Lance Armstrong Says He Told '10,000 Lies' Throughout Doping Scandal

Paul KasabianSenior ContributorMay 22, 2020

LIMON, COSTA RICA - NOVEMBER 03: Lance Armstrong of the United States rides in the peloton during the rolling start on Day 3 of La Ruta de Los Conquistadores on November 3, 2018 in Limon, Costa Rica. during Day 1 of the La Ruta de Los Conquistadores on November 1, 2018 in Jaco, Costa Rica. La Ruta de Los Conquistadores is Costa RicaÕs premier mountain bike race, and one of the most difficult races in the world. It is a 3-day stage race that crosses Costa Rica from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Caribbean coast in the east.
Between its sea-level start and finish, the 161-mile route crosses 5 mountain ranges that force you climb a cumulative 29,000 feet. The route snakes through tropical rain forest, 12,000 feet volcanoes, banana plantations and tiny farm towns. It covers every imaginable riding surfaceÑ single track and fire road trails, gravel, hard-packed dirt, pavement, thigh-deep mud, sand, volcano ash, and more.
The race was started in 1993 by Roman Urbina. Urbina, an elite athlete and adventure

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong said in the upcoming ESPN 30 for 30 documentary LANCE that he told "10,000 lies" during his racing career.

“Nobody dopes and is honest," Armstrong said, per Brett Schrotenboer of USA Today.

"You’re not. The only way you can dope and be honest is if nobody ever asks you, which is not realistic. The second somebody asks you, you lie. It might be one lie because you answer it once. Or in my case it might be 10,000 lies because you answer it 10,000 times."

The first episode of the two-part documentary will air Sunday, with the final part airing the following Sunday.

Schrotenboer, who has already seen the documentary, discussed a few of its notable moments, including Armstrong's retelling of forging birth certificates so he could race as a teenager and his feud with ex-teammate Floyd Landis.

Armstrong was one of the world's most decorated, inspirational and revered athletes, winning the Tour de France seven times from 1999-2005. He did so after beating testicular cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 1996.

However, doping allegations followed Armstrong, who consistently denied that he cheated.

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But Armstrong came clean in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2013, admitting that his Tour de France titles were all aided by doping.

In addition, he copped to being a bully to others who questioned his tactics in the midst of continuing his doping and protecting his career.

Part I of LANCE airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The second part will air the following Sunday, also on ESPN at 9 p.m.