offering the USADA a donation “In excess of £150,000.” for new doping testing equipment, also confirmed by Armstrong’s lawyer, Tim Herman; along with another £62,000 donated to the International Cycling Union - now the subject of an internal bribery investigation.
In the words of another former cycling drug cheat Matt de Canio "He (Armstrong) is basically going to do and say anything that will mean that you can still buy a candy bar with his face on it or a bicycle that he endorses."
Armstrong can and will turn his brand around….Look at Bill Clinton. Americans have a wonderful sense of forgiveness that if someone is contrite enough then let them re-build their American dream.
Personally I cannot wait for Friday 2am UK time.....it will be epic.
Look out for Lance Armstrong in 5 years time as governor of Texas
At least he gets to keep the Tour de France yellow maillot in his home museum.
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