Ex-cyclist Lance Armstrong has said that he would "probably" dope again, but he believes that now is the time for him to be forgiven.

Armstrong admitted to doping throughout his career to American chatshow host Oprah Winfrey in 2013, before he was banned from the sport for life and had his seven Tour de France titles stripped.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "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."

Despite that admission, the 43-year-old said that he thinks the world should now accept his return to public life.

"Selfishly, I would say 'yeah, we're getting close to that time. But that's me, my word doesn't matter anymore. 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 time-out, what kid doesn't?"

The Texan first retired in 2005, before he returned in 2009.