Lance Armstrong: Next Stage (FULL INTERVIEW) | NBC Sports

[Music] if the kid comes to you and says hey I'm thinking about dipping my toe into the performance-enhancing drug world because others are I need to do it to stay with my peers otherwise my dreams gonna die which is kind of where you were yeah what do you tell it's every every situation is different I don't want I don't ever want a kid to come up to me and ask me that as it has anyone know No thank God I don't think I'm the right person to ask I mean I would it obviously advised them I would ask some questions I haven't been in that position but but my advice has to be I don't think that's a good idea I don't want to be in that position and I don't want to be in that position with my kids yeah I got a I got a boy plays do you want ball right I don't think Luke Armstrong would ever even think that that's an option but as I watch sport I don't think about it I watch the Super Bowl they're big fast strong and tough I'm sure some of them got there with some help but I don't think about that some of them who've starred in the game were suspended for PE D right so but I never even I just watch the game they didn't bother you I just watched the game well that needs it bothers you a little bit no I just watch it but if Luke came to me it would bother me then all of a sudden I start to really care and the answer would of a suit Luke stay in school will be a great teammate graduate from what is essentially an Ivy League school meet as many people as you can make as many connections as you can and go on to be great you don't need this game no way at 25 Lance Armstrong was a patient faith and all my doctors were who are working and I am determined to fight this disease and I will win stage 3 testicular cancer tumors in his lungs lesions on his brain arm son is flying a three years later he went from survivor to victory in what was called at the time one of the most unbelievable comebacks in sports history for seven straight years he dominated arguably the hardest sporting event in the history in the making seven times a winner the total fog around him grew an empire that included a powerful foundation dedicated to fighting cancers one of the great human stories we believe in life your life but after years of Lies and scorched earth denials he has nothing he's got no proof it's it's his word versus ours Armstrong was exposed as a doper in 2012 son Sam strong has no place in cycling his brand imploded his legacy as a cancer survivor an activist polluted it's been an interesting couple of weeks his story became one of the most infamous in sports [Music] 1999 you won the Tour de France for the first time yeah now it's 20 years 20 years there's a lot what did that mean considering you've just gone from cancer to champion in a short period of time well I mean I think that the biggest thing is it was a surprise I think it's far as a lot of people but it surprised me too it surprised our team it surprised my family you know that I finished treatment December of 96 so I had 97 98 and then boom 99 I mean it was it was a short amount of time it didn't seem short at the time but net as I look back I was like it was an instant having fought his way free from cancer Armstrong's appetite for battle turned on his rivals and some members of the press we're not gonna find anything from the beginning his strength of the tour whose question is unfortunate that the yellow jersey of the Tour de France always has to defend drugs extraordinary accusations must be followed up with extraordinary proof you said that I am the cancer and the cancer is out of remission you are not worth the chair that you're sitting on with a statement like that I couldn't just lay down there was no difference between attacking in the mountains or attacking at the press conference it was the same mentality I couldn't turn it off and so a huge mistake I mean I'd love to we'd all love to go back in life and have a few do-overs never should have taken it on especially knowing that that most of what they said was true did you just believe your own lies do you believe your own defense that you built up around you and just got lost in that cocoon a little bit I didn't know I didn't believe it I mean I knew I knew the reality I knew the truth but it's tough to stop once you start you don't just all sudden one day go to Rico you're a big guy I think I'm just gonna be honest with you I've lied to everybody else but it's 2004 and I'll just be honest did you get close to flipping that dominate what no no twenty years ago you won your first yeah seven years ago you were stripped of all seven yep which one of those events defines who you are right now I wouldn't change a thing I wouldn't I wouldn't change the way I acted I mean I would but this is a longer answer but primarily I wouldn't change the lessons that I've learned I mean I don't learn all the lessons if I don't act that way and I don't get investigated and sanctioned if I don't act the way I acted if I just doped and didn't say a thing mm-hmm none of that would have happened none of it I mean it was I was begging for I was asking for that I was asking for them to come after me and it was an easy target but you didn't figure that out and so I didn't recently correct I didn't figure that out until it happened so it's taken years and years and years of introspective and work and therapy and and just understanding what it what it meant I mean you're asking me about what I think that 99 torment to cancer survivors it to the cancer community right you know five years ago my answer was what the hell is the problem just get over it look at what I look at all the good idea but as I said here today and it's again it's a process you can't just get over it is a big story growing up in Plano Texas Armstrong first cut his competitive teeth in triathlon a national champion in the sport at 18 he got into endurance sports for one simple reason at some point I just woke up and said I suck at every ball sport knowing a man so football baseball basketball I can't play this so we're talking 10 11 12 we were talking 12 12 years old 12 years old and my mom said okay you not to do that but you have to do something what was it about cycling that got to you the the feeling of freedom and just time to be alone to be outside to be away you know when you're 13 everybody wants to be away right you can be away from you your mom your dad your whoever and so I was out most kids just ripped down the corner and no mom can't see them and they're free exactly I was you know taking fifty mile rides and doing I was truly free the bike brought Armstrong to compete internationally as a rare American in a mostly European sport one with a long history of pervasive drug use do you remember the first time that you did a performance-enhancing drug of any type well it's just I mean yes I mean I think I do it's it's there are things here's our gateway drugs that maybe they weren't banned certainly weren't detectable or tested for but there was something the easiest way to think about if you know or you think it's gonna help you mm-hmm even if it's not detectable or banned then you've crossed the line so what are we when it went Yeah right we had to make that decision what are we tan id3 are probably 91 maybe Italians stage race and again it's hard to differentiate because I believe that we weren't given anything banned but it was funny the doctor walked in and I was in the lead of the race and I wanted to win the race and he walked in and I said give me everything in the bag and he just laughed but you know it's probably some form of cortisone or and that's the first time yeah but but the first time you take you know a legitimate banned substance 93 you were surrounded by it was there the feeling that if we didn't then we couldn't compete yeah well that's that that wasn't just a feeling that was a fact and I don't want to make excuses for myself that everybody did it or we never could have won without it those are all true but the buck stops with me I'm the one who made the decision to do what I did and it was I didn't want to go home man I was gonna stay why don't run ball I mean I went what told you earlier I don't lay down then it was the wrong decision but laying down would have been giving up going home right I went to I knew they were gonna be knives at this fight not just fists I knew they'd be knives I had knives and then one day people start showing up with guns and that's when you say - I either fly back to Plano Texas and do and not know what you're gonna do or do you walk over to the gun store and I walk to the gun store so I don't want to go home do you wish you never did it never started down this road and what it said let me go home and go figure out a way to make a life somewhere back in Plano Texas it's a it's a tough question and it's an answer that that people don't like look is that I wouldn't change a thing because I'm sitting here today so I so I wouldn't change that it was a mistake it led to a lot of other mistakes he'd led to the most colossal meltdown in the history of sports think about that what I wish would have had I wish we would have kids from Plano and Glenwood Springs Colorado and in Brooklyn and and Montana as a young Americans if we'd have gone to Europe and everybody's fighting with their fists we still win I promise you that that is absolutely unbelievable you led a lot of that group down that road that's not true no who let it know we all I mean we all I mean who let it you know then this is that there are a few things that are just not true about the story I mean there's a lot true but this idea that myself or anybody forced or mandated or encouraged anybody else to cross that line and who just isn't true not true it's not true absolutely not true that goes counter to what a lot of people have said and so how do you reconcile that that it's always coming back to you and you don't say well what about the other guys I can't fight that fight you know I you know it it I mean the reality is every man made their own decision at some point along the way you institutionalized justifying when it all cost yeah I mean we did what we had to do to win and it wasn't legal it it was not you know probably the best decision we wouldn't won had we not look and you wouldn't have gone through all this no of course not but I wouldn't change a thing I've said that three times and I'll say it again I would not change a thing [Music] [Applause] so what memory do you have when you see one of your yellow jerseys framed oh good or bad oh great great memories especially away from the races my most of my memories were my fondest memories yeah I could pick a few race highlights you know but boy I mean I can take it talk about the eight-hour day and the Pyrenees previewing huts come the pouring rain the best he still makes you feel good oh yeah even though what was the underlying reality oh oh yeah I mean look what did we say we said we work the hardest the best tactics we have the best team composition the best director best equipment best technology do more research recon the courses all the things we said we did we left out apart but we did all that stuff because now this one part is part of the story doesn't erase all that all that if you just said this one thing and did none of that you get last battle over doping allegations aimed at Lance Armstrong came to a bitter end today you see I would ban Lance Armstrong from cycling and UCI would strip him of his seven Tour de France titles in all seven Tour de France victories did you ever take banned substances or blood dope yes so 2019 we're sitting here talking it's not exactly the same thing like the Oprah interview in 2013 have you ever gone back and watched that interview no well I say no I've never watched it in its entirety we're not ready at that point to be honest with yourself you know I've been asked that question a lot like why why'd you do it then why'd you why did you do it with her why did you do it at all the reality is I knew that I was gonna get sued and I knew I was gonna get sued six ways to Sunday mm-hmm I made the decision that that was that was the place to if you don't want it leaked right which is what would happened most likely the news was - that would have been too big of a revelation they had it would have got now I was like just just do it just get it out of the way of the times you've had to go back because of legal cases and see who you were now that you've got a lot of perspective under your belt what would you like to tell that Lance Armstrong when you hit when you're forced to watch it you just want to do over and you know you don't want to watch it it's so painful and it's embarrassing how could it have taken place when I've never taken performance-enhancing drugs look how could that have happened that was my point you're not just noticeably you don't recall just how many times that they say I've just trying to make sure your testimony is clear well if it can't be any clearer that I've never taken drugs then incidents like that could never happen okay how clear is that my answers in the sca deposition smug arrogant dishonest I always think about my kids when I see those answers man oh it's embarrassing embarrassing in some situations Armstrong was uniquely inspiring in others so just to repeat this would be a big gulp defeating cancer that's right there was nothing like LIVESTRONG it was powerful it was grassroots it was national it connected to people had made a difference in the fight for people people we all knew right and your association with it has ended yep does that leave you frustrated what didn't feel good I mean LIVESTRONG was a force and we affected great change we raised half a billion dollars we saved millions of people's lives I don't think it was the right decision I think what could they have done there's a lot you could have done you could have it's what everybody does you put somebody in timeout and the other thing might and this is a fact they can never they we can't separate no we can't as long as your color is yellow your name is LIVESTRONG and your work is cancer right and you raise money through bike rides you will never separate I don't care if you go to Paris Texas or Paris France and you say okay guys you're gonna play a little game I'm gonna say one word tell me what you think LIVESTRONG so if it in that just that it breaks my heart do you still get a day-to-day reaction from people oh yeah for what you did for their hopes if they're diagnosed with cancer yeah hasn't made you feel yeah well you know it never makes me feel good because you don't want to hear that somebody's dealing can't right so a large part of you is like man that sucks like that for you and everybody around you it's it's it's a nice feeling when people but the extent of my work in the cancer community today is with me and an iPhone that's it I don't go to galas I don't speak at galas I don't raise money I don't all I do is wait for the message to come in hey a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend it's just diagnosed can you shoot them a video so I'll do is grab my phone is so easy Mike you grab your phone you hit record I mean this isn't sexy TV work hey Joey heard you've been diagnosed her you know in 30 seconds sent send it straight to them mm-hmm and in the video so hey I mean obviously they have my number because I just sent it to you right you ever need my help let me know that's all I do that happen often um yeah that happens too often I think I read a story that you went into a bar in Colorado and people were giving you kind of grief yeah I didn't go in the bar but I was outside of the bar okay and then you call the manager and bought everybody in the bar around the drinks you know started out with one guy and he said hey Lance but he said it in a way where I was like I go what's up man yeah and he goes and next thing you know the whole table is like it is like a chant like a War Chant you you and so my world fell apart I thought that would happen every day so the first time but I was so like I was so mad and so shaken sure the old Lance probably would've walked over there and got in a fight right which would have been a bad idea but I was like I I can't just take this I have to do something and so my only thought was to call the manager and say hey here's my credit card everything that that group of people is having today drinks food whatever is on me but you have to tell them it's from me it still shook me sure but I couldn't just lay down I'm not a guy that lays down and that guy before was the guy that sat in the press conferences and attacked the people's credibility and denied and lied and and was adamant and and mean-spirited but I'm still the same person I've learned a lot but I'm not gonna lay down on anything whether it's that situation or whether it's raising my kids or whether it's business I'm just I'm not I don't lay down is it easier going forward now with a little piece of honesty as opposed to trying to go forward when you were in the tour and you were just plowing over everything in your way hundred percent hundred percent I mean I every time I talk whether it's a corporation or a group of college kids I tell them all the same thing I'm like I'm sitting here right now I'm gonna be brutally honest with you you may not like some of the stuff that I say but I promise you I'm not gonna lie to you and if I would have done this talk if nothing would have happened and I would have done this talk I would have light them eyeteeth to you and so I'm much happier giving this talk today how'd you get there you got you got to a place it's really yeah Mikey was a long process and I strongly believe in the power of therapy and coaching and just understanding the decisions you make how they impact obviously the ones around you most immediately but impact everybody and so man it's and there's still work to do like to sit here and say I've just graduated Mike Tirico is in my living room no this is up 40 almost 48 years old this little I'll be doing this when I'm 98 and so like I said lifelong commitment welcome back to the forward podcast I'm your host Lance Armstrong my guest this week get ready Charles Barkley do you like being on the other side of the microphone after you have sat through many of these have been grilled yeah I love it I love doing the work the research I get a bunch of help with that as well but I love I love going on the research side I love you know my guys will send me ten clips I'll just go down the rabbit hole I mean you know the drill that's what we do one of us known as Meghan notes and then you know and then I loved having that hour-long conversation and and kind of reaction do you get from people what's normally a good reaction otherwise they wouldn't take an hour out of their day to do it but I my I really believe that they would answer my questions differently than other people because they see a guy across the table they know he's been nuked when I got the DUI I had my friend I was in jail for the weekend I said I want you guys to be my ears but they feel a sense of protection there that I can almost tell this guy anything because he's been through everything mm-hmm and that part is cool what we're talking about today is the 2019 Tour de France I could imagine that there were some people say wait a minute yeah do I really want to hear from Lance Armstrong about the tour yeah after this right but what reaction have you gotten as it's grown in popularity it's become a money-making proposition now for it yeah the funny thing about the tour podcasts is that we and I hate to use this word but a lot of haters listen to the show too because they want to hear me mess something I don't know they want to have a little material whether they can they can throw some shade but which I get it's still a download it's business still yeah I count that as a download I promise it sells it works domination in the toilet frauds Garin Thomas I mean just because of the acceleration in the last clause that was amazing can the tour survive and grow and can people believe that it's a clean sport in 2019 I can't answer the second part of your question because I'm too far removed I mean the way that this is unfolded I've been put in a place which I rightfully deserve that I just can't answer the question I don't have access I don't have Intel and I don't want to guess I'm gonna guess and give you what my guess is I'd like to think that it that they're clean I love watching it you do yeah well I watch it as a fan i watch it as an analyst i watch it as a person who who can appreciate it in if it's you know i might say it's a little boring sometimes but it's you know I still I still enjoy it what's next for you next well what's next is look hardly enough of this venture fund that I've created with my partners it's called next ventures just I love that name so we'll continue to create content and continue to look for great young entrepreneurs and companies and ideas and see if we can go build an x-ray company of this space this health and fitness and wellness and nutrition space we play in a few buckets but really focused on on finding that and you think America is ready to take you as that person yes I think I think it's changing and and as far as America goes I mean you know if I'm out raising a 75 million dollar venture Growth Fund we don't get to the place that we're getting to with people giving me their money right and so that's you you give people money to invest and you trust them that's um that's a I don't take that for granted at all and I really I can't say enough for how much that humbles me and and how much responsibility there is with that the role of being a dad five kids having that constant presence in their life that if something is a fork in the road they've got somebody who can kind of guide them you know in a path because of your unique experiences how important is that to you right now well it's the most important thing and I and I would add to it that it falls on not just me it falls on my ex-wife Kristen it falls on Anna I've been with forever it's been engaged to for a long time too it falls on us the range is eight to nineteen for your kids yeah eight to nineteen so the eight and then in the ten-year-old are in elementary school so they didn't live they were one and two right but they'll grow into it YouTube will be there the internet will be there so they will grow into this story and so those conversations that I had with my older kids I'll then have again with my younger kids [Music] so you were driven to this place yeah by when at all costs yeah you ever afraid that guys gonna come back yeah how'd upset how would not be good how do you fight that guy from coming back well I think I took the first step by telling you that I'm afraid he might come back if I told you no way then I think that's a problem the folks who are watching who just can't get over the way you went after and vilified the people who the end of the day were right yeah those are the ones who have the biggest hurdle to get over and given Lance a chance again yeah what do you say to them I understand I understand why that's a problem and it would be a problem for me I don't try to promote or advertise what I've tried to rectify those situations traveling the world sitting with people all all I can do is do that all I can do is sit across the table from somebody and just say I'm sorry I'm truly sorry but I think everybody that the public might think about has been apologized to I don't think those people are not unimportant but I don't think to the most important I think the most important is is the bulk of society that I'll never be able to apologize to across a table or over the phone there's so many people that want that but they'll never sit on a plane next to me they'll never show up at the front door and so they don't get there a party I could apologize that's not as I wish you could just walk the world and make it happen but you can't but like I said it's a long walk and it's not a short commitment it's a lifelong commitment you [Music]

Channel: NBC Sports

Views: 1,287,755

Keywords: Lance Armstrong, Cycling, Lance, Lance Armstrong interview, Lance interview, NBC Sports, Lance Armstrong interview full, Lance Armstrong Tirico interview, Lance Armstrong cancer, Lance Armstrong Livestrong, Livestrong, Lance Armstrong Olympics, Lance Armstrong NBC interview, Lance Armstrong NBC Sports interview, Livestrong interview, Lance Armstrong Next Stage, Lance Armstrong Next Stage full

Id: ac_x4ucbReo

Length: 28min 36sec (1716 seconds)

Published: Wed May 29 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/bikenskienhike]

45 seconds in and I can't take watching anymore. The first question he is asked he responds..."There is no easy answer". Yes Lance, there is an easy answer, you tell them NO, don't do it! WTF

​

I understand this is part of cycling history, but can this just go away?

[u/Denning76]

He's taken up tan doping I see.

[u/cyberjonesy]

P.E.D.'s will never disappear. In 200 years from now, when our children's children will be in their grave, athletes of all sports will still be using them. It's unfair, but it's a reality.

[u/0fiuco]

help me understand this: Lance Armstrong went into a shitstorm for lying for all those years, and it's only fair.

but now what people are complaining about is that he is telling it as it is, instead of lying the way they would like to hear him lie to them?

Lance knows two things:

- he would be a nobody hadn't he doped all those years ( he is still rich as fuck and famous as fuck even after being caught and punished in case you hadn't noticed ).

- he knows first hand every professional sport is rotten and dirty, baseball players are doped, NFL players are doped, NBA players are doped, UFC fighters are doped, soccer players are doped, olympians are doped, cyclist are doped.

From his point of view balancing pros and cons there are still more pros in doping than not and it would be stupid to deny that cause it's self evident. Is this a bad way to see the world? yes. But let's not forget that if the world is the way it is is not Lance Armstrong's fault.

[u/rorykoehler]

Why won't he go away? Stop feeding his pathetic ego.