Public takes its shots at Armstrong after reported admission to Oprah - CNN

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• Despite his reported admission, the time for redemption has passed, one person says
• Winning was more important than telling the truth, another says
• Armstrong apologizes to cancer foundation workers for their stress
• The interview will air at 9 p.m. ET Thursday on the Oprah Winfrey Network

(CNN) -- The court of public opinion weighed in decidedly against Lance Armstrong after he reportedly admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs to push his cycling career into high gear.
ABC News, the New York Times and USA Today, citing unnamed sources, reported Monday night that the former cyclist finally admitted to using steroids during an interview he and Winfrey taped in Armstrong's hometown of Austin, Texas.
On CNN's Facebook page, the opinions were passionate and pointed.
"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!!"

Cyclist Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his seven Tour de France wins and banned from the tournament for life, the International Cycling Union announced Monday, October 22. Pictured, Armstrong addresses participants at The Livestrong Challenge Ride on Sunday. He stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer charity on Wednesday, October 17.

Armstrong leads his teammates during the final stage of the 1999 Tour de France.

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.

In 1995, Armstrong wins the 18th stage of the Tour de France. He finished 36th overall and finished the race for the first time that year.

Armstrong rides for charity in May 1998 at the Ikon Ride for the Roses to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation. He established the foundation to benefit cancer research after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. After treatment, he was declared cancer-free in February 1997.

Armstrong takes his honor lap on the Champs-Élysées in Paris after winning the Tour de France for the first time in 1999.

After winning the 2000 Tour de France, Armstrong holds his son Luke on his shoulders.

Armstrong rides during the 18th stage of the 2001 Tour de France. He won the tour that year for the third consecutive time.

Armstrong celebrates winning the 10th stage of the Tour de France in 2001.

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.

Armstrong celebrates on the podium after winning the Tour de France by 61 seconds in 2003. It was his fifth consecutive win.

Jay Leno interviews Armstrong on "The Tonight Show" in 2003.

After his six consecutive Tour de France win in 2004, Armstrong attends a celebration in his honor in front of the Texas State Capitol in Austin.

Armstrong arrives at the 2005 American Music Awards in Los Angeles with his then-fiancee Sheryl Crow. The couple never made it down the aisle, splitting up the following year.

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 victory.

As a cancer survivor, Armstrong testifies during a Senate hearing in 2008 on Capitol Hill. The hearing focused on finding a cure for cancer in the 21st century.

In 2009, Armstrong suffers a broken collarbone after falling during a race in Spain along with more than a dozen other riders.

Young Armstrong fans write messages on the ground using yellow chalk ahead of the 2009 Tour de France. He came in third place that year.

Armstrong launches the three-day Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. The event was organized by his foundation.

In May 2010, Armstrong crashes during the Amgen Tour of California and is taken to the hospital. That same day, he denied allegations of doping made by former teammate Floyd Landis.

Ahead of what he said would be his last Tour de France, Armstrong gears up for the start of the race in 2010.

Lance Armstrong looks back as he rides in a breakaway during the 2010 Tour de France.

Armstrong finishes 23rd in the 2010 Tour de France. He announced his retirement from the world of professional cycling in February 2011. He said he wants to devote more time to his family and the fight against cancer.

Armstrong's son Luke; twin daughters, Isabelle and Grace; and 1-year-old son, Max, stand outside the Radioshack team bus on a rest day during the 2010 Tour de France.

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.

In February 2012, Armstrong competes in the 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Panama City. He went on to claim two Half Ironman triathlon titles by June. He got back into the sport after retiring from professional cycling.


Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
Lance Armstrong over the years
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Photos: Lance Armstrong over the years

Armstrong could face more legal trouble

Armstrong may have to pay back bonuses

Piers: Armstrong a 'disgraceful fraud'
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.
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.
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."
Sources: Armstrong says he used steroids
Armstrong's reported 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. which were later stripped away by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
The interview will air 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.
Read more: Oprah interview with Lance Armstrong airs January 17
"I hope the ratings are (a) record low on that show," said Matthew Black in a Facebook comment.
A source familiar with the interview told CNN that Armstrong was emotional at times during Monday night's session, but the development seemed to spur little sympathy.
"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 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 his 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.
Banned for life
The USADA hit Armstrong with a lifetime ban after the agency' issued a 202-page report in October, which 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 less 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 the tests altogether.
Kurtz: Can even Oprah save Lance Armstrong?
Would a Lance Armstrong confession sway your opinion of him? Share your comments below.
CNN's Steve Almasy contributed to this report.