The Program Page #6

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We both know you're good.

And one day you'll win.

And I can help you.

So don't do this to me.

Alright, f*** you.

(all chatter)

(phone ringing)

Hello?

(man) Hi, David. Frankie Andreu,

used to ride on Lance's team.

He's got a wife called Betsy

and I think you two should talk.

- What are you talking about?

- Just call her.

(hangs up)

(line ringing)

(Betsy) Hello?

Erm, Betsy Andreu?

Speaking.

Hi, my name is David Walsh.

You're the guy who writes about Lance?

Well, I write about other things, too.

- But Lance, right?

- Yeah, Lance.

OK.

I was there.

(Walsh) You were where?

In the room.

In what room?

The hospital room. Come on. Speed up.

So, October '96,

Lance is in the hospital.

I guess he's starting to get better,

but he's still pretty ill.

Frankie and I drop in to visit.

This doctor comes in.

Excuse me. Mr Armstrong,

I was reviewing your records.

Could I clarify a couple of issues

in your history?

We offered to leave, but...

Lance said that he wanted us to

stay. Then this doctor asks him...

In the past,

you were on no regular medication?

No.

You ever use any other drugs?

Any performance enhancing drugs?

Testosterone...

Epo, growth hormone, cortisone...

and other steroids.

Tell me that again.

Epo, testosterone, growth hormone,

cortisone and other steroids.

- He said that?

- She says he said that.

- On the record?

- And she's not the only one.

(Walsh) Now I started to attract

the dissidents.

Well, there's a culture of doping

in US Postal.

I never asked to be involved, but at

times it was impossible to avoid.

And than there was Stephen Swan'.

(Swart) I was a rider with Motorola

in 1995 and...

I can tell you that Lance was the

leader in trying to get us to dope.

You love peas, don't you?

Peas are your favourite thing.

Hello?

- (man) David Walsh?

- Yeah.

My name is Bob Hamman.

You don't know me

but I'd like to talk to you

and I'll pay for your ticket.

I've been playing poker since '55,

bridge since '63, insurance since '86.

All the same game.

At the core of what I do

is making judgment of risk

in situations where the odds

are essentially complex.

Back in 2000, I get a visit from the

owners of the US Postal cycling team.

You may wanna write this down.

As the owners of Tailwind,

the company that finances

the US Postal cycling team...

You're the victims of your own success.

I guess you could say that.

This Armstrong guy,

he's a pretty good... cyclist, right?

He's the best.

And you paid him his bonus

for winning the Tour de France?

That's right.

What if he keeps on winning?

Well, obviously,

we'd be delighted if he keeps winning.

How much are you in for?

If he wins every Tour between now

and 2004, we will owe him nearly...

10 million dollars.

So, the question is, how much would it

cost for me to take on that risk?

2002, 2003, we paid out.

Then comes 2004...

and he goes on winning.

Then we hear about this journalist

making unwelcome inquiries

and it turns out that perhaps

all is not what it seemed.

You see, if he's cheating in the races,

then he's cheating on us as well.

And if he didn't really win,

they don't really owe him the money.

Exactly! Well done, Alex.

You've finally caught up.

But let us not forget this.

Lance Armstrong

has never tested positive.

Can you imagine how disastrous

it would be if he did?

- He wouldn't like it.

- Nobody would.

Lance is very respectful

of the governing body.

So supportive, in fact, that sometimes

he even gives them money.

- And here it is.

- What is that?

This is what they bought

with Lance's money.

It's a compact high-performance

haematology analyzer

that provides precise

and accurate results.

"Lance Armstrong Fights War On Drugs!"

You gotta admit it's a great headline.

It's a great headline.

(Walsh) You realise

what we're up against.

Lance Armstrong is a friend of George

Bush, Bill Clinton, Sheryl Crow,

David Letterman,

Robin Williams and bloody Bono.

That many famous people

can't be wrong, can they?

OK, write it. We'll put it in front

of the lawyers, take it from there.

(Lance) David Walsh!

David f***ing Walsh!

That f***ing troll!

Has he ever even been on a bike?

Has he ever climbed a mountain

against 180 guys who are all doping?

Unfortunately, he's persistent.

Who's he talking to? Emma O'Reilly.

You know what really upsets me?

It's the disloyalty.

If she wants to dance, let's go.

All I have to say is that

there were issues with other riders.

It's not gonna take a brain surgeon

to figure out she's an alcoholic whore.

And if that doesn't shut her up,

hit her with a lawsuit.

And then another one after that.

And then another one after that until

she shuts her f***ing whore mouth!

- And Betsy?

- Don't even talk to me about Betsy!

I'd leave Frankie alone,

if he had any self-respect.

Get him to put a muzzle

on his crazy b*tch wife.

The bigger problem, Lance,

is the Bob Hamman situation.

They're threatening

to withhold your win bonus,

the entire million bucks,

until they get a clarification.

I have never tested positive!

I spent three weeks in the saddle!

I won the race! I am owed that money!

How f***ing clear is that?!

I get it, Lance.

Sue David Walsh.

And his crummy little English newspaper.

Find out who he hangs out with,

who he travels with.

Stonewall them. Block them.

Zero access.

Call his publisher.

Offer him my new book.

A new book?

Create a conflict of interest. David

Walsh's book is not going to print.

Not in the States. Not in my backyard.

Because I'm Lance Armstrong

and he is f***ing no one.

I like this. I like somebody

trying to go faster than me.

I like malignant cells

trying to take over my body.

I like some fool trying to take me down.

Because I go faster.

I don't die

and I will not be brought down.

We know your wife is a source for Walsh.

Look, Betsy said, "No comment."

I got nothing to say.

Bringing down Lance isn't

gonna help anyone's situation.

Maybe you should remind

your wife of that.

Hey, Charles.

How is your little Irish friend?

What?

You know, that little f***ing troll.

How is he?

(applause)

(woman introduces Lance in French)

Lance. Lance.

Have recent controversial allegations

upset your preparation in any way?

Well, since the esteemed author

of these allegations is here today,

I'd like to say one thing about them.

Extraordinary allegations must be met

with extraordinary proof.

- But what do you think...

- I'm not finished yet.

Many, many journalists here today

have called me at home.

They've read his work and they've said,

"Lance, I don't get it."

"There's nothing in there."

Mr Walsh here, he seems more interested

in distracting from my foundation's

sole purpose which is to beat cancer.

He seems more interested

in trying to sell books

rather than the 20,000 people

who die every day from this disease.

That's 7.6 million people annually.

Let's let the cyclists

get back to cycling

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