Lance Armstrong May Admit to Doping During Career
Lance Armstrong, who was banned from professional cycling for doping, may admit to the public that he used performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions during his career.
Armstrong's possible admission was reported Friday by The New York Times. According to the Times, his intent in admitting to drug use is to try to "persuade antidoping officials to restore his eligibility so he can resume his athletic career."
Armstrong won a record seven Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005. His first title came just two years after he was declared cancer-free. He had been diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 and went through surgery and chemotherapy.
After a four-year hiatus, the Plano, Texas, native returned and finished third in the 2009 Tour de France. He retired in 2011 as a federal investigation on doping allegations was underway.
Armstrong has long denied doping allegations.
Last summer, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency charged Armstrong with having used illicit performance-enhancing drugs and banned for life from competition.
While his lawyer, Tim Herman, told the Times that the cyclist was not currently considering confessing to antidoping officials, "people familiar with the situation" said the 41-year-old "was in fact moving toward confessing."
