Lance Armstrong has finally publically admitted that he doped during cycling events.
The confession came during an interview that aired on Oprah Winfrey's Network Thursday night.
Armstrong said he was sorry he fought the U.S. anti doping agency. He also said the scandal never would have happened if he hadn't come back from retirement.
CBS47 sat down with members of the Fresno Cycling Club as they watched the interview, which could be one of the final chapters for a fallen sports icon.
They were disappointed but not ready to judge. Cyclist John Askew said, "I know I've told lies in the past, so I'm in no position to judge someone that lied. I mean I don't think that's right."
Armstrong's admission comes after a decade of denial.
Local cyclists think it was all just too much. "I think it just finally got to the point that he couldn't hide it any longer. There was just too much evidence and he just finally gave up and admitted he was wrong," said Askew.
Armstrong became a national hero but now he's banned from the sport for life.
Cycle club members say the pressure to compete is beyond intense. It can be virtually impossible to deal with.
Cyclist Dennis Ball, president of the Fresno Cycle Club said, "I know that to be competitive you have to be either super human or you have to do the same thing that everybody else is doing."
Armstrong confirmed he was the ringleader of an elaborate doping scheme. A stunning fall from grace, proving that in the end, Armstrong is all too human. "I think the smartest thing he would have done is say, 'Hey, look you know, we did it,'" said Ball.
Armstrong admitted he could never have won the Tour de France seven times without using drugs.
