Oprah: Armstrong 'did not come clean in expected way'

Lance Armstrong is said to be eyeing a return to
his athletic career

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey has said Lance Armstrong "did not come clean in the way I expected" about claims he used performance-enhancing drugs.

She said she was "mesmerised and riveted" by what the former cyclist, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, had to say during their two-and-a-half hour interview.

She said she would leave it to others to decide whether he was contrite.

Armstrong, 41, has vehemently denied he took drugs during his cycling career.

He was accused last year by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) of what it called "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme" the sport had ever seen.

He is now said to be discussing whether to testify against sport officials.

'Very emotional'
Ms Winfrey told CBS that the interview in his home town of Austin, Texas, was so lengthy that it would be broadcast over two nights, starting on Thursday.

She said she had prepared well and took 112 questions into her interview with him, most of which she got to ask.


She said he was "serious and thoughtful", had prepared well for the interview, and "met the moment".

"I would say he did not come clean in the manner that I expected," she told CBS, without giving details. "It was surprising to me. I would say that for myself, my team, all of us in the room, we were mesmerised and riveted by some of his answers."

Ms Winfrey told CBS that she had agreed with Lance Armstrong and his team that they would not talk about what had been said until the broadcast.

The interview was made just hours after Armstrong apologised to staff at the Livestrong Foundation but stopped short of a full admission of guilt.

Betsy Andreu, wife of former Armstrong teammate Frankie Andreu, was one of the first people to publicly accuse Armstrong of doping.

She told AP news of Armstrong's confession was "very emotional and very sad".

She added: "He used to be one of my husband's best friends and because he wouldn't go along with the doping, he got kicked to the side.

"Lance could have a positive impact if he tells the truth on everything. He's got to be completely honest."

- BBC.co.uk