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Armstrong, Lance (1971- ) American cyclist, four-time winner of the Tour de France, the most prestigious cycling race in the world and one of the most grueling contests in all of sports. Armstrong possesses a fierce determination and the rare ability to excel in both mountain racing and time-trial sprints.
Armstrong was born in Plano, Texas, and was raised primarily by his mother. A standout athlete, he was competing in and winning triathlons (races where participants must run, swim, and bicycle) by the age of 13. Toward the end of high school he began to focus on cycling, and in 1990 he was invited to try out for the United States national team. With little formal coaching he finished 11th at the 1990 World Amateur Cycling Championships in Japan. One of the top amateurs in the world, Armstrong was one of the favorites in the road-race event at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He finished a disappointing 14th, however, and decided to turn professional.
He finished last out of 111 riders in his first pro race, the 1992 Classico San Sebastian in Spain, but rebounded to finish second in his next race. In 1993 he emerged as one of the world’s top riders, becoming the youngest cyclist to win the World Cycling Championships and capturing a number of other big races. He also participated in the Tour de France for the first time and won one section, or stage, although he did not attempt to complete the race’s entire course of more than 3,200 km (more than 2,000 mi).
In 1995 Armstrong won the Classico San Sebastian as well as the Tour DuPont, the biggest pro road race in the United States. He repeated the wins in 1996, but in October of that year he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs and brain. Given no more than a 50 percent chance of survival, he underwent immediate surgery and chemotherapy. Battling back, Armstrong was declared cancer-free one year later. He returned to cycling in mid-1998 and immediately returned to his old form with a number of top-five finishes and several victories.
In a stunning performance, Armstrong dominated the 1999 Tour de France, winning four stages and wearing the yellow leader’s jersey for most of the race. He finished first by more than seven minutes overall and became just the second American to win the Tour de France. Greg LeMond captured the race three times in the 1980s and early 1990s. Armstrong repeated as champion in 2000, 2001, and 2002, becoming just the fourth cyclist to win the race four times in a row. He also earned a bronze medal in the time-trial event at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Armstrong’s autobiography, It’s Not About the Bike, was published in 2000. |
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