NatGeo Explores Lance Armstrong Scandal on CYCLING HIGH, Premiering Tonight

Profiling one of sports' most high profile scandals that created a media frenzy, National Geographic Channel, along with Peacock Productions, dissects the story of the science and scheming behind the saga of what's been called "the most sophisticated and successful doping scheme in all of sports."

Premiering on NGC tonight, April 21, at 7PM ET/PT, Cycling High: Doping to Win documents Lance Armstrong's Epic fall from grace, using infographics, re-creations, archival footage and new interviews. Cycling High will premiere internationally in 171 countries and 38 languages this spring. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NGC_PR.

Using the investigative Style of the popular series "Drugs, Inc" and the critically acclaimed Inside franchise, Cycling High gives an explosive 360° view of what has become the most famous and damning doping scheme in sports history.

Guided by the comprehensive U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Report, this one-hour in-depth special pieces together the eyewitness testimonies and delves into the illicit science to reveal how the USADA says the doping plot began and then mushroomed in its complexity. Cycling High includes expert analysis and perspective on this alleged conspiracy with original interviews from top authors, writers and experts, including Dr. Chris Cooper (author, Run, Swim, Throw, Cheat: The Science Behind Drugs in Sport), Joe Lindsey (writer, Bicycling Magazine), Reed Albergotti (reporter, The Wall Street Journal and author, Wheelmen), Juliet Macur (reporter, The New York Times), Jeffrey Tillotson (attorney) and Stephen Swart (former professional cyclist).

In addition, viewers will go inside how the USADA reports that Armstrong and his co-conspirators outfoxed drug-testing officials, race after race. Cycling High includes interviews from Travis Tygart, USADA chief executive officer, as well as from members of Armstrong's inner circle - riders like Tyler Hamilton, team masseuse Emma O'Reilly, and Betsy Andreu. The documentary details Armstrong and his teammates' elaborate system of avoiding detection: specially timing their drug use and warning one another, allowing them to ride under the radar. And there are less sophisticated measures, such as simply hiding from testers knocking on their doors.

"You were either with him [Lance] or you were against him," said Hamilton. See how the USADA details the way Armstrong went to great lengths to protect his secret and his legacy, using all of the powers at his command to silence and to attack his critics, all the while assuring the public that his blood was as clean as his public image. But in the end, his empire collapsed, as the scheming unraveled and the science finally caught up to Armstrong.

Cycling High: Doping to Win is produced by Peacock Productions for National Geographic Channel. For Peacock Productions, Benjamin Ringe and Knute Walker. For NGC, Lynn Sadofsky is Vice president of production and development, JC Mills is executive producer, Michael Cascio is executive Vice president of programming and Howard T. Owens is president.

About Peacock Productions

Peacock Productions is an award-winning, nonfiction Production Company that combines the editorial expertise, technical resources and seasoned production talent of NBCUniversal News Group. It offers a wide range of programming to broadcast, cable and digital entities with worldwide reach. To learn more, please visit peacockproductions.tv.

National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and FOX Cable Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 83 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in 435 million homes in 173 countries and 37 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

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