Once thought of as possibly the greatest cyclist of all time, that narrative has since come crashing down on Lance Armstrong. After Armstrong went on record admitting that he cheated using performance-enhancing drugs for the majority of his career, any thought of him surpassing the great Greg LeMond went out the window. Part two of the two-part docuseries will air on ESPN on Sunday, May 31st. It is unclear whether we will come out of this series with or without even more questions.
ESPN has been on a roll lately releasing documentaries on iconic sports figures during this time of COVID-19. We wouldn’t expect the same portrayal of a hero and icon that Michael Jordan just got finished receiving in The Last Dance, though. Here is what Lance Armstrong has finally revealed recently.
13 He First Cheated At Age 21
Armstrong recently revealed that he was at the ripe age of 21-years-old when he began using performance-enhancing drugs. This only looks even worse than it could’ve looked now considering Armstrong’s constant denial of cheating throughout his career. He could’ve saved himself a lot of bad PR if he wasn’t such a liar.
12 Some Believe We Still Won't Get The Absolute Truth
Tyler Hamilton, a former teammate of Armstrong’s in particular has come out claiming that even this docuseries probably won’t shed light on everything that has happened. Hamilton has gone on record mentioning that he “doesn’t think we’ve seen enough of the past from him or from a lot of individuals.”
11 He Still Has No Love Lost For The Media
Armstrong is still trying to control his narrative, which is nearly impossible for someone who hasn’t admitted to cheating in professional sports in today’s world of the media. He has been adamant in his stance on the media as he has also remained rather unsympathetic and shown little to no remorse for his conduct.
10 Important Characters In The Documentary
Among the individuals to look out for in the docuseries, ESPN outlined a few important names to look out for while watching. They mentioned his former teammates Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton and the former soigneur for the USPS team Emma O’Reilly who was allegedly one of the first whistleblowers on the situation.
9 Driven For That Second Chance
Even despite his lies and now admittance to what he has done to taint his career, Armstrong is still set on his second chance that he feels is coming. It is up in the air whether the world will even give him this opportunity after everything that has transpired. Why would they?
8 The Inside Of His Aspen Mansion
Before Armstrong was stripped of his titles, he bought a property that most would dream to call their own in Aspen. Being a fixture in the West End neighborhood, the home is traditionally limited to just two stories but registers at 5,800 square-feet. The home contains five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms.
7 The Real Reasons Behind His Divorce With Kristin Richard
Most of the noise surrounding this divorce was a lot louder than it needed to be. The simple answer to the question regarding why they got divorced was just because things as a whole were not working out anymore for the couple according to Kristen. She felt she was losing her sense of independence.
6 Some Of His Friends Are Trying To Promote How He's Changed
According to Armstrong himself and some of his friends, he is a different man from many years ago. One of the more powerful statements behind this sense of change in Armstrong was the fact that he hadn’t been told no by anyone in over 20 years. We’re not buying it yet, but we also won’t rule out the possibility.
5 He Once Faced A $100 Million Lawsuit From the U.S. Government
Being stripped of his illustrious Tour De France titles was far from the only severe punishment that Armstrong was faced with during the fallout of his career. In 2013, after his confession, he was sued by the government for a $100 million civil fraud action case. Armstrong agreed t pay his settlement in the case.
4 His Stepfather Speaks Out
Since the first episode of the docuseries has aired documenting Armstrong’s upbringing, his step-father Terry Armstrong has now gone on record defending how he used to ‘beat the **** out of him with a paddle.’ He also said he drove him like an animal to get him to the level he needed to be at. There have to be other ways, right?
3 Rivalry With Jan Ullrich
Armstrong has a big place in his heart for his rivalry with Jan Ullrich. Armstrong can be seen breaking down in tears when discussing his relationship with Ullrich and called him “the most important person in my life.” Armstrong further went on to state that he wouldn’t have gotten to where he is today (whether in good light or not) without Ullrich.
2 Exercising Before Interviews For The Docuseries
The director of the docuseries told the media recently that to get at least a half-decent interview out of Armstrong daily, he needed to exercise beforehand. He claimed that it has been the only way to get him to open up. Some athletes just have it in their blood...
1 Deep Down He Remains A Homebody
Armstrong recently paid homage to his hometown of Austin Texas as well. He credited it to playing a ‘huge role’ in his career and life as he felt he could be himself freely without worry there. It did not matter if he didn’t belong or not, he just always felt at home there.
Sources: NY Daily News, The New York Times