13 February 2013 / by Radmila Gurkova

Armstrong Confesses...

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juVzHD7NEgk

Lance Armstrong has ended years of denials by admitting he used PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins.

The 41-year-old confessed during his interview with Oprah Winfrey in front of a worldwide television audience. 

''I view this situation as one big lie I repeated a lot of times,'' he said. ''I made those decisions, they were my mistake and I'm here to say sorry.''

However the American denied it was ''sport's biggest doping programme'', saying ''it was SMART, but it was conservative, risk AVERSE''.

The interview with Winfrey was shown on her own network in America, and was STREAMED worldwide through her website.

Last year Armstrong was STRIPPED of all his Tour de France titles and banned for life, he decided last year not to CONTEST the charges of drugs.

Asked if doping was one of the things needed to win the Tour, he said: ''That's like saying we have to have air in our tyres or water in our bottles. It was part of the job.''
During the interview Armstrong said he didn’t see himself as a cheat as everyone was taking drugs, it was the same for everyone. Armstrong wasn’t afraid of getting caught, they wouldn’t come to your house and test you.

Armstrong said he would now CO-OPERATE with Usada (United States Anti-Doping Agency). . ''I love cycling, and I say that knowing that people see me as someone who disrespected the sport, the colour yellow,'' he said. 

-What do you think about Armstrong now?
-Is it right that Armstrong is banned for life? Why?
-Do you think the best place to confess was on Oprah Winfrey's show? Why?
-Do you trust cycling less now?
-Do you think all sports have a problem with drugs?
-How can authorities stop individuals taking PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING drugs?

15

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