Lance Armstrong to Livestrong Staff: 'I'm Sorry'

Before his interview with Oprah Winfrey on Monday in which he will reportedly confess that he doped “throughout his career,” Lance Armstrong apologized to the staff of the Livestrong cancer foundation, which he founded.

According to the Associated Press, “a person with direct knowledge of the meeting” said the disgraced cyclist “apologized for letting the staff down and putting Livestrong at risk.”

Armstrong said, “I”m sorry,” and choked up while “several employees cried during the session.”

However, the source said Armstrong “did not make a direct confession to the group about using banned drugs” and “said he would try to restore the foundation’s reputation, and urged the group to continue fighting for the charity’s mission of helping cancer patients and their families.”

Winfrey was supposed to interview Armstrong at his Austin, Texas home on Monday, but that location has reportedly changed to a hotel room, where Armstrong and his advisers immediately went after Armstrong issued his apology. 

According to reports, Armstrong will confess to Oprah about having used performance-enhancing drugs despite his adamant denials in the past to the contrary. The interview will air on the Oprah Winfrey Network on Thursday.

Armstrong could still face legal charges of perjury because he testified under oath that he had not doped. An earlier New York Times report indicated Armstrong would only confess to having doped if the Justice Department gave him immunity from perjury prosecutions, but the Justice Department has not commented about whether they will grant Armstrong immunity.