Saying his "mythic, perfect story" was "one big lie," Lance Armstrong
admitted that he used banned drugs or blood transfusions during most of
his famed cycling career, including all seven of his victories in the
Tour de France.
"I will spend the rest of my life trying to earn
back trust and apologize to people," Armstrong told talk-show host Oprah
Winfrey in an interview that aired Thursday night.
Armstrong, 41, said he started taking performance-enhancing drugs in
the mid-1990s and that his "cocktail" of choice was banned testosterone,
EPO and blood transfusions using his own boosted blood.
He
disputed that he doped during his comeback in 2009 and 2010, saying the
last time he "crossed the line" with banned substances was in 2005, his
last victory in the Tour de France.
After denying doping allegations for several years, Armstrong said he
failed to tell the truth because he got swept up in the "momentum" of
his own legend. He was the cancer survivor turned superhero, the squeaky
clean rider waving the American flag in victory.
"It just gets going and I lost myself in all that," Armstrong said.
He also said he didn't think he could compete if he didn't turn to
doping because doping was so pervasive in cycling. "I didn't invent the
culture, but I didn't try to stop the culture," Armstrong said.
The
90-minute broadcast was taped Monday in Austin, Texas, Armstrong's
hometown. A second portion of the interview will air Friday night.
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