Lance Armstrong was ranked amongst the world’s greatest athletes with one of the most inspiring stories in modern sports. But his extraordinary ascent is now matched only by his equally spectacular fall from grace.
After his first yellow jersey in 1999, glory, fame and fortune came fast. But for some his superhuman accomplishments were beyond miraculous, too good to be true. On this week’s the fifth estate, Bob McKeown interviews insiders who tell an astonishing story about rampant drug-use in cycling, and sketches a portrait of a mighty champion—and cheater. What drove Armstrong to such extremes, and how could he have kept his own doping secret for so long?
Lance Armstrong: Master of Spin airs on CBC News’ the fifth estate, Friday, Nov. 23 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC-TV.
Armstrong grew up without a father, and was raised by a hard working mother. He had a knack for sports and the mental toughness to succeed in gruelling endurance sports like the triathlon. He was a rising and ambitious star on the American cycling team, yet in his first four attempts in the Tour De France, 36th place was the best he could do—never being able to compete with the top tier of cyclists on the steep mountains. Then came his fight with cancer, and his dizzying ascent to the top of the sport, cheating every step of the way, claim his critics. He attracted legions of fans and money, and bullied and chastised all those who questioned him. How did he keep so many secrets, and keep others who knew the full story from speaking out? Lance Armstrong : Master of Spin peels away the façade, and takes a look at a remarkable man who stopped at nothing to stay at the top of the podium.
In advance of the broadcast, watch Lance Armstrong: Master of Spin online, for review purposes only, by contacting Corey Black (corey.black@cbc.ca) for the link and password. CBC News Network rebroadcasts the fifth estate on Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET and Sundays at 7 p.m. ET. For more information on the fifth estate, visit our website at www.cbc.ca/fifth, join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Executive producer of the fifth estate is Jim Williamson.
To view past episodes of the fifth estate, and other CBC programming, visit CBC Player, download the CBC App for your mobile devices, and download CBC podcasts.
About CBC News
For more than 75 years, CBC has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.
For further information, or to request interviews, contact:
Corey Black, News and Current Affairs Publicist, CBC
o) 416-205-8710
c) 647-221-4133
