Seven-time Tour winner to appear on US talk show Friday
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Shades of Paris 2005. Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) addresses the crowd.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
“I don’t think we’re in France anymore Toto.” Lance Armstrong reminds himself of the disparities between road and mountain competition (Image credit: Trent Bona Photography)
Super domestique Lance Armstrong prior to the start.(Image credit: Mark Gunter)
Cadel Evans (BMC) chats with 7-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) on the start line.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
RadioShack's Lance Armstrong was again at the pointy end of the race today.(Image credit: Jon Devich)
Following his interview with Men's Journal, Lance Armstrong will also appear on a US talk show, hosted by the California lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom, saying he's "done" answering questions regarding his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs.
When the Gavin Newsom Show debuts on Friday (local time) Armstrong will appear in a pre-recorded interview where, according to Associated Press, the seven-time Tour de France winner says:
"This has been a (13)-year question... Blood, urine, hair, whatever they wanted to take. At some point, somebody's going to have to answer that question. I'm not wasting any more of my time."
Last week, following his printed interview with Men's Journal, former teammate Floyd Landis told Cyclingnews that the interview is the nearest Armstrong has come to an admission of guilt. Armstrong has always denied the use of performance enhancing drugs. In the past he has fought several legal battles to clear his name, and when allegation from former teammates washed up in 2010 and again in 2011 he brushed them off.
For Landis, who admitted to the use of performance enhancing drugs and who accused Armstrong and several US Postal teammates of organised doping, the interview spoke volumes of the American's position and possible stance should USADA decide to bring any doping violation charges.
"It's always difficult when he's called me and Tyler Hamilton liars. The fact is there are a lot more liars out there, they've just not admitted it.. He can keep trying to spin it however he wants but at the end of the day he's no better than anyone else and one of these days he's going to have to accept it," Landis told Cyclingnews.
Twelve months ago, Hamilton fronted the 60 Minutes program alleging he witnessed Armstrong receiving a blood transfusion during the 2000 Tour and inject EPO during the 1999 Tour and before the 2000 and 2001 Tours.
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"I saw him inject it more than one time like we all did, like I did many, many times," Hamilton said. "He was the leader of the team. He doped himself like everybody else, being part of the culture of the sport."
When asked by 60 Minutes reporter Scott Pelley about Armstrong's repeated statement that he'd never tested positive, Hamilton stated, "I know he's had a positive test before...for EPO [at the] Tour of Switzerland, 2001."
Cyclingnews understands that Armstrong is under investigation by USADA, following the closure of a criminal investigation into the rider and the US Postal team, where no charges against either party were forthcoming.
Earlier this week, there were suggestions that Armstrong's former team manager, Johan Bruyneel, at US Postal, Discovery and RadioShack was served with a subpoena – something his current RadioShack-Nissan outfit refused to confirm or deny.
