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Wednesday, Jan 9, 2013 2:20 AM UTC

Lance Armstrong to confess to Oprah?

Winfrey announces an exclusive interview with the controversial cyclist next week. He will address doping scandal

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Topics: Lance Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey,

Lance Armstrong to confess to Oprah?

Lance Armstrong may be about to come clean — to Oprah Winfrey.

The controversial cyclist will give his first interview since he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles to Winfrey, she announced today, and it will air Thursday, Jan. 17 on her cable network, OWN.

The announcement of the audience with Oprah comes just days after the New York Times reported that Armstrong has been talking with advisers and friends about possibly admitting to doping.

Winfrey said that Armstrong will address “the alleged doping scandal and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his cycling career.”

Armstrong has spent years battling accusations that he cheated during his racing career and covered up a complex doping program. But in October, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency made public a massive trove of documents suggesting that Armstrong’s championships were enhanced by science — and the documents were supported by testimony from a growing number of former teammates.

He’s maintained his silence and innocence since then, but lost millions in sponsorships and the charity he founded to fight cancer, Livestrong, has reportedly also suffered.

Winfrey is a veteran of making celebrities admit uncomfortable truths; James Frey and Whitney Houston are among those who have made confessions on her couch.

David Daley is the executive editor of Salon. More David Daley.

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