Lance Armstrong on Oprah: Confessions of a drug cheat

Two sources close to the taping of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Lance Armstrong have apparently told every media source in the western world (and some others) that Lance Armstrong admitted to the talk show queen he took performance enhancing drugs. So what?

• UPDATE: Does it even matter? Read EFTM’s analysis of the Lance Armstrong drugs saga.

It may not be as stupid question as it first sounds. News sources went into overdrive explaining the ramifications of the alleged admittance of guilt in amazing detail. For a cycling enthusiast or sports nut it must have been like winning gold.

For everyone else who has a mild interest it likely would have been painful reading that ended at paragraph one. So here is the gist, as quick as we can say it.

If Lance Armstrong indeed did admit to Oprah Winfrey he took performance enhancing drugs, the following is likely to happen next:

Armstrong will likely now testify against a hell of a lot of very powerful people allegedly involved in the drug ring to try to get his lifetime ban overturned so he can compete in triathlons and other events he still enjoys.

The people Armstrong will testify against include officials from the International Cycling Union. He won’t however, be testifying against other cyclists.

There is a federal whistle blower case also to be taken care of. That was started by Armstong’s ex-team mate in the US Postal Services team back in 2010. Armstong would likely testify in that as well. It could include Armstrong pointing fingers at some of the team’s owners.

Armstrong and his agent, Bill Stapleton, may also address paying back many of his sponsors. He gained millions in sponsorship dollars and left a hell of a lot of brands unhappy. The US Postal Service spent $US30 million alone in sponsorship.

What happens after all that is anyone’s guess.

The interview with Oprah Winfrey will air Thursday in the US, and will be streamed live on Friday, January 18 at 1pm (AEDT) across all six Discovery Networks Channels on Foxtel.

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