Lance Armstrong apologized to the staff of Livestrong Monday prior to
an afternoon interview taping with Oprah Winfrey in which he planned to
admit to doping during his cycling career.
The apology was
described as emotional for him and the staff. A full house of around 100
staffers heard it at the foundation's headquarters in Austin, Texas.
Livestrong spokesman Katherine McLane said it was a "very sincere and heartfelt apology to the staff."
Livestong, a charity based in Austin, Texas, was founded by Armstrong
to provide support to cancer survivors. It has been entangled in the
controversy surrounding Armstrong's cycling career during the last few
years. In October, Armstrong was forced to step down from the Livestrong
board after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a massive file of
detailed doping evidence against him.
A big part of his
motivation to admit to doping now was to help reduce distractions and
reputation damage for Livestrong, a person with knowledge of the
situation told USA TODAY Sports.
Armstrong, 41, previously denied
doping for years and often attacked those who accused him of it. The
Oprah interview is scheduled to air Thursday.