Lance Armstrong Criticized for Questioning 'Fairness of Trans Athletes in Sport' After His Doping Ban

Lance Armstrong is causing controversy with his latest musings on social media. 

The former professional cyclist, 51, was accused of being a hypocrite after he tweeted about questioning the “fairness of trans athletes in sport” on Sunday.

In 2012, Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, and was banned from competing professionally in cycling. 

“Is there not a world in which one can be supportive of the transgender community and curious about the fairness of Trans athletes in sport yet not be labeled a transphobe or a bigot as we ask questions? Do we yet know the answers? And do we even want to know the answers?” he wrote in one tweet to his three million followers.

One user wrote in response, "You cheated for a decade, and you’re going to shame trans athletes or question their advantages? What a joke."

Armstrong’s tweets came as announced he is launching a new series called The Forward, the same title as his podcast, where he will “dive into” the debate surrounding transgender athletes competing in sports with an “open mind.” 

He also shared a clip from the series, which starts Monday, of himself traveling to Caitlyn Jenner’s home in Malibu “to have a conversation in and around trans in sport.” Alongside the clip he wrote, “Have we really come to a time and place where spirited debate is not only frowned upon, but feared? Where people’s greatest concern is being fired, shamed or cancelled? As someone all too familiar with this phenomenon, I feel I'm uniquely positioned to have these conversations.”

In the clip, Armstrong added that he thinks people are “afraid to be fired, ashamed or canceled” when discussing the topic, but says he’s not. “Turns out I’m not that afraid of that,” he said. “I think it’s an important conversation. I think the best way to have these conversations and get to a smarter conclusion or have a smarter conversation is to just go in fearless. And I’m sort of fearless on this one.” 

Jenner, 73, famously won gold in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics as a male athlete before coming out as a transgender woman in 2015. 

Jenner has also been criticized for her views on transgender athletes, and in 2021 expressed her stance against "biological boys who are trans competing in girls' sports" during a TMZ video. "This is a question of fairness," Jenner said. "That's why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls' sports in school. It just isn't fair. And we have to protect girls' sports in our schools.”

Meanwhile, Armstrong concluded his series of tweets by writing, “I truly hope you enjoy this series. And I hope that for those who have been reluctant to have this conversation, this somehow feels safe. Be fearless."

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Armstrong later hit out at a Twitter user who criticized him, writing: “we live in a world where may lack mirrors” and “we have Lance Armstrong lecturing people about sports fairness.”

Defending himself, Armstrong said he is “bringing all sides to the table.”

“Climb down from the high horse Matthew. I'm actually not lecturing anyone rather bringing all sides to the table and inviting rational and open dialogue. And I might add, having a conversation that almost nobody dares touch. If they stream podcasts up in your rarified air, check it out,” he wrote. 

In Jan. 2013, three months after being officially stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, Armstrong admitted to doping in a two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey. Armstrong’s confession during the interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) came after years of denials that he had taken performing-enhancing drugs while competing. 

Winfrey, 69, also asked Armstrong, “In your opinion was it humanly possible to win the Tour De France without doping, seven times in a row [from 1999 to 2005]?”

“Not in my opinion," he replied.