The court of public opinion weighed in decidedly against Lance Armstrong, even before the broadcast of an interview in which he is said to acknowledge using performance-enhancing drugs after years of denials.
“This guy is a loser and a liar!!” Melinda Morgan said. “He is not sorry for what he did, he is sorry that he got caught!!”
Margaret Midkiff said there’s no hope of Armstrong reviving his career. “He’s lied to folks way too long.”
For more than a decade, Armstrong has denied he used performance-enhancing drugs, but he was linked to a doping scandal by nearly a dozen other former cyclists who have admitted to doping.
But Oprah Winfrey appeared to confirm Tuesday on “CBS This Morning” that Armstrong acknowledges having used performance-enhancing drugs in the interview which will air across two nights.
After CBS, like other media, reported that Armstrong admitted using banned substances, Winfrey said she was surprised to see that not long after the interview, news of what he said had “already been confirmed.”
Winfrey did not describe Armstrong’s statements in detail, and has not released clips or quotes.
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
After denying the allegations for years, cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. As a result, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and an Olympic bronze medal. Click through the gallery for a look at his life and career.
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Lucas Jackson/Reuters/Landov/File
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong, 17, competes in the Jeep Triathlon Grand Prix in 1988. He became a professional triathlete at age 16 and joined the U.S. National Cycling Team two years later.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong wins the 18th stage of the Tour de France in 1995. He finished the race for the first time that year, ending in 36th place.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong rides at the Ikon Ride for the Roses to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation in May 1998. He established the foundation to benefit cancer research after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. After treatment, he was declared cancer-free in February 1997.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong leads his teammates during the final stage of the 1999 Tour de France.
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Allsport/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong takes his honor lap on the Champs-Élysées in Paris after winning the Tour de France for the first time in 1999.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
After winning the 2000 Tour de France, Armstrong holds his son Luke on his shoulders.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong rides during the 18th stage of the 2001 Tour de France. He won the tour that year for the third consecutive time.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong celebrates winning the 10th stage of the Tour de France in 2001.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
After winning the 2001 Tour de France, Armstrong presents President George W. Bush with a U.S. Postal Service yellow jersey and a replica of the bike he used to win the race.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong celebrates on the podium after winning the Tour de France by 61 seconds in 2003.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Jay Leno interviews Armstrong on "The Tonight Show" in 2003.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
After his sixth consecutive Tour de France win, Armstrong attends a celebration in his honor in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong arrives at the 2005 American Music Awards in Los Angeles with then-fiancee Sheryl Crow. The couple never made it down the aisle, splitting up the following year.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong holds up a paper displaying the number seven at the start of the Tour de France in 2005. He went on to win his seventh consecutive Tour de France.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong testifies during a Senate hearing in 2008 on Capitol Hill. The hearing focused on finding a cure for cancer in the 21st century.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
In 2009, Armstrong suffered a broken collarbone after falling during a race in Spain.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Young Armstrong fans write messages on the ground ahead of the 2009 Tour de France. He came in third place that year.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong launches the three-day Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. The event was organized by his foundation.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
In May 2010, Armstrong crashes during the Amgen Tour of California. That same day, he denied allegations of doping made by former teammate Floyd Landis.
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Courtesy Teresa DeLeon
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong looks back as he rides during the 2010 Tour de France.
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LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong's son Luke; his twin daughters, Isabelle and Grace; and his 1-year-old son, Max, stand outside the Radio Shack team bus on a rest day during the 2010 Tour de France.
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Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong finished 23rd in the 2010 Tour de France. He announced his retirement from the world of professional cycling in February 2011. He said he wanted to devote more time to his family and the fight against cancer.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
The frame of Armstrong's bike is engraved with the names of his four children at the time and the Spanish word for five, "cinco." His fifth child, Olivia, was born in October 2010.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong competes in the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Panama City, Florida, in February 2012. He went on to claim two Half Ironman triathlon titles by June of that year.
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Xinhua/Landov
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
Armstrong addresses participants at the Livestrong Challenge Ride on October 21, 2012, days after he stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer charity.
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Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
International Cycling Union President Pat McQuaid announces the decision to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France wins and ban him from the tournament for life on October 22, 2012. "Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," he said.
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FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Lance Armstrong's rise and fall
Lance Armstrong's rise and fall —
In January 2013, Armstrong speaks with Oprah Winfrey about the controversy surrounding his cycling career. He admitted, unequivocally and for the first time, that he used performance-enhancing drugs while competing.
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George Burns/Oprah Winfrey Network/Getty Images
She said the former cyclist was forthcoming in an exhausting and intense interview taped in Armstrong’s hometown of Austin, Texas.
“We were mesmerized and riveted by some of his answers,” she said, adding that “he did not come clean in the manner that I expected.” She didn’t elaborate.
Some media outlets have reported that Armstrong has been strongly considering the possibility of a confession, possibly as a way to stem the tide of fleeing sponsors and as part of a long-term comeback plan.
Cycling fan and CNN iReporter Beverlee Ring said she has “mixed feelings” about the Winfrey interview.
He should apologize and do whatever it takes to begin the healing,” she said. “Now is when the real work begins for Lance.”
But Gretta Michellé said it’s too late for redemption.
“He had the opportunity to be honest from the beginning and he should have,” she posted on the Facebook page. “Winning was more important.”
Armstrong’s admission is a sharp about-face after more than a decade of vehemently denying he cheated en route to winning a record seven Tour de France titles. Cycling’s international governing body, the UCI, stripped the titles from Armstrong following a report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that found widespread evidence of Armstrong’s involvement in a sophisticated doping program.
The interview will air over two nights, beginning at 9 p.m. ET Thursday on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Winfrey has promised a “no-holds-barred” interview, with no conditions and no payment made to Armstrong.
“I hope the ratings are (a) record low on that show,” Matthew Black said in a Facebook comment.
Winfrey declined to characterize Armstrong’s statements, saying she preferred that viewers make up their own minds. She said the interview was at times emotional and surprisingly intense.
“I would say that he met the moment,” she said.
Word that Armstrong may have allowed some emotion to show through didn’t seem to soften many critics.
“Go ahead and cry, Lance … it won’t help you one bit,” Lori Polacek said. You “blew it a long time ago!”
Cancer charity: The trump card?
Some were willing to cut Armstrong a break because of his long-running cancer charity: the Livestrong Foundation.
“Who cares?” said Pedro Murillo. “He raised so much for cancer research, that’s more important (than) if he doped for some races.”
David Flowe said he doesn’t care if Armstrong was involved in doping or if he even confesses to it.
“The man is an inspiration for those battling cancer,” he said. “Quit being so judgmental of others especially someone who has done so much good for the world!”
Armstrong, 41, has been an icon for his cycling feats and celebrity, bringing more status to a sport wildly popular in some nations but lacking big-name recognition, big money and mass appeal in the United States.
He fought back from testicular cancer to win the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005. He raised millions via his Lance Armstrong Foundation to help cancer victims and survivors, an effort illustrated by trendy yellow “LiveSTRONG” wristbands that helped bring in the money.
Before the interview with Winfrey, the disgraced cycling legend apologized to the staff of his cancer charity, a publicist for Livestrong Foundation said.
Armstrong was tearful during the 15-minute meeting and didn’t address the issue of steroid use in cycling, Rae Bazzarre, director of communications for the foundation, said.
Bazzarre added that Armstrong offered to the staff a “sincere and heartfelt apology for the stress they’ve endured because of him.”
He urged them to keep working hard to help cancer survivors and their families.
The USADA hit Armstrong with a lifetime ban after the agency issued a 202-page report in October that said there was overwhelming evidence he was directly involved in a sophisticated doping program.
The report detailed Armstrong’s alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions. The USADA said it had tested Armstrong fewer than 60 times and the International Cycling Union conducted about 215 tests.
“Show one failed test, just one,” Ron Berg said, challenging the wave of public opinion against Armstrong. “You can’t, because he passed them all. … They hate him for his success and tried to fail him, they could not.”
The agency did not say that Armstrong ever failed a test, but his former teammates testified as to how they beat tests or avoided them altogether.
