Armstrong was on the verge of tears when he told the truth to his children.

Cycling's greatest cheater Lance Armstrong said in his latest interview with Oprah Winfrey that he wants to play competitive sports again and the reason for his recent confession comes from his five children.

He said that “my greatest hope and motivation is for the future of my children.” These are the main contents of the second part of the interview with American television queen Oprah that was just broadcast on the evening of January 18 (US time).

In the first part, which aired a day earlier, the 41-year-old former star admitted for the first time to using doping to win seven consecutive Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005.

After years of denial, even calling those who opposed him “liars,” Armstrong’s image completely collapsed last year when he was stripped of all his Tour de France titles and banned for life by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

“My grown children shouldn’t have to live with this for the rest of their lives. It wouldn’t be fair to me to do that to them, so I decided to come clean,” he said.

Lance Armstrong interview program hits record viewership (Source: OWN)

Armstrong also said he hoped his confession would help him return to sport – whether it was a triathlon or a marathon.

“I am a competitive person.”

In the same interview, the former cyclist said that his lifetime ban was too harsh. His former teammates who helped Armstrong cover up the truth were also punished, but less severely: “I admit that this is not a very popular answer, but I honestly think I deserved the punishment.”

“My crime deserves punishment, but I'm not sure I deserve a lifetime ban.”

When Winfrey asked him how he felt that every article about him now included the words “dethroned rider” or “disgrace,” Armstrong said he thought that was fair.

“I feel ashamed, it is a bad thing. I am very sorry for what I did. I can say it a thousand times and it will not be enough to clear my name.”

The first interview on January 17 had a record 3.2 million viewers in the US alone, making it the second most watched program in the history of Winfrey’s OWN channel.

But the first part still lacks the motives and means by which Armstrong cheated, nor does it show him showing remorse.

Part two showed much more emotion from this one-time champion.

Armstrong's eyes were red and his voice was breaking as he described the moment he had to tell his 13-year-old son Luke: "Stop protecting me." After a while, the bad news reached Armstrong's children and he had to tell them the truth.

“As things started to unfold, I saw my son stand up for himself and say, ‘It’s not true. What you’re saying about my dad is not true.’”

“That's when I knew I had to tell him, even though he never asked me. He never said, 'Dad, is that true?'

“The boy trusted me.”

He also recalled the dark days of last year, when USADA released a thousand-page indictment against Armstrong, forcing him to step down as chairman of the Livestrong cancer foundation he founded and then step down from its board of directors.

“I can't say I was kicked out because I was aware of the pressure.”

“It was the best thing for the organization but it hurt me terribly to leave. It was the worst moment.”

He also shared about financial issues, when sponsors, especially the giant Nike, gradually abandoned the Armstrong brand.

“In just about two days or a day and a half, everyone was gone. I lost $75 million in just one day.”

After his confession, Armstrong now faces multiple lawsuits. The US Department of Justice is currently considering whether to proceed with the case against Armstrong, which was filed by former teammate Floyd Landis in 2010.

The US Postal Service, which once sponsored Armstrong's racing team with $30 million, is now also planning to ask for the money back.

In a second interview, Armstrong once again denied that he had used doping during his two Tour de France comebacks in 2009 and 2010, saying he had promised his ex-wife Kristin that he “would never cross the line again.”

He also denied USADA president Travis Tygart's claim that he had attempted to give $250,000 to the organization as a bribe.

“That is not true,” he asserted, adding that this was not in the USADA file against him./.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT