August 24, 2012: The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency slaps a lifetime ban on cycling great Lance Armstrong the day after he announces he’s giving up his fight against charges of illegal doping. The USADA also stripped Armstrong of all his titles since 1998, including his record seven straight championships in the Tour de France from 1999-2005. Armstrong still maintained his innocence, as he had for more than a decade while facing multiple investigations and public accusations, and he challenged the USADA’s authority to vacate his titles.
The agency presented overwhelming evidence that Armstrong had used blood transfusions, EPO (erythropoietin, to make more red blood cells) and testosterone. The most damning of the revelations was that Armstrong had pressured teammates to dope as well and was the ringleader of the operation. It didn’t help that his team, U.S. Postal Service, was essentially supported by American taxpayers.
It was five months later that Armstrong sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey and admitted that he had used performance-enhancing drugs during all of his victories. He conceded that it would be impossible to put together his Tour de France streak without them, claiming that cycling was saturated with banned substances. Probably Armstrong’s most cringeworthy take during the Oprah interview: “It didn’t feel like cheating.”
It was a stunning transition from sympathetic figure to villain for Armstrong. He had been diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer in 1996 and had the world rooting for him as he came back to win his first Tour de France less than three years later. In 1997, he formed the Lance Armstrong Foundation, later rebranded as Livestrong, primarily to fund cancer research. After his ban from cycling, Armstrong stepped down as chairman of Livestrong, and the charity cut all ties with him.
Armstrong basically suffered financial ruin after the doping admission, but he has rebuilt his fortune since through venture capital and podcasting. He was able to pay numerous lawsuits (including a $5 million settlement to the U.S. government) through the windfall from the early investment he made in Uber. And after the bitter split with the sport, Armstrong has now reconciled with cycling and hosts a popular podcast focused on it. But the public remains deeply divided on his reputation and legacy.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
