Armstrong to Break Silence in Winfrey Interview

Lance Armstrong will speak for the first time since being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and being branded the instigator of 'the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen'.

A United States Anti-doping Agency's 1000 page report which included testimonies from 26 witnesses, many of whom were Armstrong's former teammates, which alleged the American had doped in winning seven Tour de France races, was upheld by the International Cycling Union in October.

Armstrong, who recovered from cancer in 1997, has remained silent throughout the allegations which have led to requests to hand back prize money, loss of sponsorship backing and a myriad of law suits as his iconic reputation in sport lies in tatters.

But Armstrong will break his silence in an 90-minute 'no-holds barred' interview with Opera Winfrey next week.

"Oprah Winfrey will speak exclusively with Lance Armstrong in his first no-holds-barred interview. Armstrong will address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating, and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career," an Oprah.com statement read.

"Armstrong will address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career," Winfrey's network said in a statement.

Given Armstrong's stringent defence of doping throughout his career and with the meeting taking place at the 41 year old's Austin home, questions are rife over whether the interview will indeed produce an admittance of guilt, an apology from the disgraced athlete or simply be manipulated to spark empathy for the ex-rider.

Furthermore, Winfrey's reputation for exposing the emotion of an individual, like with Marion Jones in 2008 in discussion over his drugs past, means the depth of the interview could be limited.

British cyclist David Millar, who served a two-year ban after admitting doping in 2004, has questioned the validity of the interview.

"Only Lance would get to have his moment of truth, if that's what it will be, with Oprah Winfrey," said Millar.

"It is not sitting in front of a judge or a disciplinary hearing being properly questioned about the things he has done wrong. I doubt very much it will be a proper interrogation."