LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Fallen American cyclist Lance Armstrong said in an interview aired on Friday that he was "humbled" and "ashamed" by the years he spent lying about using performance-enhancing drugs.

"I feel ashamed. Yeah, this is ugly stuff," Armstrong told talkshow host Oprah Winfrey, adding that the "most humbling moment" was when he was asked to step down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer charity.

"It hurt like hell."