During part one of Lance Armstrong’s interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday night, the disgraced cyclist admitted right from the start to doping, although the remainder of the interview left some viewers wanting more detail – something he may give when the second part of his interview airs tonight on the Oprah Winfrey Network at 9 p.m. EST.
"We're left wanting more. We have to know more about the system," Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme told The Associated Press. "He couldn't have done it alone. We have to know who in his entourage helped him to do this."
During the 90-minute interview with Winfrey last night, Armstrong admitted he started doping in the mid-90s, using banned substances that included the blood booster EPO, testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone. He also admitted to blood doping and transfusions, all of which he said helped him win his seven Tour de France titles, which he was later stripped of after a U.S. anti-doping agency released a scathing report that characterized him as a “ruthless competitor who was willing to go to any lengths to win the prestigious race”.
While Armstrong confessed his failings openly to Oprah, he seemed careful not to project his faults onto others.
"I don't want to accuse anybody," he said.
While some viewers may have found such response acceptable, it appeared to only further incite others who felt Armstrong wasn’t forthcoming enough.
"He didn't name names," World Anti-Doping Agency President John Fahey told The Associated Press in Australia. "He didn't say who supplied him, what officials were involved."
Others expressed concern that they can’t believe anything Armstrong says, including retired cyclist Christophe Bassons.
"There's always a portion of lies in what he says, in my opinion," Bassons said. "He stayed the way I thought he would – cold, hard. He didn't let any sentiment show, even when he spoke of regrets. Well, that's Lance Armstrong. He's not totally honest even in his so-called confession. I think he admits some of it to avoid saying the rest."
Pierre Bordry, the head of the French Anti-Doping Agency from 2005 through 2010, said there was nothing to guarantee that Armstrong isn't still lying and protecting others.
"He's going in the right direction, but with really small steps," Bordry said. "He needs to bring his testimony about the environment and the people who helped him. He should do it before an independent commission or before USADA and that would no doubt help the future of cycling."
Meanwhile, some found closure after watching part one of Armstrong’s interview with Winfrey, such as Hein Verbruggen, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), which has been accused of protecting Armstrong and covering up positive tests – something Armstrong denied to Winfrey last night.
"I am pleased that after years of accusations being made against me, the conspiracy theories have been shown to be nothing more than that," said Verbruggen. "I have no doubt that the peddlers of such accusations and conspiracies will be disappointed by this outcome."
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