Oprah Winfrey sat down with Lance Armstrong yesterday for an explosive new interview, one that lasted 2 and a half hours, and included Lance admitting to doping for several years.

Oprah hinted at the interview this morning on CBS, saying the “intense and emotional” interview took place yesterday in Austin, TX. She said “He did not come clean in the manner I expected, I was surprised. Myself and the whole team were mesmerized and riveted by some of his answers. I think he answered my questions satisfactorily. He was thoughtful and serious and had prepared himself for this moment and at the end of it we were both pretty exhausted. I had a strategy and I went in prepared to have to dig and pull, but he was very forthcoming with his answers.”

Winfrey went on to say that she would leave it to others to decide if the former champion was contrite during the interview, but that she thought he was well-prepared and serious throughout.

It was also revealed today that Armstrong hinted to the fact the use of drugs within the sport is widespread in a meeting with the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last month.

Armstrong is said to have spoken openly to Travis Tygart about doping, claiming it was rampant in all sports, especially NBA football, and that he was being singled out for punishment.

Sources said that at the end of the meeting, during which Tygart refused to soften Armstrong’s lifetime ban for what the agency called the ‘most sophisticated doping program on the planet’, he told him: ‘You don’t hold the keys to my redemption.

‘There’s one person who holds the keys to my redemption and that’s me,’ the source told the Wall Street Journal.

This week, Armstrong begins a public campaign to restore his shattered image, which started yesterday with his no-holds-barred interview with Oprah Winfrey and his tearful apology to staff at his cancer foundation Livestrong.

This whole thing really infuriates me. Not necessarily all the cheating (all thought that’s bad enough) – but all the denying and lying. He denied and LIED for sooooooooooo many years to cover up what he was doing. And thing of all those hundreds of men who never had a shot at winning the Tour de France because of Lance’s cheating. Men who will never have the opportunity to race again. Men whose prime is over. I think the whole thing is just disgusting.

I’m TOTALLY going to be watching his Oprah interview. I have a feeling he’s going to be contrite – and STILL try and take the heat off himself. I’ll be looking for sincereness. Sincerely sorry, sincerely apologetic to everyone he’s cheated.

Source