A live interview with disgraced cyclist, Lance Armstrong, conducted by American chat show host, Oprah Winfrey, will be streamed online next Thursday (17).

Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France “victories” by the UCI last October, following an investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which branded the Texan, “a serial cheat”.

USADA concluded that the Armstrong-led US Postal team had conducted “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen”.

The interview will be broadcast by Winfrey’s OWN network. A spokesman for the broadcaster said Winfrey would tackle Armstrong on “accusations of years of cheating”, since proven by USADA in its 1,000 page ‘Reasoned Decision’.

Armstrong has yet to confess to taking performance enhancing drugs, and declined the right to publicly contest testimony gathered under penalty of perjury from former staff and 11 former teammates at a USADA arbitration hearing.

Others who refused a public hearing include US Postal’s consultant doctor, Dr Michele Ferrari, currently fighting allegations in the Padua investigation, team doctor, Dr Luis Garcia del Moral, and trainer, Jose “Pepe” Marti.

All three were banned for life by USADA last July.

Speculation is mounting over the liklihood of a public confession to the use of performance enhacing drugs from Armstrong during next week’s broadcast interview.

A confession would contradict evidence given by Armstrong in his civil actions against The Sunday Times, and SCA, which insured Armstrong’s win bonuses, and were forced to pay the Texan $5m plus $2.5m costs.

The SCA has stated its intention to take legal action to recover the funds.