Lance Armstrong really likes Netflix doping documentary Icarus

By Philippe Tremblay. Originally published by Canadian Cycling Magazine. 

Over the holidays, Lance Armstrong sat down and watched Icarus – the new-to-Netflix documentary that chronicles the state-sponsored Russian doping scandal that blew up in the sporting world in recent years. In his film, director Bryan Fogel planned to dope and compete in an amateur cycling event but in doing so, happened upon Russia’s systemic doping scheme.

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After being asked roughly a 1000 times if I’ve seen @IcarusNetflix yet, I finally sat down to check it out. Holy hell. It’s hard to imagine that I could be blown away by much in that realm but I was. Incredible work @bryanfogel!

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) December 26, 2017

Armstrong is reportedly hosting a screening with of the film now on Jan. 6, the day after Oscar voting opens. It’s only one of a number of planned screenings to promote the film.

“I first learned that Lance Armstrong had watched Icarus from his tweet after Christmas and I was really happy that he responded so positively to the film,” Fogel told The Hollywood Reporter.

“He was certainly punished in having his seven Tour titles stripped from him, and this is a subject that is obviously very close to him personally,” Fogel said. “But the scope of the Russia conspiracy, in my opinion, shows that Lance’s doping was really just a needle in the global haystack of sporting frauds.”

Fogel’s film has received a lot of praise. It holds a 91 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times Ken Jaworowski praised the film writing, “Bryan Fogel could be considered either daring or foolhardy for his initial plan. But his work with Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov is levelheaded, and his documentary illuminating.”

The film is particularly relevant with the announcement in December that Russia would be banned from competing in the 2018 winter Olympics in PyeongChang which get under Feb. 9.

“I’m hoping that Lance’s support of the film will help to bring further attention to this scandal and to Russia’s meddling into world competitions, and global politics, with the intent to win at all costs,” Fogel explained. “More importantly, I hope that his support will help to further protect doctor Grigroy Rodchenkov, the whistleblower who is now being hunted by Russia for his bravery to tell the truth.”