“We were never in a position to tell our side of the story” – Johan Bruyneel says new Hollywood Lance Armstrong biopic finally gives him and Armstrong a voice
Cycling
The scale of the upcoming Hollywood biopic on Lance Armstrong has already marked it out as the most ambitious retelling of cycling’s most controversial era to date.
With Austin Butler set to play Armstrong and a package that sparked a competitive bidding war among major studios, the project is being positioned as prestige cinema rather than a niche sports drama.
That context matters when considering the reaction from Armstrong’s former team manager, Johan Bruyneel, who has welcomed the film as a rare opportunity to respond to a story he believes has been told without him for more than a decade.
Speaking on the TheMove, Bruyneel said that while he has no influence over casting or creative decisions, the most important element for him is perspective. “All I know is that the film will be told from a different perspective,” he said, adding that the angle itself matters more than who ultimately portrays him.
A Hollywood retelling, not a cycling one
The new film is set to be directed by Edward Berger, with a screenplay from Zach Baylin, and has been framed by those involved as a character-driven exploration rather than a procedural reconstruction of anti-doping investigations.
For Bruyneel, that distinction is crucial. He has been openly critical of previous documentaries and dramatisations of the Armstrong era, including productions linked to the work of journalist David Walsh. “I haven’t seen most of them,” he said, “but I do know that many facts and events were not told. And if they were told, they were not told in the right way.”
That frustration, he explained, has lingered for years, reinforced by what he views as incomplete or one-sided portrayals. The involvement of Armstrong himself in the new film is, in Bruyneel’s view, what differentiates it from earlier attempts.
‘The good, the bad and the ugly’
Despite welcoming the project, Bruyneel insisted the film would not attempt to soften or excuse what happened during the US Postal era. He described it as a very large production that aims to show the full picture, including the most uncomfortable aspects.
“Lance is involved in the project, and it really will be ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’,” Bruyneel said. “Nothing will be excused, and that is how it should be, but with the necessary nuance.”
That emphasis on nuance sits at the heart of Bruyneel’s reaction. While the sporting verdicts around Armstrong are long settled, he argues that the absence of balance in how events were later presented has shaped public perception just as strongly as the original offences.
‘We were never put in a position’
Bruyneel’s strongest criticism is not aimed at the outcome of investigations, but at the process that followed. “We were never put in a position where we could tell our side of the story,” he said, framing the biopic as the first time that opportunity has genuinely existed.
Once the film is released, he said, judgment should be left to the audience. “After that, people can think whatever they want.”
Hollywood actor Austin Butler will play Lance Armstrong in the upcoming biopic
Criticism of the USADA report
Bruyneel also reiterated his long-standing objections to the United States Anti-Doping Agency report that underpinned Armstrong’s lifetime ban, arguing that it was written in a way he considers far from objective.
“The USADA report was written like a novel or a sensational news article,” he said. “That was certainly not objective.” He added that the consequences for his own reputation were severe. “I was portrayed as the devil, and I know that I am not.”
Accepting the backlash
Bruyneel acknowledged that the film will inevitably be met with hostility in some quarters, particularly within cycling, where Armstrong remains largely persona non grata. “There is a small minority who will always continue to see me that way,” he said. “I struggled with that for a while, but I have turned the page.”
He added that he already expects critics who will dismiss the film regardless of its content, but said that no longer concerns him. What matters, he said, is the view of those close to him. “As long as the people around me value me, I am fine with it. That applies to Lance as well.”
Whether the film ultimately reshapes how cycling’s most controversial period is remembered remains uncertain. What is already clear is that the project’s sheer scale has created a platform that figures from the centre of that era now believe they can finally use.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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