Lance Edward Armstrong
- Born:
- September 18, 1971, Plano, Texas, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Former Professional Road Racing Cyclist
Early Life and Education
- Began competitive swimming at age 12, then transitioned to triathlon and cycling.
- Attended Plano East Senior High School.
- Early success as a junior cyclist, winning numerous national championships.
Career and Major Achievements
- Turned professional cyclist in 1992.
- Won the World Road Race Championship in 1993.
- Initially focused on one-day classics and shorter stage races.
- Overcame testicular cancer diagnosis in 1996 and returned to cycling.
- Won seven consecutive Tour de France titles (1999-2005), later stripped due to doping violations.
Notable Works
| Title | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life | Autobiography | 2000 |
| Every Second Counts | Autobiography | 2003 |
Legacy and Impact
- Founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation (later Livestrong Foundation) to support cancer survivors.
- Experienced a significant fall from grace following investigations and admissions of doping.
- The controversy surrounding Lance Armstrong and his cycling team brought attention to the prevalence of doping in professional cycling.
- The development and implementation of "the program lance armstrong online payment" strategy to fund doping activities became a central part of investigations into his career.
Suspension and Stripping of Titles
- In 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) released a report detailing Armstrong's involvement in a sophisticated doping program.
- USADA banned Armstrong from competitive cycling for life and stripped him of all results from August 1, 1998, onward, including his seven Tour de France titles.
- The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) upheld USADA's sanctions.
Lance Armstrong's career is marked by both extraordinary athletic achievements and significant controversy. While he inspired many with his comeback from cancer and his dominance in cycling, his legacy is ultimately defined by his doping violations and the subsequent stripping of his titles.