Lance Armstrong

Lance Edward Armstrong (born Gunderson) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He became famous for winning the Tour de France seven times in a row from 1999 to 2005. However, in 2012, he lost all his titles after an investigation found that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Because of this, he was banned from all cycling events.

Armstrong started as a triathlete at age 16 and became a national champion in 1989 and 1990. In 1992, he began his professional cycling career with the Motorola team. He won many races, including the World Championship in 1993 and stages of the Tour de France in 1993 and 1995. In 1996, he was diagnosed with a serious form of testicular cancer. After recovering, he created the Lance Armstrong Foundation, now known as the Livestrong Foundation, to help others living with cancer.

After returning to cycling in 1998, Armstrong won his seven Tour de France titles with the US Postal/Discovery team. He retired in 2005 but came back to race in 2009 with the Astana team, finishing third in that year’s Tour de France. He raced again with Team Radio Shack until retiring for the second time in 2011.

Armstrong faced claims about using forbidden substances after his first Tour de France win in 1999, which he denied for many years. In 2012, an investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency proved these claims true, leading to a lifetime ban from sports. In 2013, Armstrong admitted to using forbidden substances. Later, he paid the U.S. government $5 million after a legal case brought by a former team member.

Early life

Lance Edward Armstrong was born on September 18, 1971, in Richardson, Texas. His mother, Linda Armstrong Kelly, grew up in Oak Cliff. Armstrong was named after Lance Rentzel, a player for the Dallas Cowboys. His parents divorced when he was two, and he later took his stepfather's last name, Armstrong. He went to Plano East Senior High School.

Career

Lance Armstrong began his career as a top triathlete in the late 1980s. He turned professional in cycling in 1992 with the Motorola team. In 1993, he won the World Road Race Championship and his first stage in the Tour de France.

In 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with a serious illness and underwent treatment. He made an impressive comeback in 1998 and gradually built his way back to the top of the sport. By 1999, he had won the Tour de France for the first time, beginning a streak of seven consecutive victories from 1999 to 2005. During this time, he also competed in other races and events, showing great skill and determination.

Armstrong returned to racing in 2009 after a period of retirement, joining the Astana team and later Team RadioShack. Though he didn’t achieve the same level of success as before, he continued to inspire many with his dedication to the sport. His career highlighted both remarkable achievements and the challenges of overcoming serious health issues.

Doping allegations, investigation, and confession

Lance Armstrong faced many claims that he used special drugs to improve his performance during races. He said these claims were not true until January 2013. For a long time, he strongly denied ever using these special drugs.

Armstrong had disagreements with people who spoke out against using special drugs, like Paul Kimmage and Christophe Bassons. Bassons wrote about these issues in a French newspaper during the 1999 Tour de France. Armstrong spoke to him during a race and told him it was wrong to talk about these things.

In 2004, two reporters wrote a book saying Armstrong used special drugs. Another person claimed that in 1999, Armstrong had a test that showed signs of special drugs, but Armstrong said this was because he used a special cream for sore parts of his body during the race.

In 2012, a group called the United States Anti-Doping Agency said Armstrong used special drugs and shared them with his teammates. They took away all his wins from 1998 onward, including his seven Tour de France titles, and banned him from racing for life.

In January 2013, Armstrong admitted in an interview that he had used special drugs. He said this was many years ago and that he did not use them in 2009 or 2010. After this, many of his sponsors stopped working with him.

Personal life

Lance Armstrong owns homes in Austin, Texas and Aspen, Colorado, as well as a ranch in the Texas Hill Country.

Armstrong married Kristin Richard in 1998, and they had three children together. After they divorced in 2003, he dated singer Sheryl Crow for a short time. Later, he met Anna Hansen and they had two children. They married in 2022.

Armstrong has been involved in charity work, especially for cancer research. He created a foundation to support people affected by cancer and helped raise money through special events and products like yellow bracelets. He has also taken part in charity runs and rides to help raise funds for important causes.

In popular culture

In February 2026, a movie about Armstrong's life was announced. The film will be directed by Edward Berger and produced by Berger, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbit. Zach Baylin will write the script, and Austin Butler will play Armstrong.

Media

In 2017, Armstrong began a podcast called "The Move". This podcast talked about the Tour de France every day in 2018 and 2019. He also appeared on live television broadcasts of the Tour de France for NBC Sports Network without being paid. The officials said these activities did not break the rules of his ban.

Career achievements

Lance Armstrong started racing bikes when he was young. In 1991, he won the National Junior Road Championships. Over the years, he won many races, including the Tour de France seven times in a row from 1999 to 2005.

Because of rules broken during his races, his titles were taken away in 2012. He was not allowed to race bikes again after that. Armstrong also tried other sports like triathlons and mountain biking, with some good results in those areas too.

Filmography

Lance Armstrong appeared in several films and documentaries over the years. Some of these include Road to Paris from 2001, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story from 2004, and You, Me and Dupree from 2006. Later, documentaries such as The Armstrong Lie (2013) and Stop at Nothing: The Lance Armstrong Story (2014) explored his career. He also appeared in The Program (2015) and Tour de Pharmacy (2017), and was featured in 30 for 30: Lance (2020).

Accolades

Lance Armstrong received many awards and honors for his achievements in cycling. He was named SportsMan of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee several times and also won the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award multiple times. He received international recognition, including the Prince of Asturias Award in Sports and the Jesse Owens International Trophy.

Some of these awards were later taken away due to issues with his cycling career. Despite this, Armstrong’s impact on sports was significant, and he was honored with many titles and recognitions during his time as a cyclist.