Disgraced seven-time Tour De France winner begs for forgiveness

He was regarded as a legend of the sport, with seven consecutive wins in the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005; only to be shamed by the United States Anti-Doping Agency(USADA) in August 2012 for using performance enhancement drugs during the period he was a raving cyclist.

Armstrong today has been stripped of all the titles he won, banned from sports for life; forced to distance himself from the foundation he started himself and the 43 year-old, self-confessed Texas born athlete believes it is time that his life is given back to him: as he is a changed man.

'If I was racing in 2015, no, I wouldn't do it again because I don't think you have to.

'If you take me back to 1995, when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again,' Armstrong said in a TV interview with the BBC.

Armstrong added that return to public life could be something the world is looking up to, even as he reiterates the condemnation in the act.

If the world wants him back, he said: ' selfishly, I would say 'yeah, we're getting close to that time'.

'But that's me, my word doesn't matter any more. What matters is what people collectively think, whether that's the cycling community, the cancer community.

'Listen, of course I want to be out of timeout, what kid doesn't?'

When asked if he would likely cheat again if giving the opportunity, he said: "When I made the decision, when my team made that decision, when the whole peloton made that decision, it was a bad decision and an imperfect time.

'But it happened. And I know what happened because of that. I know what happened to the sport, I saw its growth.'

The father of five continued by adding that if there was anything he would change about himself, it would be the man he used to be.

I would want to change the man that did those things, maybe not the decision, but the way he acted.

'The way he treated people, the way he couldn't stop fighting. It was unacceptable, inexcusable.'