When will we be told what really happened with Lance Armstrong?

When are we going to see the Armstrong truth? Because I’m now thoroughly sick of the Armstrong lie.

For some reason I was really looking forward to seeing Alex Gibney’s documentary on this most unlikeable man, so was quite pleased when I found it was screening last night at the Adelaide Festival.

But just as quickly, the idea of paying to see it seemed very wrong.

Sure, it’s not Armstrong’s project and I’m assuming he’s getting none of the proceeds, but I decided I wouldn’t travel into the city to watch the movie.

Instead, I was able to find a link on YouTube (thanks @AnnOdong) and sat down to what I hoped would be Lance’s reputation being lowered another peg or two.

Within seconds, I was angry, and just wanted the two-hour production to be over.

I thought I had dealt with my anger over the depths of Armstrong’s massive deception, but clearly not. Don’t get me wrong, this movie, about Armstrong’s 2009 Tour de France comeback, is wonderfully put together, with loads of archive footage and interviews with everyone that figured in his career. Even the infamous Michele Ferrari fronted the cameras.

But seeing all those Tour ‘highlights’ with the assumption that we weren’t really going to find out the real story, just had me on edge.

My hope was at some stage we’d see Lance give us something he hadn’t already given us in the numerous interviews after his ‘confession’ on Oprah in January 2013.

Things started well when Armstrong said, “The only person that can actually help people understand what the true narrative is, is me. Because we haven’t heard it yet, the truth.”

And we’re still waiting.

The premise for The Armstrong Lie was Alex Gibney’s intention to chronicle Armstrong’s 2009 TDF, and find out why he wanted to risk coming back when so many people were gunning for him.

Gibney got his perfect ending to his original project when L’Equipe ran a headline at the end of the race which said “Chapeau, Le Texan”. They believed he’d come back, raced cleanly and still finished third.

But when USADA’s Reasoned Decision was handed down and raised questions over Armstrong’s red blood cell count following the Ventoux stage that effectively sealed that podium spot, Gibney was mortified.

He insisted Armstrong owed him some more camera time because he realised he’d become the latest victim of the Armstrong lie.

Armstrong agreed and after a few brief comments three hours after the Oprah interview, the two sat down again a few months later in May.

It would be interesting though to know what Gibney thinks of the final product, because I’m not sure he’ll be entirely happy with it.

Sure, Armstrong did say a few things, like “I did intend to go back and win it clean” about the 2009 TDF.

Or “I knew the risk the past could be brought back up again,” on making that comeback.

Or “I went too far” with the 2005 SCA deposition, or “I should’ve backed off” when it came to the lawsuits.

But just like the Oprah interview, he failed to go far enough, or show any real contrition. As Betsy Andreu said towards the end of the doco, “Lance isn’t ready for the entire truth yet. He doesn’t like losing.”

That comes through when Armstrong discusses the fight to protect his reputation. While he describes it as the biggest mistake of his life, he almost tries to justify himself by saying “I was a fighter on the bike. I was a fighter off the bike. I was prepared to say anything.”

Maybe he still is, although one can only wonder what reputation he thinks he has left.

When questioned by Gibney about those blood values after the 2009 climb up Ventoux, Armstrong blamed it on the doping control being taken straight after the stage when his body was most stressed and dehydrated. Therefore, the reading couldn’t be relied upon.

And there I was thinking all doping controls were taken straight after a race, although this was blood and not just urine.

Whether this exact moment will be revisited under the UCI’s Independent Commission into doping remains to be seen. Armstrong says he will cooperate, but unless he is prepared to name all the names, will anyone really believe him?

Right now, the US Department of Justice is seeking $100m in damages from Armstrong for defrauding the US Postal Service.

Given he earned more than $125m in his career through lying, as Gibney points out, it seems an appropriate amount.

As it’s said, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. While it seems Armstrong is yet to hit rock bottom, I look forward to the day he does. It’s going to be a real hard landing.

But if you’re thinking The Armstrong Lie is going to the moment of full disclosure in the Armstrong saga, you’d best lower your expectations.