Embattled cyclist Lance Armstrong made an appearance at the Ragbrai , a seven-day bike tour across Iowa, and stopped by the local newspaper to talk about getting back on the bike and of course steroids.
Going into the ride, he said he didn't expect any hostility from other riders but knows that he might have been facing a mixed bag of reactions after his doping admission on Oprah earlier this year.
"It's a polarizing topic where people are pulled strongly either way. I’m not ignorant when it comes to that," Armstrong told The Des Moines Register. "I know a couple things. I know it was an unfortunate period in our sport -- and when I say period, I mean 10, 15, 20 years. Unfortunately for me, I came right smack dab in the middle of that period and I participated like many others did.
"That reality that the world has seen now is uncomfortable for many people."
Armstrong, who is banned from competing in most cycling events after a damning US Anti-Doping Agency report detailed his alleged doping throughout his career, seemed to sidestep much of the responsibility for what many have painted as a doping culture that was further encouraged under his leadership.
"It wasn’t a pretty time," he added to the newspaper. "I didn't invent it, and I didn't end it. My bad for playing along.”
The interview was printed shortly after a group of donors told CBS News they were considering suing Armstrong's foundation, Livestrong (he cut ties with the organization last year), alleging that the money they donated didn't go to help cancer patients and survivors.
