THE voice of world cycling, Phil Liggett, says Lance Armstrong swore to his face he didn't dope but the veteran commentator now feels like 'a fool' for staunchly defending the fallen cyclist for so long.

Liggett, who has called 35 Tours de France, says he’s had sleepless nights this week following USADA’s damning report into the systematic drug taking of seven-time winner Armstrong and his teammates.

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Liggett had previously been a strong supporter of Armstrong’s in numerous doping scandals, and even as early as this week, was still questioning the quality of evidence in USADA’s "witch hunt" pursuit of Armstrong.

But the withdrawal of Armstrong’s sponsors and his resignation as chairman of the Livestrong foundation has finally convinced Liggett of Armstrong’s guilt.

"I was inclined (to think) surely he doesn’t dope, but now I look a fool, to be quite frank," Liggett told The Daily Telegraph from London.



"Quite clearly he has had a program going, with all the other guys."



"I am like everybody else. I had no idea such an in-depth drug scheme was taking place.



"I spent many hours with Armstrong over the years, but only at functions, doing things for him like MC-ing his cancer events.



"I wouldn’t call Lance a friend because you can’t get that close to him. But I really thought he was clean, and in 2003, he actually told me to my face, in his own room. So obviously I am devastated."



Liggett was reluctant to fully demonise Armstrong given his massive passion to raise money and awareness of cancer.



Ultimately, however, it was knowing how much Livestrong meant to Armstrong that had this week removed Liggett’s doubts that the US cyclist had doped.



"Lance gave us great moments and also raised over half-a-billion dollars for Livestrong, which is the dearest thing to his heart," Liggett said.



"If there were any lingering doubts as far as I was concerned, when Nike and all his sponsors pulled out, but continued to donate to Livestrong, quite clearly a deal was struck.



"We’ll donate to Livestrong Lance, providing you leave the company as chairman’.



"That’s about the nearest I think we’re going to get to a confession from Lance. And if he does confess, that leaves him wide open to a myriad legal entanglements."

Liggett told a cycling website this week were it not for the fact he’d signed contracts to commentate through to 2016, the scandal was so depressing he would have walked away from cycling.



"Having been with the riders...there’s never been the slightest inclination these guys have been going back and preparing by taking EPO and human growth hormone."



A giant shadow is now cast over Tour de France winners but Liggett said he firmly believes

Cadel Evans is a clean rider: "I feel beyond a shadow of a doubt Cadel Evans won a clean Tour de France.



"That was a good race and a real race."



Liggett baulks at the talk of amnesty for drug cheats, and feels six-month sentences for people who testified against Armstrong are "derisory".



He feels like professional cycling is now in a new era of strict drug rules, and hopes young athletes coming through will never have been "tainted" by old drug regimes.



"I think we are still in process of cleaning out the back room, but going forward I

feel we are very much in a safer state," he said.



"Looking back (on the past 12 years), how do I feel? I suppose I feel like I have been taken for a ride. Quite literally."

Originally published as Lance made a fool out of me