Oprah.com to live-stream interview with Lance Armstrong

Last week speculation started to mount that Lance Armstrong would admit to doping so he could re-start competing in triathlons. A doping admission would be a high-risk strategy for Armstrong as it could expose the Texan to a number of legal suits. While the speculation was damped down by the end of the weekend it has started up again thanks to the news that Armstrong is to be appear on the Oprah Winfrey show, a programme sometimes used as a reveal-all platform for celebs.

A press statement from Winfrey’s production company said this will be Armstrong’s "first no-holds-barred interview." It’s not yet clear what Armstrong will or will not admit to but the Winfrey press release said he would "address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating, and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career."

The 90-minute episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter will air in the US on Thursday, January 17 and will be simultaneously streamed worldwide on Oprah.com.

From the press statement it appears the interview has already been recorded.

"In the interview, Winfrey speaks with Armstrong at his home in Austin, Texas in the only interview since the seven-time Tour de France winner was stripped of his titles and dropped from millions of dollars in endorsement deals after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released an extensive report accusing the renown cyclist of doping throughout his career."

Stand-up comic Mark Thomas said:

"Looking forward to Lance Armstrong facing Oprah in much the same way I would look forward to the Teletubbies investigating phone hacking."

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Image: Flickr