ESPN will broadcast the UK premiere of the exposé documentary into Lance Armstrong on Friday, November 2.
The World According To Lance investigates one of the biggest scandals in the history of sport, detailing the case against the American cyclist, who has been accused of employing illegal doping to enhance his athletic performances.
Australian journalist Quentin McDermott reviews the allegations against the Texan, featuring evidence from key players in the USADA investigation, including friends, teammates and some of cycling’s most influential players.
Originally broadcast by Australia’s ABC network, this riveting one-hour film details the overwhelming case against Armstrong through a series of interviews.
It looks into the surreal world that had been built around Armstrong during his era as the sport’s most prominent figure.
Those who broke the ‘code of silence’ to expose the seven-time Tour de France winner reveal why they put their own lives and liberty on the line for cycling.
Revelations come thick and fast in this forensic analysis of the biggest sporting fraud the world has ever seen.
Team-mates paint a portrait of Armstrong as a ruthless serial cheat who not only used drugs but blood transfusions, and expected them to do the same.
McDermott reviews the origins of the suspicions of Armstrong’s usage of steroids, hormones, blood transfusions, and other performance enhancements, dating back to the 1990s.
Testimony of former close friends Betsy and Frankie Andreu reveals allegations that Armstrong directly confirmed his usage of performance-enhancing drugs to his oncology team during cancer treatment.
Featured in the documentary is footage from Armstrong’s only ever deposition, given in 2005, in response to a lawsuit by an insurer resisting awarding Armstrong a bonus for one of his Tour de France wins.
In the videotaped deposition, Armstrong is at points evasive, impatient, and earnest as he declares his innocence of doping, even in the face of specific details given by members of his inner circle.
Also, McDermott interviews former Armstrong teammate Tyler Hamilton, who describes, in vivid detail, his own introduction to performance-enhancing drugs.
Hamilton explains how he used those drugs with Armstrong, at points even administering drugs provided by now-disgraced team doctors, only steps away from racing venues in nearby trailers and even in team hotel rooms.
McDermott credibly deconstructs Armstrong’s defenses, speaking with a French scientist at a lab that has evaluated Armstrong’s Tour de France tests.
Newer, more sensitive testing now detects illegal enhancements in Armstrong’s early Tour de France urine samples.
McDermott also replays audio of what cycling legend Greg Lemond says is a secretly taped phone call between him and a marketing executive that suggests even some sponsors may have felt pressured to cover up for Armstrong’s doping to protect their own corporate images.
Stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and his leadership position at his Livestrong foundation, it’s Armstrong’s own 2005 words that now seem most prophetic: “It’s not about money for me. It’s about the faith of all the cancer survivors around the world.”
. Friday 2nd November The World According to Lance 10.00pm-11.00pm – ESPN.
