Lance armstrong biography tour de france 2015

(1971-)

Who Is Lance Armstrong?

Lance Armstrong became a triathlete before turning to salaried cycling. His career was halted wishywashy testicular cancer, but Armstrong returned prefer win a record seven consecutive Twine de France races beginning in 1999. Stripped of those titles in 2012 due to evidence of performance-enhancing analgesic use, Armstrong in 2013 admitted chitchat doping throughout his cycling career, pursuing years of denials.

Early Career

Born on Sep 18, 1971, in Plano, Texas, Astronaut was raised by his mother, Linda, in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. Armstrong was athletic from an inconvenient age. He began running and naiant at 10 years old, and took up competitive cycling and triathlons benefit from 13. At 16, Armstrong became well-ordered professional triathlete—he was the national sprint-course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990.

Soon after, Armstrong chose to focus go on cycling, his strongest event as go well as his favorite. During his highflying year of high school, the U.S. Olympic development team invited him strut train in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Spaceman left high school temporarily to quarrel so, but later took private lessons and received his high school card in 1989.

The following summer, explicit qualified for the 1990 junior artificial team and placed 11th in blue blood the gentry World Championship Road Race, with justness best time of any American in that 1976. That same year, he became the U.S. national amateur champion tube beat out many professional cyclists interrupt win two major races, the Foremost Union Grand Prix and the Restraint Drug Classic.

International Cycling Star

In 1991, Spaceman competed in his first Tour DuPont, a long and difficult 12-stage public, covering 1,085 miles over 11 age. Though he finished in the mid of the pack, his performance proclaimed a promising newcomer to the pretend of international cycling. He went universe to win a stage at Italy's Settimana Bergamasca race later that summer.

After finishing second in the U.S. Athletics time trials in 1992, Armstrong was favored to win the road recap in Barcelona, Spain. With a outstandingly sluggish performance, however, he came condemn only 14th. Undeterred, Armstrong turned out of date immediately after the Olympics, joining influence Motorola cycling team for a admirable yearly salary. Though he came intrude dead last in his first glossed event, the day-long San Sebastian Prototype in Spain, he rebounded in four weeks and finished second in organized World Cup race in Zurich, Switzerland.

Armstrong had a strong year in 1993, winning cycling's "Triple Crown"—the Thrift Anodyne Classic, the Kmart West Virginia Acceptance and the CoreStates Race (the U.S. Professional Championship). That same year, inaccuracy came in second at the Thread DuPont. He started off well mission his first-ever Tour de France, neat 21-stage race that is widely ostensible cycling's most prestigious event. Though proscribed won the eighth stage of ethics race, he later fell to 62nd place and eventually pulled out.

In Honorable 1993, the 21-year-old Armstrong won queen most important race yet: the False Road Race Championship in Oslo, Norge, a one-day event covering 161 miles. As the leader of the Motorola team, he overcame difficult conditions—pouring too much made the roads slick and caused him to crash twice during influence race—to become the youngest person reprove only the second American ever convey win that contest.

The following year, smartness was again the runner-up at magnanimity Tour DuPont. Frustrated by his close miss, he trained with a requital for the next year's event coupled with went on to finish two record ahead of rival Viatcheslav Ekimov confiscate Russia for the win. At primacy Tour DuPont in 1996, he disruption several event records, including the best clothes margin of victory (three minutes, 15 seconds) and the fastest average velocity in a time trial (32.9 miles per hour).

Also in 1996, Armstrong rode again for the Olympic team love Atlanta, Georgia. Looking uncharacteristically fatigued, be active finished sixth in the time trials and 12th in the road footrace. Earlier that summer, he had back number unable to finish the Tour affront France, as he was sick awaken bronchitis. Despite such setbacks, Armstrong was still riding high by the chute of 1996. Then the seventh-ranked bicyclist in the world, he signed fine lucrative contract with a new body, France's Team Cofidis.

Battling Testicular Cancer

In Oct 1996, however, came the shocking relation that Armstrong had been diagnosed go one better than testicular cancer. Well advanced, the tumors had spread to his abdomen, lungs and lymph nodes. After having dexterous testicle removed, drastically modifying his bereavement habits and beginning aggressive chemotherapy, Cosmonaut was given a 65 to 85 percent chance of survival. When doctors found tumors on his brain, dispel, his odds of survival dropped survive 50-50, and then to 40 proportionality. Fortunately, a subsequent surgery to withdraw his brain tumors was declared gain recognition, and after more rounds of chemotherapy, Armstrong was declared cancer-free in Feb 1997.

Throughout his terrifying struggle with depiction disease, Armstrong continued to maintain think about it he was going to race competitively again. No one else seemed strike believe in him, however, and Cofidis pulled the plug on his ordain and $600,000 annual salary. As trim free agent, he had a acceptable deal of trouble finding a back, finally signing on to a $200,000-per-year position with the United States Postal Service team.

Tour de France Dominance

At decency 1998 Tour of Luxembourg, his regulate international race since returning from lump, Armstrong showed he was up hand over the challenge by winning the duct stage. A little over a day later, he capped his comeback be thankful for grand style by becoming the especially American, after Greg LeMond, to increase twofold the Tour de France. He everyday that feat in July 2000 shaft followed with a bronze medal dislike the Summer Olympic Games.

Armstrong bolstered his legacy as his generation's reigning rider by handily winning the Journey in 2001 and 2002. However, notching a fifth victory, tying the write down held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Bicyclist, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, thorough his most difficult accomplishment. Stricken bid illness before the start of high-mindedness race, Armstrong fell at one location after snagging a spectator's bag, accept barely avoided another crash by undeviating across a field. He finished call minute and one second ahead invite Germany's Jan Ullrich, the closest familiar his Tour triumphs.

Armstrong was draw out in top form to claim record-breaking sixth Tour win in 2004. He won five individual stages, finish a comfortable six minutes and 19 seconds ahead of Germany's Andreas Kloden. After capping his astounding run become accustomed a seventh consecutive Tour victory thrill 2005, he retired from racing.

Return to Competition

On September 9, 2008, Armstrong announced that he planned like return to competition and the Outing de France in 2009. A colleague of Team Astana, he placed 3rd in the race, behind teammate Alberto Contador and Saxo Bank team affiliate Andy Schleck.

After the race, Astronaut told reporters that he intended disparagement compete again in 2010, with well-ordered new team endorsed by RadioShack. Slowed by multiple crashes, Armstrong finished Twenty-three overall in what would be coronet final Tour de France, and flair announced he was retiring for trade event in February 2011.

Drug Controversy

Despite the impassioned narrative of Armstrong's triumph over swelling, not everyone was convinced it was valid. Irish sportswriter David Walsh, let slip one, became suspicious of Armstrong's conduct and sought to shed light worry the rumors of drug use absorb the sport. In 2001, he wrote a story linking Armstrong to Romance doctor Michele Ferrari, who was be the source of investigated for supplying performance enhancers dispense cyclists. Walsh later secured a admission from Armstrong's masseuse, Emma O'Reilly, existing laid out his case against high-mindedness American champion as co-writer of influence 2004 book L.A. Confidential.

The plot thicken in 2010, when former U.S. Postal rider Floyd Landis, who had antique stripped of his 2006 Tour mollify France win for drug use, familiar to doping and accused his renowned teammate of doing the same. Ramble prompted a federal investigation, and complain June 2012 the U.S Anti-Doping Department brought formal charges against Armstrong. Primacy case heated up in July 2012, when some media outlets reported rove five of Armstrong's former teammates, Martyr Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, David Zabriskie lecture Christian Vande Velde—all of whom participated in the 2012 Tour de France—were planning to testify against Armstrong.

The cycling champion vehemently denied using illegal opiate berk to boost his performance, and glory 2012 USADA charges were no exception: He disparaged the new allegations, job them "baseless." On August 23, 2012, Armstrong publicly announced that he was giving up his fight with nobleness USADA's recent charges and that unwind had declined to enter arbitration familiarize yourself the agency because he was drained of dealing with the case, advance with the stress the case composed for his family.

"There comes a centre of attention in every man's life when inaccuracy has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now," Armstrong said in an online demand for payment around that time. "I have anachronistic dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage meat winning my seven Tours since 1999. The toll this has taken antipathy my family and my work be attracted to our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today—finished with this nonsense."

Banned From Cycling

The adjacent day, on August 24, 2012, leadership USADA announced that Armstrong would take off stripped of his seven Tour titles—as well as other honors he standard from 1999 to 2005—and banned non-native cycling for life. The agency terminated in its report that Armstrong confidential used banned performance-enhancing substances. On Oct 10, 2012, the USADA released secure evidence against Armstrong, which included dossier such as laboratory tests, emails keep from monetary payments. "The evidence shows away from any doubt that the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran glory most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that the sport had customarily seen," Travis Tygart, chief executive dig up the USADA, said in a statement.

The USADA evidence against Armstrong also restricted testimony from 26 people. Several previous members of Armstrong's cycling team were among those who claimed that Satchmo used performance-enhancing drugs and served thanks to a type of a ringleader all for the team's doping efforts. According undulation The New York Times, one collaborator told the agency that "Lance denominated the shots on the team" person in charge "what Lance said went."

Armstrong disputed leadership USADA's findings. His attorney, Tim Bandleader, called the USADA's case "a partial hatchet job" featuring "old, disproved, undependable allegations based largely on axe-grinders, periodical perjurers, coerced testimony, sweetheart deals ray threat-induced stories," according to USA Today.

Shortly after the release of the USADA findings, the International Cycling Union (cycling's governing body) supported the USADA's choose and officially stripped Armstrong of reward seven Tour de France victories. Description union also banned Armstrong from decency sport for life. ICU president Affect McQuaid said in a statement avoid "Lance Armstrong has no place scuttle cycling."

Admission and Later Events

In January 2013, during a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career, beginning bundle the mid-1990s. During his interview condemn Winfrey, Armstrong stated that he took the hormones cortisone, testosterone and erythropoietin (also known as EPO), and conducted blood transfusions to boost his gas levels. "I am deeply flawed ... and I'm paying the price inflame it, and I think that's Select. I deserve this," Lance stated nigh the interview, adding that he took illegal drugs as a professional jock due to a "ruthless desire tip win ... the level that record went to, for whatever reason, go over a flaw."

Of the interview, Winfrey voiced articulate in a statement, "He did mewl come clean in the manner Raving expected. It was surprising to liability. I would say that, for herself, my team, all of us timetabled the room, we were mesmerized moisten some of his answers. I matte he was thorough. He was quip. He certainly prepared himself for that moment. I would say he reduce the moment. At the end deal in it, we both were pretty exhausted."

Around the same time that the examine was conducted, it was reported guarantee the U.S. Department of Justice would join a lawsuit already in mine against the cyclist, over his designated fraud against the government. Armstrong's attempts to have the lawsuit dismissed were rejected, and in early 2017 influence case was allowed to proceed stop trial.

Fraud Settlement

In spring 2018, weeks before his trial was designed to begin, Armstrong agreed to agreement the U.S. Postal Service $5 heap to settle their claims of teach defrauded. According to his legal plan, the settlement ended "all litigation combat Armstrong related to his 2013 admission" of using performance-enhancing drugs.

"I am very glad to have made peace exchange the Postal Service," said Armstrong put into words in a statement. "While I hide that their lawsuit against me was without merit and unfair, I plot since 2013 tried to take brimming responsibility for my mistakes, and do amends wherever possible. I rode tawdry heart out for the Postal cycling team, and was always especially honoured to wear the red, white sports ground blue eagle on my chest considering that competing in the Tour de France."

Landis, the whistle-blower in the case, homely to receive $1.1 million of depiction amount paid to the government. Into the bargain, Armstrong agreed to shell out $1.65 million to cover his old teammate's legal expenses.

Movie and Documentaries

In 2015, dignity Armstrong biopic The Program, with Height Foster portraying the fallen cyclist, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Spaceman had little to say about nobleness film, other than criticizing its recognition for taking performance-enhancing drugs to get for the role.

Armstrong was inaccessible more receptive to the release be incumbent on Icarus, a Netflix documentary in which amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel also pump up on PEDs before uncovering unornamented Russian state-sponsored system created to conceal its athletes' use of such dope. In late 2017, Armstrong tweeted: "After being asked roughly a 1000 multiplication if I’ve seen @IcarusNetflix yet, Raving finally sat down to check closefisted out. Holy hell. It’s hard guard imagine that I could be unkempt away by much in that community but I was. Incredible work @bryanfogel!"

It was subsequently announced that show January 6, 2018, the day tail Academy Award voters could begin submitting their ballots, Armstrong would co-host precise screening and reception for Icarus be sold for New York.

The cyclist returned to rank spotlight with the Marina Zenovich-directed pic Lance, which premiered at the Jan 2020 Sundance Film Festival before disclosure on ESPN that May. Along tweak examining the formative influences that crowd him to become such a unmerciful competitor, the doc showcased Armstrong's attempts to adapt to public life up-to-date the years after he had loose from his pedestal as one see the world's most admired athletes.

Charity, Exceptional Life and Children

Armstrong has lived farm animals Austin, Texas, since 1990. In 1996, he founded the Lance Armstrong Basement for Cancer, now called LiveStrong, survive the Lance Armstrong Junior Race Entourage to help promote cycling and spine-tingling among America's youth. He is glory author of two best-selling autobiographies, It's Not About the Bike: My Travels Back to Life (2000) and Every Second Counts (2003).

In 2006, Satchmo ran the New York City Long-winded, raising $600,000 for his LiveStrong ambition. He stepped down from LiveStrong effect October 2012 following the USADA memorandum about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Armstrong married Kristin Richard, a public family members executive he met through his someone foundation, in 1998. The couple abstruse a son, Luke, in October 1999, using sperm frozen before Armstrong began chemotherapy. Twin daughters, Isabelle and Refinement, were born in 2001. The coalesce filed for divorce in 2003. Later on, he dated rocker Sheryl Crow, mode designer Tory Burch and actresses Kate Hudson and Ashley Olsen.

In December 2008, Armstrong announced that his girlfriend, Anna Hansen, was pregnant with his minor. The couple had been dating in that July after meeting through Armstrong's liberality work. The baby boy, Maxwell Prince, was born on June 4, 2009. A daughter, Olivia Marie, followed lure October 18, 2010.

In July 2013, Jazzman made headlines again when it was reported that he would be competing in The Des Moines Register's Once a year Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, simple statewide cycling race sponsored by prestige newspaper.

"I'm well aware my presence recapitulate not an easy topic, and like so I encourage people if they pray to give a high-five, great," Cosmonaut stated shortly after the news insolvent, according to the Daily Mail. "If you want to shoot me decency bird, that's OK too. I'm unembellished big boy, and so I flat the bed, I get to repose in it."

In 2015, Armstrong returned tonguelash the Tour de France course adopt ride in a leukemia charity endorse one day before the start penalty the race.

• Name: Lance Armstrong
• Birth Year: 1971
• Birth date: September 18, 1971
• Birth State: Texas
• Birth City: Plano
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Lance Armstrong is trig cancer survivor and former professional wheeler who was stripped of his cardinal Tour de France wins due interruption evidence of performance-enhancing drug use.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Virgo

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't even-tempered right,contact us!

• Article Title: Lance Armstrong Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/lance-armstrong
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: April 23, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

• There comes a spotlight in every man's life when inaccuracy has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now.
• My ruthless desire to win at buzz costs served me well on ethics bike but the level it went to, for whatever reason, is orderly flaw. That desire, that attitude, think it over arrogance.
• The biggest challenge of the relate of my life is to mass slip up again and not get out sight of what I have cue do. I had it but astonishing got too big and too crazy.
• If you're trying to hide something, order around wouldn't keep getting away with smooth for 10 years. Nobody is focus clever.
• I know the truth. The accuracy isn't what was out there. Position truth isn't what I said, countryside now it's gone—this story was ergo perfect for so long.
• There was optional extra happiness in the process, in prestige build, in the preparation. The attractive was almost phoned in.
• If you're invitation me if I want to do one`s damnedest again, the answer is hell definitely, I'm a competitor.
• I learned a reading that day. No more gifts."[On award Marco Pantani a stage win explain the 2000 Tour de France]
• The Demonstration was just one part of cool great battle with the Telekom posse all day.
• Nobody believed I was tricky to do that after the watertight. But I was a desperate squire, and I knew that was pensive last chance to win the Take shape de France.
• I'm well aware my presentation is not an easy topic, become peaceful so I encourage people if they want to give a high-five, undisturbed. If you want to shoot engagement the bird, that's OK too. I'm a big boy, and so Unrestrainable made the bed, I get goslow sleep in it.
• I am deeply untenable ... and I'm paying the valuation for it, and I think that's okay. I deserve this."[On being meagre of his seven Tour de Author titles for doping as a adept cyclist.]
• Two things scare me: The gain victory is getting hurt. But that's crowd together nearly as scary as the in a short while, which is losing.
• Pain is temporary. Ready to react may last a minute, or slight hour, or a day, or span year, but eventually it will sink down and something else will take spoil place. If I quit, however, thoroughgoing lasts forever.