Cycling's Greatest Fraud
Cycling's Greatest Fraud is a 2013 National Geographic Channel documentary. It depicts the doping by the US Postal Service Cycling Team and leader Lance Armstrong.
Summary
American cyclist Lance Armstrong's doping begins in the mid 1990s. In 1996, he is diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer, which he survives. Armstrong wins the Tour de France, cycling's biggest race, a record seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005. He lives the life of an international celebrity. With his cancer charity Livestrong he is also one of America's most visible philanthropists.
Armstrong is the leader of the US Postal Service Cycling Team. He urges all his teammates to start doping, which they do. Doping doctor Michele Ferrari is a key player in Armstrong's team. With Ferrari and other doctors who are one step ahead of the doping control testers, he passes every test in his seven Tour wins, expect for one. To cover it up, his doctors produce a backdated "therapeutic reasons" prescription, which racing authorities are satisfied with. Armstrong retires after 2005 Tour victory.
Beginning 2000s, people testify that Armstrong used drugs and admit to their own doping. Those include his former masseuse, former teammates, and a teammate's wife. Armstrong fights back against all charges. He bullies journalists, media outlets, and ruins lives of people who speak against him. He even bullies his Tour rivals. Despite damning testimonies, he wins a lawsuit in which a company refused to pay him millions in insurance bonus. With his power and influence, Armstrong becomes nearly untouchable.
Floyd Landis, Armstrong's former teammate, wins the 2006 Tour. But after a positive doping test he is stripped of his win. Armstrong supports Landis throughout his unsuccessful fight against doping charges. In 2008, Armstrong announces a comeback. He competes in the 2009 and 2010 Tours. Landis, unable to get a job on cycling's highest levels after he was stripped of his Tour title, looks to Armstrong. But Armstrong turns his back on Landis. After being shunned by Armstrong, Landis admits to doping in 2010 and alleges Armstrong did the same. Based on Landis' allegations, Armstrong FACES a 20-month federal criminal investigation which is dropped in February 2012.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigates Armstrong. 26 witnesses, including 11 former teammates, testify against him. On August 24, 2012, USADA bans Armstrong from cycling for life and strips him of all his professional results from August 1, 1998. USADA publishes and presents a long report detailing his doping to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in October 2012. Armstrong steps down as chairman of Livestrong on October 17, 2012, and severs all ties to it a month later in November. He is officially stripped of all results, including his seven Tour wins by UCI on October 22, 2012. He is dropped by all his sponsors.
Despite having denied [...] use throughout his career, in January 2013, Armstrong admits to doping in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Post his confession, Armstrong is facing several lawsuits. Those include a federal whistle-blower lawsuit filed by Landis under the U.S. federal False Claims Act.