Now, the ex-athlete is dedicated to the world of interviews in the program The Forward

Leer en español: ¿Cómo es la vida de Lance Armstrong tras admitir su dopaje?

From hero to villain, so could the story of Lance Armstrong be described. The American cyclist conquered the world by winning the battle against cancer and winning 7 consecutive Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005. This feat had never been achieved before.

However, in 2012, everything collapsed. Armstrong was accused by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for systematic doping. That same year, the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified the USADA demand and withdrew the 7 Armstrong championships and expelled him for life. In addition, the International Olympic Committee took away the bronze medal obtained at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, setting aside a fraudulent legacy.

Finally, the Armstrong’s legend collapsed after he admitted the use of EPO, testosterone, and blood transfusions to improve his performance. This happened in 2013 in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The case of Lance Armstrong is one of the biggest frauds in the history of sports. But, what has happened to the life of the Texas’ native after his image was stained by this scandal?

After the confession of the cyclist, in an interview granted to Oprah Winfrey, one of the toughest blows that Armstrong received was losing the sponsorship of Nike in 2012, a brand that had supported him since 1996. At the time, Forbes magazine encrypted that the loss of this contract cost Armstrong about 50 million dollars. Nike was followed by Trek, Anheuser-Bush, and Honey Stinger.

Despite the mistakes he made, in a podcast he did last year, Lance Armstrong demanded that his effort be recognized: "I worked hard to win what I won".

On the other hand, a series of demands fall on the American. For instance, the US Postal team, which Armstrong was part of, decided to sue it for an amount close to 100 million dollars. The suit was dismissed by the Texan because, according to him, "US Postal benefited greatly" from his successes.

Recently, it was also learned that the North American cyclist placed his mansion for sale, located in the Old Enfield neighborhood, Texas, and valued at around 6 million euros, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Controversial participation in the Tour of Flanders

The organization of the Flanders Tour, a race that takes place in Belgium, invited Lance Armstrong to participate in the event, unleashing a controversy in the world of cycling. Specifically, the president of the UCI, David Lappartient, according to information from the Spanish sports newspaper AS, sent a letter to the tour organizer, Wouter, Vandenhaute, to show his disapproval to this invitation.

However, days ago, Armstrong himself canceled his participation, alluding to family issues. "I was very excited to go to Belgium for the Tour of Flanders, and I regret that family reasons prevent me from being there to appreciate what will undoubtedly be an exciting day."

Armstrong’s new "profession"

Armstrong wants to leave behind all the controversy that surrounds him. His new job is far from the bike and the routes. Now, he is dedicated to the world of interviews, from the comfort of his home and in a relaxed atmosphere. He himself chooses his interviewees for the program, which is called The Forward, then edits it and uploads the podcast on the Internet.

One of the greatest phonies in the history of sport tries to take a radical turn in his life, this time from another platform.

Latin American Post | José Leonardo Olavarría
Translated from “¿Cómo es la vida de Lance Armstrong tras admitir su dopaje?”