By Tom Bettag, Mary Murphy, and Ronnie Polidoro
Rock Center
Updated at 3:56 a.m. ET on Friday: For some of those who knew Lance Armstrong the best, his fall from grace amid doping allegations is no surprise at all. Betsy Andreu, a former family friend to Armstrong told NBC’s Harry Smith that Lance Armstrong is the “Bernie Madoff” of the sporting world. Andreu says Armstrong played the world and the media for years while knowingly taking performance enhancing drugs.
In an interview broadcast Thursday on NBC’s Rock Center, Smith asked Andreu why she compares Armstrong to disgraced financier Bernie Madoff. Andreu said, “Because Bernie Madoff was one of the biggest frauds in the history of the world, in the history of finance maybe? Lance is the biggest fraud in the history of sport.”
Andreu was once part of Armstrong’s inner circle. Her husband Frankie was one of Armstrong’s teammates and one of his best friends.
However, Andreu says she and Armstrong had a falling out when she refused to lie about something she heard while visiting Armstrong in the hospital at the time he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“The doctors come in and I suggested we leave and to give Lance his privacy. And Lance said, ‘That's okay. You can stay.’ And I turned to Frankie, because Lance was in front of us, and I said, 'I think we should leave to give him his privacy.’ And he said we could stay, ‘Everybody's friends here,’” Andreu told Smith.
Andreu says doctors asked a few banal questions and then asked if Armstrong had used any performance enhancing drugs.
“Lance, holding his I.V., nonchalantly rattled off, ‘Yes, steroids, testosterone, growth hormone, E.P.O., cortisone,’” Andreu said. “My eyes popped out of my head. Frankie saw that I was upset and he excused ourselves and we left.”
Despite her disdain towards Armstrong, Andreu still maintains some sympathy for the fallen cyclist.
“On one hand, there is some compassion, because I don't think he ever healed the child within. And it made him this diabolical person that he is today,” Andreu said.
Armstrong has repeatedly denied the use of performance enhancing drugs or what has become more commonly known as doping. NBC News has reached out to Armstrong and is waiting for a comment.
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I think Armstrong was absolutely wrong and a liar to boot. But with friends like this, who needs enemies?
I think everyone's missing the point - it really does not matter that Armstrong doped. Sounds to me like he probably did, but I don't now for sure... The REAL problem is that the sport is governed so poorly that IF he did, what can you say about a race that disqualifies it's winners %75 percent of the time?
I mean, if you were an employer and one of the officials of the Tour's governing body came to you for a job, would you REALLY hire him or her?
The race has become a farce, and it is not all Armstrong - I say I don't blame him, I blame everyone who allowed him to think it was OK to dope - he's only the symptom, just like Landis. And it only hurts the sport and the fans, in the long run. The way the matter has been handled over the years will be the death-knell of the sport in Europe, unless they change the way the race is governed.
Those were some hard-hitting questions Harry asked her. Whew, he's a tough one. I don't think 60 Minutes is going to be recruiting him anytime soon.
Once again the question is what is the name of the drug Armstrong used to avoid a dirty test ? How is it Armstrong is the only person in cycling who knows about this drug ?
Good questions. However, unanswered questions are not proof of innocence. Whatever the 'evidence' is, governing bodies though it was enough to warrant the action they took, whether we agree with it or not.
But by that right, Tao, that means that we cannot challenge any judgements that fall upon us through human hands - whether we agree with them or not.
That's like saying the USADA can do this to any other cyclist who reaches the level that Lance did - even if they do it legitimately, it won't ever be seen by them as such because they have the power to disenfranchise ANY and ALL cyclists who enter their domain. It's like you're declaring they are the gods of cycling, able to make it illegal for any cyclist they ban from buying a bike AT ALL.
Your logic is friggin' unreasonable. You cannot know what goes on in the mind of another human being - at least not fully. There are signs, but you cannot know "everything". For all we know, the USADA could be making a legit call, but they could also be out on a witch hunt. We don't know all the facts, because the USADA expects us to believe this BS with the simple mention of these "witnesses" and "old samples".
As I always say: "Proof or I call bull$hit."
The irony of all of this to me is that they really cannot award his titles to ANY of the riders behind him in any year because the guys he beat, like Jan Ullrich, were doping too or may have been doping using similar tactics as the Armstrong teams. crazy sport.
Ok, we all get it this man was caught doping whatever that means. So what his claim of having cancer a lie as well. There are no prefect humans otherwise we would not have preachers riding around in mercedes.
This man is only human; the only people that can not forgive him are the some people who can not forgive themselves for having been fooled. We need to stop putting our human leaders higher than ourselves. He made mistakes but it is not for me to judge him.
She says she has sympathy for him at the same time she slips the knife in his back, How do I get a "friend" like that?
There are 2 types of steroids. Metabolic & anabolic. Metabolic are similar to what your body can naturally produce & safe when prescribed by a doctor. Anabolic(sp?) are just bad. They can cause cancer over prolonged use. I believe that is why Armstrong got cancer. Read the numerous news reports. He got away with it because he would have transfusions. Regardless of what his "friend" has to say, all she did was confirm what many had suspected for many years. I, for one, am overjoyed he was stripped of everything. Titles, medals & sponsors.
Is there proof he even had cancer?
I'm still trying to find out if he was born in Kenya.
I wonder if the Doctor who was in room happens to be on the board of the Livestrong Foundation now or in the past?
Armstrong might be the biggest cheat in cycling, but she is the biggest @!$%# in history of mankind
God bless you for having your integrity, Andreu, along with the courage and convictions to tell the world the truth, I only wish more people in this world were like you! Your indignity in response to this kind of exposure has truly set you apart from a great many in this world, and I quite agree with your analogy, too. I trust it will only bring you closer to God in the end, which is the greatest company of all.
God bless and preserve you Andreu, in the greatest and most enduring of ways! - RC
What? U can't say @!$%# on the Internet?
Nope! LOL
@!$%#, @!$%#,@!$%#,@!$%#,@!$%#, @!$%#
Yeah, where was Andreu when he was part of the team when Lance was juicing up? O, that's right. he got his share of the price money. @!$%#ing hypocrite!
Dont agree with what he did but with everybody pileing on him so bad dont be suprised if he takes himself out. His family better keep an eye on him.
nothing like a woman scorned....
i love her "status" listed as "friend"(with benefits?)
and the BIGGEST FACT THAT'S IGNORED is that he never tested positive
for anything....and they STILL HAVE VIALS OF HIS BLOOD STORED...
The man is a fantastic athlete with tremendous drive....and with all of this derision, he still can hold his head up....
I personally respect this man.....he is NOT ONE OF THOSE "STEROID HULKS" that you see in other professional sports.....just a man with guts and drive to do what he did to win THE YELLOW JERSEY....on a BIKE NO LESS....
No one is ignoring the 'fact' that he never tested positive. Isn't it obvious that the investigation found evidence that he discovered a way to dope while avoiding failed tests? I'm not saying that's the case, but that is the contention of the investigating body.
Fraud is fraud.
this beat broad is a joke, everyone coming out of woodwork looking for a quick buck, this car wreck is a liar
and you sir, are a misogynist
And you, Lillie, are the enemy of mankind. To have this female supremacy aura about you makes me sick. It's like you're the Head Priestess of Laura Schlessinger, who is on a crusade to lower the pride of men to nothing but "subservient dogs", all because men treated you women like slaves since the dawn of time.
Drink some more of that revenge-ade, why don'tcha? As for me, I personally don't care, because there's no proof that the USADA has offered publicly, and the so-called "suits" against Lance aren't being revealed to the public. If they're confident in their case, why not bring it to public eye?
Anything and everything can become a conspiracy if greed fuels the ambition behind it.
And a @!$%#, but you can't say @!$%# on the Internet
At the end of the day all this guy ever did was ride a bike for a living. I have no sympathy for people who make a name for themselves and ruin it through greed.
Narait, I couldn't agree with you more. That is exactly what's wrong in all walks of life.
This seems to have become a widely accepted practice in almost every position. THis exact mentality is what is ruining this nation more than any other cause...
Lance will make a wonderful Texas politician.
Well, it is really interesting, but there was a time when all the politicians in Texas were courting Lance, and it seemed he was never interested,,,he knew this would come out if he ever ran for office...even in Texas...
And do you know why, Lillie? There's a reason that Texas is "white man's slaughterhouse". It's occupied with the most hate-filled human beings in existence. Texas literally IS Deadman's Land.
And I spent time in Galveston/League City, so don't think I don't know what the @!$%# I'm talking about.
As a two-time cancer survivor, I've often wondered if Armstrong's continued doping had something to do with his cancer diagnosis at such an early age. And then he sets up a foundation and makes everyone think he's such a great guy? A complete fraud and lower than whale @!$%#! Sheryl Crow, you dodged a bullet, girl.
I also wonder if his cancer had "spread to his lungs and brain" as reported....something about that and the wins just never sat well with us...he should have stopped with 5 wins, they probably would have let him go...but no, he had to keep going and most everyone found it really hard to believe...
I think everyone is obsessed with the wrong thing here. Lance showed us that growth hormone and those other drugs combined with bicycle riding can cure cancer and make you super fit.
I remember when I was a teen being taught a very simple axiom which has served me well over the years (I'm 80), "If money is involved in a contest, someone will be cheating". My teacher was a majician, but the principle applies.
Lance cheated and a lot of people don't see the issue with cheating and that is very sad. I'm glad the cheater is caught and stripped of everything. Never again can Lance the cheater say he won anything. That's what happens to cheaters and I hope the lawyers and collectors start calling him soon about ill-got $$$. For those of you who like cheaters you probably do vote republican.