Lance Armstrong to address alleged doping in interview with Oprah

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Lucas Jackson / Reuters file

By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

Oprah Winfrey has landed a sit-down, "no holds barred" interview with Lance Armstrong, her network OWN announced Tuesday. The cyclist 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, according to the release.

An exclusive interview with the disgraced cyclist is precisely what media outlets have been clamoring for. Not only have rumors of his use of performance-enhancing drugs been rampant for years now, but in recent months he's been given a lifetime ban from the sport of cycling; was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles; stepped down as chairman from Livestrong, his cancer-research foundation; and has lost nearly all endorsements, including those from Nike and Budweiser.

Since these developments, Armstrong has said very little. In fact, the last statement he made publicly, which he linked to on his  Twitter account, was in October, in response to stepping down from Livestrong. In that statement, he did not explicitly admit to wrongdoing, but only said he was leaving Livestrong "to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career."

Rumors that Armstrong might be considering admitting to his drug use originally surfaced during the weekend of Jan. 5.

The Winfrey interview, which will air as a 90-minute episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter," will be broadcast on OWN on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 9 p.m.