The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency is scheduled to appear Sunday on “60 Minutes” where he’ll say that Lance Armstrong didn’t tell Oprah Winfrey the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in the “no holds barred” interview a couple of weeks ago.
Travis Tygart tells the CBS news show that Armstrong did dope when he returned to cycling in 2009, according to a transcript at Sporting News.
“Just contrary to the evidence. … His blood tests in 2009, 2010—expert reports based on the variation of his blood values—from those tests, one to a million chance that it was due to something other than doping.”
When I watched and read the transcripts of the Winfrey interview, it was clear the Armstrong was trying to establish a difference between his winning career in the Tour de France and his return to cycling. He admitted to doping in the earlier period that came to an end in 2005, but not in the later period.
He even told a story about how he promised his ex-wife, Kristin, that he wouldn’t take performance-enhancing drugs if he returned to cycling.
[Update: In the “60 Minutes” interview, Tygart explained:
“There’s a five-year statute on a fraud criminal charge. So the five years today would have been expired. However, if the last point of his doping as we alleged and proved in our reasoned decision was in 2010, then the statute has not yet expired and he potentially could be charged with a criminal violation for conspiracy to defraud.”]
Apparently, Tygart also is surprised that Armstrong told Winfrey had to look up the definition of “cheating” in the dictionary.
“60 Minutes” airs at 7 p.m. (ET and PT) on Sunday on CBS.
Meanwhile, Tygart has sent a letter to Armstrong that the agency could possibly reduce his lifetime ban from competitive sports if he agrees to cooperate with USADA’s investigation by Feb. 6.
Armstrong told Winfrey that he really wants to return to competitive sports.
Armstrong’s attorney, however, says essentially that Armstrong already has a full schedule. Anyway, attorney Tim Herman responded, “in order to achieve the goal of ‘cleaning up cycling’, it must be WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and the ICU (International Cycling Union) who have overall authority to do so.”
You may recall how little effort these two agencies put into investigating Armstrong in the first place.
Armstrong has made one good choice recently, however. He declined an invitation to appear on “Dancing with the Stars.”
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