Tight Ties Linked Lance Armstrong’s Business and Charity

As Lance Armstrong prepares for what is widely expected to be a confessional interview with Oprah Winfrey, The New York Times examines the close bonds among the former cycling champion, his business empire, and Livestrong, the cancer charity he founded in 1997.

Mr. Armstrong’s commercial and charitable interests became intertwined, with the nonprofit group enhancing the athlete’s marketability and engaging in deals that appeared to benefit him and his business associates, the Times says, citing interviews and financial records.

In a conversation with Ms. Winfrey to be taped Monday, Mr. Armstrong is expected to acknowledge that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his years as a cycling champion, according to USA Today. The newspaper cites sources who say Mr. Armstrong hopes to rehabilitate his image and stem damage to Livestrong arising from last year’s U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report.