“Donald Trump Was Just a Loudmouth”: Lance Armstrong Didn’t Hold Back When the Former POTUS Added Fuel to a Cosmic Fire in 2013

Lance Armstrong is a cycling legend. From 1999 to 2005, Lance won the Tour de France seven times in a row. While doping accusations began following the cyclist as early as his first win, Armstrong denied using any performance-enhancing drugs. However, the United States Anti-Doping Agency began investigating the case in 2012 and reported Armstrong had used PEDs.

Armstrong was stripped of his titles. In 2013 Lance sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey and, for the first time, admitted to using illegal substances. Armstrong’s confession shocked the sporting world, and nearly every famous athlete had an opinion. Donald Trump added fuel to the fire with his tweet. However, Lance didn’t concur with Trump.

Lance Armstrong explained why he didn’t concur with Donald Trump

In 2018, four years after admitting to using performance enhancers, Lance Armstrong appeared on TODAY. Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Armstrong about his 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Sorkin asked if Lance had seen the tweet Donald Trump wrote the morning after the interview. Lance replied, “I did see it.” 

“Lance Armstrong did himself great harm last night lawsuits and failure will follow him,” wrote the former POTUS. However, the seven-time Tour de France winner didn’t concur with Donald Trump’s assessment. “You have to remember. I mean, this is six years ago. So Donald Trump was just a loudmouth. Out trying to get attention,” said Armstrong.

In 2013, Donald Trump hosted the popular show “The Apprentice” on NBC. He wouldn’t become the President of the United States for another six years. However, the cycling legend acknowledged Trump’s assessment had some truth. “He’s (Lance) gonna cost himself a lot of money. Right, we know that happened.” But Armstrong doesn’t see himself as a failure.

READ MORE: Lance Armstrong’s Infamous ‘Character’ Draws Comparison to New Cycling World Champion at 22

“I don’t feel like a failure and I’ve never felt like a failure since then,” Lance told the interviewer. Lance said if he and everyone else competed honestly, he would still win the Tour de France seven times in a row.

What the cycling legend thought of his 2013 confession

During the interview, Sorkin asked Armstrong what he thought about the interview with Oprah. “Did you think it worked?” asked Sorkin. The legendary cyclist said he didn’t feel the confession won him any fans. “It absolutely didn’t work,” Armstrong told Sorkin.

Armstrong then went on to explain why he thought the interview didn’t work. “For half of the room, it wasn’t enough. For the other half of the room, it was way too much,” explained Armstrong.

Watch this story – “A Sad Day for All Athletes”: Tennis Megastar Serena Williams Was Especially Saddened by Lance Armstrong’s Permeating Confession in 2013

The Lance Armstrong doping case changed how many viewed athletes and sports. While Trump was partly correct, he may have reached a conclusion too soon.