On Tuesday, one day after she interviewed him, Oprah Winfrey confirmed that Lance Armstrong came clean to hear, confessing that he had used performance enhancing drugs during his cycling career. Winfrey was appearing on the Jan. 15 "CBS This Morning."
Oprah's appearance was two days before the broadcast of the first part of her interview, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the OWN network. Originally scheduled for Thursday only, due to the length of the interview, it will be broadcast on Jan. 17 from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET/PT -- as originally scheduled -- and Friday, Jan. 18, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The interview will be simultaneously streamed worldwide both nights on Oprah.com.
Speaking on "CBS This Morning," (video embedded), Winfrey said:
I would say he did not come clean in the manner I expected. It was surprising.
Despite that, though, Winfrey said that she came into the interview fully prepared, and had 112 questions ready for Armstrong. She also indicated that she asked most of them during the 2 1/2 hour interview, and that his responses indicted that "he was ready" for all the questions that cycling fans had wanted answered for years.
Armstrong has been accused for years of doping, including by some former teammates. In response, the 41-year-old both vehemently denied the charges for years, and demanded critics prove their charges. Now, however, with evidence and even public opinion stacked against him, he has changed course.
It's unclear why, though it is rumored he has been pressured to come clean by backers of the Livestrong Foundation, which he founded after successfully battling cancer. It's also rumored that he wants to compete in non-cyling events, such as triathlons.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) issued a statement on Tuesday stating that it was aware of Armstrong's Winfrey interview and said "if these reports (of his confession) are true":
We would strongly urge Lance Armstrong to testify to the independent commission established to investigate the allegations made against the UCI.
In October, shortly after the USADA issued a damning report on Armstrong and banned him for life, the UCI stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles and also banned him.
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