how many tour de france stages did lance armstrong win

How Many Tour de France Races Did Lance Armstrong Win?

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Published 08 Jun 2020

Lance Armstrong is the most famous cyclist in the history of the sport — but not exclusively for positive reasons. Fans originally loved him for his cycling dominance , most notably the Tour de France. But as time went on, Armstrong’s legacy took a major hit.

He became embroiled in a doping scandal that called into question all of the Tour de France titles he won — and there were a lot of them. So exactly how many times did Armstrong win the Tour de France? Let’s find out.

Lance Armstrong’s early cycling career

History.com recalls that Armstrong’s athletic career began as a triathlete, and he started competing professionally at age 16. Biking was his strongest of the three events and he started training with the U.S. Olympic cycling developmental team a year later.

In 1991, he won the U.S. amateur cycling championship and finished 14th in the road race at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona in 1992. The next year, he won 10 championships, including the World Road Championships — his first major race. That year was also when Armstrong competed in his first Tour de France, the sport’s premier race, and won Stage 8. It would still be several years before he would win his first Tour de France , however.

Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France dominance

RELATED: How Lance Armstrong Explained His Past to His 5 Children

Armstrong earned his first Tour de France title in 1999, and that would be the start of a dominant stretch for him at the iconic cycling race. He would go on to win the event for each of the next six years, as well, giving him seven straight championships in France from 1999 through 2005.

Those seven titles is a record for consecutive wins , in addition to total Tour victories for any individual cyclist. Some of the notable achievements he had during that seven-year stretch include:

• winning 22 individual stages
• winning 11 individual time trials
• leading his team to wins in three-team time trials

Armstrong retired after the 2005 race, but he returned to the sport professionally in 2009, when he finished third in the Tour. The following year, he finished 23rd, and he retired for good in 2011, as a 39-year-old.

Armstrong’s doping scandal

Lance Armstrong’s stepfather says he pushed the disgraced cyclist to be his best. “I drove him like an animal. That’s the only thing I feel bad about,” Terry said. https://t.co/5ZuBJ5mQeG — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 25, 2020

RELATED: The Biggest Mistake Lance Armstrong Made in His Cheating Scandal

Like many athletes at the top of their sport, Armstrong faced accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs during the peak of his career. He always denied allegations and claimed to have passed hundreds of drug tests.

The situation changed in June 2012, however, when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) charged Armstrong with doping up as early as at least August 1998. The two-year investigation uncovered that he was also part of a conspiracy to cover up his misconduct.

Armstrong continued to maintain his innocence, but he lost a federal appeal to have the charges dropped. That led to USADA banning the superstar from competitive cycling for life. The agency also disqualified all of his competitive results from Aug. 1, 1998 — essentially wiping out all 11 of his Tour de France titles.

A tarnished legacy

RELATED: Lance Armstrong ‘Saved’ His Family With a Genius $100,000 Investment

The doping scandal tarnished what was a positive legacy that Armstrong had established, not only in cycling but also for all of the charitable work he did through his Livestrong cancer awareness foundation.

The scandal caused Armstrong to step down as chairman of the charity. The Union Cycliste Internationale, the sport’s governing body, accepted USADA’s findings, and it officially erased Armstrong’s name from the Tour de France record books and upheld his lifetime ban.

After spending years denying that he had used performance-enhancing drugs, Armstrong came clean on Jan. 17, 2013, admitting in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey that he had doped starting in the mid-’90s and extended all the way through his final Tour de France win in 2005.

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Winning bikes of the Tour de France's reigning king

At just 24 years old, Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador is among the youngest riders to win the...

Tech feature: Lance Armstrong's Tour de France-winning machines, August 2, 2007

At just 24 years old, Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador is among the youngest riders to win the Tour de France and has already been heralded as one of the greatest hopes for the sport's next superstar. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his pedaling style and fiery spirit (not to mention his near-fatal brain hemorrhage) has also elicited comparisons to another former Discovery Channel rider, Lance Armstrong.

Indeed, the Spanish climbing sensation has landed his first TdF victory a full three years earlier than did Armstrong and one can't help but imagine what his long and bright future holds. Even if this win were to be his one and only, however, it still stands as quite remarkable that a single squad (although the title sponsorship changed from US Postal Service to Discovery Channel, it has essentially been the same organization) has so fully dominated the last decade by occupying the top step of the podium for eight of the last nine years.

Almost as remarkable is the fact that a single bicycle manufacturer can now lay that same claim as Trek has been the official team sponsor since late 1998. Trek couldn't have asked for a more impressive TdF debut of its all all-new Madone with the overall victory plus two additional top ten placings in the general classification, two stage wins, first place in the team classification, and Contador also scoring the white jersey as well. The results sheet doesn't seem to have changed much since 1999, but the bikes used to achieve them certainly have.

Armstrong's 1999 Tour de France Trek 5500

Trek introduced its first OCLV carbon road frame in 1992 and comparatively little had changed since then when Armstrong pedaled it through the streets of France in 1999. Not only did Armstrong's Trek 5500 still bear a 1" head tube, but the corresponding steerer tube was threaded chromoly steel and housed a Cinelli quill stem. Armstrong was said to have used a 100% stock frameset that year, and claimed weight was 1750g; rather portly by modern standards, but relatively ultralight as compared to many of its contemporaries.

Then-team sponsor Rolf provided specially-made tubular wheels for Armstrong, and long-time supporter Shimano contributed its 9-speed Dura-Ace group. Shimano had been promoting its SPD-R clipless pedal design at the time, but Armstrong rather famously preferred the feel of the substantially older Look-style Dura-Ace pedals. Armstrong also took his saddle of choice, the classic Selle San Marco Concor Light, to the top step of the podium for his first time.

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OCLV 110 makes TdF debut

Armstrong's 2000 Trek 5900 marked the introduction of the company's lighter OCLV 110 carbon which brought the weight of the bare frame to just 1250g. The steerer tube diameter increased to 1 1/8" and switched to threadless aluminum construction (still with carbon blades, of course), bringing its weight down to 420g.

Just as is the case today, Shimano did not have a threadless headset in its catalog at the time. At the team's request, it specially modified Deore XT MTB headsets to work and continued to use that setup for the next three years. Shimano 9-speed Dura-Ace was still the group of choice that year, although the team made a switch from Trek-branded Rolf wheelsets to Mavic's then-new Ksyrium model, much to the chagrin of the boys in Madison. Deda supplied the team with handlebars, threadless stems, and bar tape for the first time.

2001: year of refinement

The 2001 Trek 5900 changed little from the previous year, with refinements to the carbon frame resulting in a 100g weight loss. The team continued to utilize Mavic Ksyrium wheelsets, while the carryover fork anchored the same Deda cockpit. Shimano's 9-speed Dura-Ace kit would continue to reign, and as with his previous year's bike, Armstrong continued to run a down tube front shifter on the mountain stages in an effort to shave weight.

Bontrager hoops hit the pavement in 2002

Trek's carbon time trial bike was introduced two years earlier but its sleek design still performed well enough to justify its continued use in 2002. Unfortunately, though, it was only produced in extremely limited sizes and its shim stack-style of seat adjustment (using what looks to be a Syncros two-bolt head) meant that only a "select few riders on team" could use one, according to then-Team Liaison Scott Daubert. It should also be noted that while its integrated post design was deemed radical at the time, it has become decidedly more widespread today. Trek incorporated a 1" front end in an effort to reduce frontal area, but this may have been negated somewhat by the "relatively un-aero fork" used at the time.

2002 also marked some significant changes in componentry as Armstrong made his way towards win number three. Shimano, Deda, and Selle San Marco still made their usual contributions, but Shimano finally developed a successor to its old Look-style pedal that Armstrong apparently deemed worthy enough to use in competition. Quickly dubbed the 'Lance pedal', it eventually was introduced as the now-familiar SPD-SL design. Bontrager became the team's wheel supplier for the first time, although long-time collaborator Steve Hed still provided his three-spoke wheels for use in time trials.

Interestingly, the whereabouts of Armstrong's 2002 time trial machine was unknown for a full eighteen-month period. According to Daubert, the bike was eventually "found on a German web site and reported to Trek Europe. UPS Belgium sold the bike to a 'customer' from their 'lost and found' department."

Trek eventually had to broker a deal with UPS Belgium for the bike's return as it could not prove the bike's proper ownership outright (there was no serial number). Astonishingly, the bike was then lost yet again later on in its life, this time within Trek's own walls during a later remodeling project, only to be thankfully retrieved from a trash bin just before being carted away. These days it's securely bolted to a wall inside Trek headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

The pre-6.8kg 'glory days'

The 2003 Trek 5900 was supposedly Armstrong's favorite frame, weighing in at just 980g. Further weight savings were provided by a prototype carbon fiber steerer tube (which never made it into production), then-prototype 10-speed Shimano Dura-Ace group and Bontrager Race XXX Lite wheels. Chris King also began its three-year sponsorship run with its ubiquitious NoThreadSet threadless headset.

In 2003, the UCI hadn't yet established its minimum weight requirement so teams and riders were still free to shave grams to their heart's content; Armstrong's bike was reported to be just 6.6kg (14.5lb). Armstrong was atop this machine as he battled with Iban Mayo and Jan Ullrich (at the time riding for Euskaltel-Euskadi and Team Bianchi, respectively) up the slopes of Luz Ardiden, only to be taken down by the strap of a spectator's stray musette bag. Few can forget the scene shortly afterward where Armstrong suddenly popped out of his pedal, nearly crashing as a result.

While it was thought at the moment to be an issue with his pedal, it turned out to be a problem with his frame: during the crash, Mayo had ridden straight into Armstrong's bike, cracking the driveside chain stay as a result and thus producing what must have been a rather unwieldy amount of frame flex. Nonetheless, Armstrong recovered and even managed to win the stage that day.

Madone from start to finish

2004 was the first year Armstrong piloted a Trek Madone throughout the entirety of the race, although it had gained some weight from the previous year thanks to the newly-established UCI minimum weight ruling. Frame weight that year was reportedly a still-impressive 1100g, and Armstrong continued to use the prototype 340g carbon steerer-equipped fork.

Trek also began its Project One semi-custom program that year, and Armstrong's bike featured the 'Plata Negra' paint job. "This was a mess up as it was really supposed to be named 'Pata Negra' after a type of Spanish dried ham,' commented Daubert. "[The] problem with calling it 'Pata Negra' was its translation could be 'Black Pig'." So be it, but we're not sure naming it after a form of cured pork product would have been much of an improvement.

Win number seven

Armstrong paid particular homage to his fight against cancer during the campaign for his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory. His prototype Trek TTX time trial frame was finished in his trademark '10//2' motif, commemorating the date of his cancer diagnosis. Famed graffiti artist Lenny Futura was commissioned to craft the array of yellow icons that decorated the frame and both wheels, each of which represented a significant moment or part of Armstrong's life.

The TTX top tube was 15mm longer than the previous bike and wore a "significantly stiffer" bottom bracket and head tube area. A new Bontrager fork utilized a wider 1 1/8" aluminum steerer tube but still managed to be more aerodynamic than the previous 1" model.

The future?

Obviously, it's impossible to say whether or not Contador can hold up to Armstrong's decidedly daunting precedent. Natural talents and supporting infrastructure aside, no other cyclist has been so singularly dedicated to achieving one particular goal, year after year. Nevertheless, the departure of the Tour de France's reigning king has at least left behind a race that is arguably more exciting, less predictable, and more wide-open than ever before. Will we recap the machines of another seven-time winner a few years from now? Wait and see.

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Timeline of Lance Armstrong's career successes, doping allegations and final collapse

ESPN's 30 for 30 "LANCE" directed by Marina Zenovich

Part 1: 9 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN Part 2: 9 p.m. ET May 31 on ESPN Streaming: ESPN+ and ESPN Player (where available)

Lance Armstrong, a former American road-racing cyclist, helped elevate cycling to global popularity. His seven consecutive Tour de France victories, from 1999 to 2005, and his status as a cancer survivor made him one of the most iconic and revered athletes outside of the professional sports world.

Yet, throughout his career, he consistently faced allegations of doping -- particularly after he faced cancer and won the Tour de France a few years later.

His pro career began after winning a U.S. amateur national championship in 1991, but he placed last in his debut race -- the Clásica de San Sebastian in Spain. He won his first professional race the next year and entered his first Tour de France. He won a stage but dropped out and did not finish the race. He won the Thrift Drug Triple Crown in 1993, and his fame took off shortly thereafter.

Here's the timeline of Armstrong's career:

1996: Armstrong becomes the first American to win the La Flèche Wallonne, and he wins a second Tour DuPont. Despite being a part of only five days of the Tour de France, he goes on to participate in the 1996 Olympic Games, finishing sixth in the time trial and 12th in the road race. In October 1996, he is diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had also spread to his lymph nodes, lungs, brain and abdomen.

"I intend to beat this disease, and further I intend to ride again as a professional cyclist," he says when announcing his diagnosis. He undergoes his final chemotherapy treatment in December 1996.

1997: He establishes the Lance Armstrong Foundation (later renamed Livestrong) to support cancer patients and research. Armstrong also signs with the U.S. Postal Service's cycling team, which would later be rebranded under a different sponsor, Discovery Channel. The ubiquitous, yellow "Livestrong" bracelets from Armstrong's foundation would become a symbol for cancer patients and survivors everywhere.

1999: At age 27, after returning to professional cycling in 1997, Armstrong wins his first Tour de France.

"I hope it sends out a fantastic message to all survivors around the world," Armstrong says at the finish line in Paris. "We can return to what we were before -- and even better."

He is immediately peppered with questions about doping, denying all accusations. Despite testing positive for a corticosteroid, he shows a backdated prescription to avoid sanctions. The questions don't seem to matter; the comeback story and victory launches Armstrong to global stardom.

2000: Armstrong wins his second Tour de France, as well as a bronze medal in the time trial event at the Sydney Olympic Games. German Jan Ullrich, a chief rival of Armstrong's, wins the gold medal in the road race and silver in the time trials.

In Armstrong's autobiography "It's Not About the Bike ," he provides what becomes a famous quote: "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

2001: Armstrong wins his third consecutive Tour de France. His rivalry with Ullrich is at its peak. Ullrich never defeats Armstrong in the Tour de France. He has more second-place finishes than any other racer.

2002: Armstrong wins his fourth consecutive Tour de France. French authorities simultaneously conclude a two-year investigation into the U.S. Postal Service team, but the investigation finds no use of performance-enhancing drugs.

2003: He wins the Tour de France again, for the fifth time. "This was my hardest win -- we dodged some bullets. It was a rough year at the Tour and I don't plan to make the same mistakes twice. But my win feels more satisfying, more than the others because of that. The crashes and near-crashes take it out of you," Armstrong says at the finish.

More: How to watch 'LANCE'

2004: Armstrong wins a record-setting sixth Tour de France.

2005: At age 33, after winning a seventh Tour de France, Armstrong retires to spend more time with his family. French newspaper L'Equipe reports blood samples retested from a 1999 race show evidence of blood doping that year, but Armstrong again denies the allegations.

"If you consider my situation: a guy who comes back from arguably, you know, a death sentence, why would I then enter into a sport and dope myself up and risk my life again? That's crazy," Armstrong tells CNN. "I would never do that. No. No way.

2009: After announcing his return to cycling, saying he hoped to "raise awareness of the global cancer burden," Armstrong finishes third in the Tour de France, his first race back from retirement. He also joins the RadioShack team, with intentions to again compete in the 2010 Tour de France.

2010: At the Tour Down Under, Armstrong makes his 2010 race debut, finishing 25th out of 127. At the Vuelta a Murcia in Europe, he finishes in seventh place overall, before pulling out of a handful of other races due to bouts with gastroenteritis. After a crash in the Tour de California, he places second in the Tour of Switzerland and third in the Tour of Luxembourg. In the 2010 Tour De France, which he had said would be his final, he finishes in 23rd place. However, Team RadioShack wins the team competition thanks to Armstrong's contributions.

At the same time, American cyclist Floyd Landis, who was Armstrong's teammate for two years and won the 2006 Tour De France, admits he used performance-enhancing drugs. In emails to U.S. and European cycling officials, Landis says he began doping in 2002 -- his first year alongside Armstrong, who again denies the allegations against him, saying in May: "It's our word against his word. I like our word. We like our credibility. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago."

Landis also accuses other U.S. Postal Service teammates of doping, in addition to Armstrong, and agrees to cooperate with federal officials investigating the allegations.

2011: Armstrong again announces his retirement from competitive cycling in February, at age 39, to focus on family and his cancer foundation. But the walls obscuring his past use of performance-enhancing drugs are cracking. Two other U.S. Postal team members come forward acknowledging their own PED use and further implicating Armstrong.

2012: Federal prosecutors drop their criminal investigation against Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Service team in February, with no charges filed. However, the United States Anti-Doping Agency accuses Armstrong of doping and trafficking of drugs in June. In October, the USADA formally charges him with using, possessing and trafficking banned substances and recommends a lifetime ban. In choosing not to appeal the findings, Armstrong is stripped of all of his achievements from August 1998 onward, including his seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong still publicly denies the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

2013: In a January interview with Oprah Winfrey , Armstrong finally admits to doping during each Tour de France win from 1999 to 2005.

"This story was so perfect for so long. It's this myth, this perfect story, and it wasn't true," Armstrong tells Winfrey.

"I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times, and as you said, it wasn't as if I just said no and I moved off it."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Lance Armstrong

Who Is Lance Armstrong?

Lance Armstrong became a triathlete before turning to professional cycling. His career was halted by testicular cancer, but Armstrong returned to win a record seven consecutive Tour de France races beginning in 1999. Stripped of those titles in 2012 due to evidence of performance-enhancing drug use, Armstrong in 2013 admitted to doping throughout his cycling career, following years of denials.

Early Career

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

Soon after, Armstrong chose to focus on cycling, his strongest event as well as his favorite. During his senior year of high school, the U.S. Olympic development team invited him to train in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Armstrong left high school temporarily to do so, but later took private classes and received his high school diploma in 1989.

The following summer, he qualified for the 1990 junior world team and placed 11th in the World Championship Road Race, with the best time of any American since 1976. That same year, he became the U.S. national amateur champion and beat out many professional cyclists to win two major races, the First Union Grand Prix and the Thrift Drug Classic.

International Cycling Star

In 1991, Armstrong competed in his first Tour DuPont, a long and difficult 12-stage race, covering 1,085 miles over 11 days. Though he finished in the middle of the pack, his performance announced a promising newcomer to the world of international cycling. He went on to win a stage at Italy's Settimana Bergamasca race later that summer.

After finishing second in the U.S. Olympic time trials in 1992, Armstrong was favored to win the road race in Barcelona, Spain. With a surprisingly sluggish performance, however, he came in only 14th. Undeterred, Armstrong turned professional immediately after the Olympics, joining the Motorola cycling team for a respectable yearly salary. Though he came in dead last in his first professional event, the day-long San Sebastian Classic in Spain, he rebounded in two weeks and finished second in a World Cup race in Zurich, Switzerland.

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

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

The following year, he was again the runner-up at the Tour DuPont. Frustrated by his near miss, he trained with a vengeance for the next year's event and went on to finish two minutes ahead of rival Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia for the win. At the Tour DuPont in 1996, he set several event records, including the largest margin of victory (three minutes, 15 seconds) and the fastest average speed in a time trial (32.9 miles per hour).

Also in 1996, Armstrong rode again for the Olympic team in Atlanta, Georgia. Looking uncharacteristically fatigued, he finished sixth in the time trials and 12th in the road race. Earlier that summer, he had been unable to finish the Tour de France, as he was sick with bronchitis. Despite such setbacks, Armstrong was still riding high by the fall of 1996. Then the seventh-ranked cyclist in the world, he signed a lucrative contract with a new team, France's Team Cofidis.

Battling Testicular Cancer

In October 1996, however, came the shocking announcement that Armstrong had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Well advanced, the tumors had spread to his abdomen, lungs and lymph nodes. After having a testicle removed, drastically modifying his eating habits and beginning aggressive chemotherapy, Armstrong was given a 65 to 85 percent chance of survival. When doctors found tumors on his brain, however, his odds of survival dropped to 50-50, and then to 40 percent. Fortunately, a subsequent surgery to remove his brain tumors was declared successful, and after more rounds of chemotherapy, Armstrong was declared cancer-free in February 1997.

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

Tour de France Dominance

At the 1998 Tour of Luxembourg, his first international race since returning from cancer, Armstrong showed he was up for the challenge by winning the opening stage. A little over a year later, he capped his comeback in grand style by becoming the second American, after Greg LeMond, to win the Tour de France. He repeated that feat in July 2000 and followed with a bronze medal at the Summer Olympic Games.

Armstrong bolstered his legacy as his generation's dominant rider by handily winning the Tour in 2001 and 2002. However, notching a fifth victory, tying the record held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, proved his most difficult accomplishment. Stricken by illness before the start of the race, Armstrong fell at one point after snagging a spectator's bag, and barely avoided another crash by swerving across a field. He finished one minute and one second ahead of Germany's Jan Ullrich, the closest of his Tour triumphs.

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

Return to Competition

On September 9, 2008, Armstrong announced that he planned to return to competition and the Tour de France in 2009. A member of Team Astana, he placed third in the race, behind teammate Alberto Contador and Saxo Bank team member Andy Schleck.

After the race, Armstrong told reporters that he intended to compete again in 2010, with a new team endorsed by RadioShack. Slowed by multiple crashes, Armstrong finished 23rd overall in what would be his final Tour de France, and he announced he was retiring for good in February 2011.

Drug Controversy

Despite the inspiring narrative of Armstrong's triumph over cancer, not everyone was convinced it was valid. Irish sportswriter David Walsh, for one, became suspicious of Armstrong's behavior and sought to shed light on the rumors of drug use in the sport. In 2001, he wrote a story linking Armstrong to Italian doctor Michele Ferrari, who was being investigated for supplying performance enhancers to cyclists. Walsh later secured a confession from Armstrong's masseuse, Emma O'Reilly, and laid out his case against the American champion as co-writer of the 2004 book L.A. Confidential.

The plot thickened in 2010, when former U.S. Postal rider Floyd Landis, who had been stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win for drug use, admitted to doping and accused his celebrated teammate of doing the same. That prompted a federal investigation, and in June 2012 the U.S Anti-Doping Agency brought formal charges against Armstrong. The case heated up in July 2012, when some media outlets reported that five of Armstrong's former teammates, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, David Zabriskie and 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 drugs to boost his performance, and the 2012 USADA charges were no exception: He disparaged the new allegations, calling them "baseless." On August 23, 2012, Armstrong publicly announced that he was giving up his fight with the USADA's recent charges and that he had declined to enter arbitration with the agency because he was tired of dealing with the case, along with the stress the case created for his family.

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

Banned From Cycling

The following day, on August 24, 2012, the USADA announced that Armstrong would be stripped of his seven Tour titles—as well as other honors he received from 1999 to 2005—and banned from cycling for life. The agency concluded in its report that Armstrong had used banned performance-enhancing substances. On October 10, 2012, the USADA released its evidence against Armstrong, which included documents such as laboratory tests, emails and monetary payments. "The evidence shows beyond any doubt that the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that the sport had ever seen," Travis Tygart, chief executive of the USADA, said in a statement.

The USADA evidence against Armstrong also contained testimony from 26 people. Several former members of Armstrong's cycling team were among those who claimed that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs and served as a type of a ringleader for the team's doping efforts. According to The New York Times , one teammate told the agency that "Lance called the shots on the team" and "what Lance said went."

Armstrong disputed the USADA's findings. His attorney, Tim Herman, called the USADA's case "a one-sided hatchet job" featuring "old, disproved, unreliable allegations based largely on axe-grinders, serial perjurers, coerced testimony, sweetheart deals and 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 decision and officially stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France victories. The union also banned Armstrong from the sport for life. ICU president Pat McQuaid said in a statement that "Lance Armstrong has no place in 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 in the mid-1990s. During his interview with Winfrey, Armstrong stated that he took the hormones cortisone, testosterone and erythropoietin (also known as EPO), and conducted blood transfusions to boost his oxygen levels. "I am deeply flawed ... and I'm paying the price for it, and I think that's OK. I deserve this," Lance stated during the interview, adding that he took illegal drugs as a professional athlete due to a "ruthless desire to win ... the level that it went to, for whatever reason, is a flaw."

Of the interview, Winfrey said in a statement, "He did not come clean in the manner I expected. It was surprising to me. I would say that, for myself, my team, all of us in the room, we were mesmerized by some of his answers. I felt he was thorough. He was serious. He certainly prepared himself for this moment. I would say he met the moment. At the end of it, we both were pretty exhausted."

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

Fraud Settlement

In spring 2018, two weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin, Armstrong agreed to pay the U.S. Postal Service $5 million to settle their claims of being defrauded. According to his legal team, the settlement ended "all litigation against Armstrong related to his 2013 admission" of using performance-enhancing drugs.

"I am particularly glad to have made peace with the Postal Service," said Armstrong said in a statement. "While I believe that their lawsuit against me was without merit and unfair, I have since 2013 tried to take full responsibility for my mistakes, and make amends wherever possible. I rode my heart out for the Postal cycling team, and was always especially proud to wear the red, white and blue eagle on my chest when competing in the Tour de France."

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

Movie and Documentaries

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

Armstrong was far more receptive to the release of Icarus , a Netflix documentary in which amateur cyclist Bryan Fogel also pumps up on PEDs before uncovering a Russian state-sponsored system created to mask its athletes' use of such drugs. In late 2017, Armstrong tweeted: "After being asked roughly a 1000 times if I’ve seen @IcarusNetflix yet, I finally sat down to check it out. Holy hell. It’s hard to imagine that I could be blown away by much in that realm but I was. Incredible work @bryanfogel!"

It was subsequently announced that on January 6, 2018, the day after Academy Award voters could begin submitting their ballots, Armstrong would co-host a screening and reception for Icarus in New York.

The cyclist returned to the spotlight with the Marina Zenovich-directed documentary Lance , which premiered at the January 2020 Sundance Film Festival before airing on ESPN that May. Along with examining the formative influences that drove him to become such a ruthless competitor, the doc showcased Armstrong's attempts to adapt to public life in the years after he had fallen from his pedestal as one of the world's most admired athletes.

Charity, Personal Life and Children

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

In 2006, Armstrong ran the New York City Marathon, raising $600,000 for his LiveStrong campaign. He stepped down from LiveStrong in October 2012 following the USADA report about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Armstrong married Kristin Richard, a public relations executive he met through his cancer foundation, in 1998. The couple had a son, Luke, in October 1999, using sperm frozen before Armstrong began chemotherapy. Twin daughters, Isabelle and Grace, were born in 2001. The couple filed for divorce in 2003. Afterward, he dated rocker Sheryl Crow , fashion designer Tory Burch and actresses Kate Hudson and Ashley Olsen .

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

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

"I'm well aware my presence is not an easy topic, and so I encourage people if they want to give a high-five, great," Armstrong stated shortly after the news broke, according to the Daily Mail . "If you want to shoot me the bird, that's OK too. I'm a big boy, and so I made the bed, I get to sleep in it."

In 2015, Armstrong returned to the Tour de France course to ride in a leukemia charity event one day before the start of the race.

QUICK FACTS

• 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 a cancer survivor and former professional cyclist who was stripped of his seven Tour de France wins due to evidence of performance-enhancing drug use.
• Astrological Sign: Virgo

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CITATION INFORMATION

• 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 point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now.
• My ruthless desire to win at all costs served me well on the bike but the level it went to, for whatever reason, is a flaw. That desire, that attitude, that arrogance.
• The biggest challenge of the rest of my life is to not slip up again and not lose sight of what I have to do. I had it but things got too big and too crazy.
• If you're trying to hide something, you wouldn't keep getting away with it for 10 years. Nobody is that clever.
• I know the truth. The truth isn't what was out there. The truth isn't what I said, and now it's gone—this story was so perfect for so long.
• There was more happiness in the process, in the build, in the preparation. The winning was almost phoned in.
• If you're asking me if I want to compete again, the answer is hell yes, I'm a competitor.
• I learned a lesson that day. No more gifts."[On giving Marco Pantani a stage win in the 2000 Tour de France]
• The Look was just one part of a great battle with the Telekom team all day.
• Nobody believed I was able to do that after the crash. But I was a desperate man, and I knew that was my last chance to win the Tour de France.
• I'm well aware my presence is not an easy topic, and so I encourage people if they want to give a high-five, great. If you want to shoot me the bird, that's OK too. I'm a big boy, and so I made the bed, I get to sleep in it.
• I am deeply flawed ... and I'm paying the price for it, and I think that's okay. I deserve this."[On being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping as a pro cyclist.]
• Two things scare me: The first is getting hurt. But that's not nearly as scary as the second, which is losing.
• Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.

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This Day In History : October 22

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Cyclist Lance Armstrong is stripped of his seven Tour de France titles

On October 22, 2012, Lance Armstrong is formally stripped of the seven Tour de France titles he won from 1999 to 2005 and banned for life from competitive cycling after being charged with systematically using illicit performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions as well as demanding that some of his Tour teammates dope in order to help him win races. It was a dramatic fall from grace for the onetime global cycling icon, who inspired millions of people after surviving cancer then going on to become one of the most dominant riders in the history of the grueling French race, which attracts the planet’s top cyclists.

Born in Texas in 1971, Armstrong became a professional cyclist in 1992 and by 1996 was the number-one ranked rider in the world. However, in October 1996 he was diagnosed with Stage 3 testicular cancer, which had spread to his lungs, brain and abdomen. After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, Armstrong resumed training in early 1997 and in October of that year joined the U.S. Postal Service cycling team. Also in 1997, he established a cancer awareness foundation. The organization would famously raise millions of dollars through a sales campaign, launched in 2004, of yellow Livestrong wristbands.

In July 1999, to the amazement of the cycling world and less than three years after his cancer diagnosis, Armstrong won his first Tour de France. He was only the second American ever to triumph in the legendary, three-week race, established in 1903. (The first American to do so was Greg LeMond, who won in 1986, 1989 and 1990.) Armstrong went on to win the Tour again in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. In 2004, he became the first person ever to claim six Tour titles, and on July 24, 2005, Armstrong won his seventh straight title and retired from pro cycling. He made a comeback to the sport in 2009, finishing third in that year’s Tour and 23rd in the 2010 Tour, before retiring for good in 2011 at age 39.

Throughout his career, Armstrong, like many other top cyclists of his era, was dogged by accusations of performance-boosting drug use, but he repeatedly and vigorously denied all allegations against him and claimed to have passed hundreds of drug tests. In June 2012, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), following a two-year investigation, charged the cycling superstar with engaging in doping violations from at least August 1998, and with participating in a conspiracy to cover up his misconduct. After losing a federal appeal to have the USADA charges against him dropped, Armstrong announced on August 23 that he would stop fighting them. However, calling the USADA probe an “unconstitutional witch hunt,” he continued to insist he hadn’t done anything wrong and said the reason for his decision to no longer challenge the allegations was the toll the investigation had taken on him, his family and his cancer foundation. The next day, USADA announced Armstrong had been banned for life from competitive cycling and disqualified of all competitive results from August 1, 1998, through the present.

On October 10, 2012, USADA released hundreds of pages of evidence—including sworn testimony from 11 of Armstrong’s former teammates, as well as emails, financial documents and lab test results—that the anti-doping agency said demonstrated Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Service team had been involved in the most sophisticated and successful doping program in the history of cycling. A week after the USADA report was made public, Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his cancer foundation and was dumped by a number of his sponsors, including Nike, Trek and Anheuser-Busch.On October 22, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the cycling’s world governing body, announced that it accepted the findings of the USADA investigation and officially was erasing Armstrong’s name from the Tour de France record books and upholding his lifetime ban from the sport. In a press conference that day, the UCI president stated: “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling, and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling.”

After years of denials, Armstrong finally admitted publicly, in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on January 17, 2013, he had doped for much of his cycling career, beginning in the mid-1990s through his final Tour de France victory in 2005. He admitted to using a performance-enhancing drug regimen that included testosterone, human growth hormone, the blood booster EPO and cortisone.

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MONTAIGU, FRANCE - JULY 04: TOUR DE FRANCE 1999, 1.Etappe, MONTAIGU - CHALLANS; Lance ARMSTRONG/USA - GELBES TRIKOT - (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images)

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A look at the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong , who beat testicular cancer to win a record seven Tour de France titles, then was found guilty of and admitted to doping for the majority of his career ...

Aug. 2, 1992: Armstrong, then a 20-year-old amateur cyclist who had left triathlon because it wasn’t an Olympic sport, makes his Olympic debut at the Barcelona Games. He finishes 14th in the road race as the top American, missing a late breakaway. “I don’t think it was one of my better days, unfortunately,” Armstrong said on NBC. “Last couple weeks, everything has been perfect, but today, I just didn’t have what it took.” A week later, Armstrong finished last of 111 riders in his pro debut.

Aug. 29, 1993: Wins the world championships road race, becoming the second U.S. man to win a senior road cycling world title after three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond . Armstrong prevails by 19 seconds over Spain’s Miguel Indurain , who won five straight Tours de France from 1991-95. “I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a Tour racer,” Armstrong said, according to the Chicago Tribune . “I love the Tour de France; it’s my favorite bike race, but I’m not fool enough to sit here and say I’m going to win it. For the time being, I’m a one-day rider.”

Aug. 3, 1996: After failing to finish three of his first four Tour de France appearances (and placing 36th in the other), is sixth in the Atlanta Olympic time trial. “This was a big goal and something that I wanted to do well in and wanted the American people to see success,” Armstrong said on NBC. “The legs just weren’t there to win or to medal. I have to move forward and look to the next thing.”

Oct. 2, 1996: Diagnosed with testicular cancer. A day later, he undergoes surgery to have the malignant right testicle removed. Five days later, he begins chemotherapy. Six days later, Armstrong holds a press conference to announce it publicly, saying the cancer spread to his abdomen (and, later, his brain). He described it as “between moderate and advanced” and that his oncologist told him the cure rate was between 65 and 85 percent. “I will win,” Armstrong says. “I intend to beat this disease, and further, I intend to ride again as a professional cyclist.”

Oct. 27, 1996: Betsy Andreu later testifies that, on this date, Armstrong told a doctor at Indiana University Hospital that he had taken performance-enhancing drugs; EPO, testosterone, growth hormone, cortisone and steroids. Andreu said she and others were in a room to hear this. Her husband, Frankie Andreu , an Armstrong cycling teammate, confirmed her recollection to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Armstrong, in admitting to doping in 2013, declined to address what became known as “the hospital room confession.”

January 1997: Establishes the Lance Armstrong Foundation, later called Livestrong, to support cancer awareness and research. Is later declared cancer-free.

Feb. 15, 1998: Returns to racing. Later in September, finishes fourth in his Grand Tour return at the Vuelta a Espana, one of the three Grand Tours after the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.

1999 Tour de France: Achieves global fame by winning cycling’s most prestigious event in his first Tour de France start since his cancer diagnosis. Armstrong was not a pre-event favorite, but he won the opening 4.2-mile prologue to set the tone. He won all three time trials and, by the end, distanced second-place Alex Zulle by 7 minutes, 37 seconds in a Tour that lacked the previous two winners -- Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani . Armstrong faced doping questions during the three-week Tour. An Armstrong urine sample revealed a small amount of a corticosteroid, after which Armstrong produced a prescription for a cream to treat saddle sores to justify it. “There’s no secrets here,” Armstrong said after Stage 14. “We have the oldest secret in the book: hard work.”

2000 Tour de France: With Ullrich and Pantani in the field, Armstrong crushed them on Stage 10, taking the yellow jersey by four minutes. He ends up winning the Tour by 6:02 over Ullrich, who over the years became the closest thing Armstrong had to a rival. In a Nike commercial that debuted in January that year , Armstrong again attacked his critics, saying, “Everybody wants to know what I’m on. What am I on? I’m on my bike, busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?”

Sept. 30, 2000: Takes bronze in the Sydney Olympic time trial, behind Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov (a teammate on Armstrong’s Tour de France teams) and Ullrich. Armstrong would be stripped of the bronze medal 12 years later for doping. “I came to win the gold medal,” he said on NBC. “When you prepare for an event and you come and you do your best, and you don’t win, you have to say, I didn’t deserve to win.”

2001 Tour de France: Third straight Tour title. In Stage 10 on the iconic Alpe d’Huez, Armstrong gave what came to be known as “The Look,” turning back to stare in sunglasses at Ullrich, then accelerating away to win the stage by 1:59 over the German. “I decided to give a look, see how he was, then give a little surge and see what happened,” Armstrong said after the stage. Also that year, LeMond gives a famous quote to journalist David Walsh on Armstrong: “If it is true, it is the greatest comeback in the history of sport. If it is not, it is the greatest fraud.”

2002 Tour de France: Fourth title in a row -- by 7:17 over Joseba Beloki sans Ullirch and Pantani -- with few notable highlights. Maybe the most memorable, French fans yelling “Dope!” as he chased Richard Virenque (another disgraced doper) up the esteemed Mont Ventoux. Armstrong would be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

2003 Tour de France: By far the closest of the Tour wins -- by 1:01 over Ullrich -- with two very close calls. In Stage 9, Armstrong detoured through a field to avoid a crashing Beloki, who broke his right femur and never contended at a Grand Tour again. In Stage 15, Armstrong’s handlebars caught a spectator’s yellow bag . He crashed to the pavement, remounted and won the stage, upping his lead from 15 seconds to 1:07 over Ullrich.

2004 Tour de France: Record-breaking sixth Tour de France title. Jacques Anquetil , Eddy Merckx , Bernard Hinault and Indurain shared the record of five, and now share the record again after Armstrong’s titles were stripped. Earlier in 2004, the Livestrong yellow bracelet/wristband is introduced. Tens of millions would be sold. He skips the 2004 Athens Olympics, which began three weeks after the Tour ended.

April 18, 2005: Announces he will retire after the 2005 Tour de France. “My children are my biggest supporters, but at the same time, they are the ones who told me it’s time to come home,” Armstrong says. On the same day, former teammate and 2004 Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton is banned two years for blood doping.

2005 Tour de France: Finishes career with seventh Tour de France title. Armstrong remains defiant until the end. In his victory speech atop a podium on the Champs-Elysees, he says with girlfriend Sheryl Crow looking on, “The last thing I’ll say, for the people that don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the skeptics, I"m sorry for you. I’m sorry you can’t dream big. And I’m sorry you don’t believe in miracles.” A month later, French sports daily newspaper L’Equipe publishes a front-page article headlined, “Le Mensonge Armstrong” or “The Armstrong Lie.” It reports that six Armstrong doping samples at the 1999 Tour de France showed the presence of the banned EPO.

Sept. 9, 2008: Announces comeback, the reason being “to launch an international cancer strategy,” in a video on his foundation’s website . In his 2013 doping confession, Armstrong says he regrets the comeback. “We wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t come back,” he tells Oprah Winfrey on primetime TV.

2009 Tour de France: Finishes third, 5:24 behind rival Astana teammate and Spanish winner Alberto Contador . “I can’t complain,” Armstrong said on Versus after the penultimate stage finishing atop Mont Ventoux. “For an old fart, coming in here, getting on the podium with these young guys, not so bad.” USADA later reported that scientific data showed Armstrong used EPO or blood transfusions during that Tour, which Armstrong denied in 2013 when admitting to doping earlier in his career.

2010 Tour de France: Finishes 23rd in his last Tour de France. Armstrong races after former teammate Floyd Landis admits to doping and accuses Armstrong and other former teammates of doping during the Tour de France wins. “At some point, people have to tell their kids that Santa Claus isn’t real,” Landis says in a “Nightline” interview that aired the final weekend of the Tour.

Feb. 16, 2011: Announces retirement, citing tiredness (in multiple respects) at age 39. “I can’t say I have any regrets. It’s been an excellent ride. I really thought I was going to win another Tour,” Armstrong said, according to The Associated Press. “Then I lined up like everybody else and wound up third.”

Aug. 24, 2012: USADA announces Armstrong is banned for life , and all of his results dating to Aug. 1, 1998, annulled, including all seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong chose not to contest the charges, which were first sent to him in a June letter, though he did not publicly admit to cheating. USADA releases details of the investigation in October. The International Cycling Union chooses not to contest USADA’s ruling, formally stripping him of the Tour de France titles. “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling,” UCI President Pat McQuaid says. In November, a defiant Armstrong tweets an image of him lying on a couch in a room with seven framed Tour de France yellow jerseys on the walls.

Jan. 17, 2013: Admits to doping during all of his Tour de France victories in the Oprah confession that airs on primetime TV. “I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times,” Armstrong says in a pre-recorded interview. “It’s just this mythic, perfect story, and it wasn’t true.” Armstrong said he did not view it as cheating while he was taking PEDs because others did, too. On the same day, the International Olympic Committee strips Armstrong of his 2000 Olympic bronze medal.

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Armstrong Wins Stage, Takes Tour de France Lead

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American cyclist Lance Armstrong, who two years ago faced life-threatening cancer, blazed to victory in Sunday’s eighth stage of the Tour de France, propelling himself into first place in overall rankings.

“I’m very happy,” the 27-year-old Armstrong said in French after he won the 35-mile time trial through the university town of Metz, capital of the Lorraine region.

Armstrong finished the stage in 1 hour 8 minutes and 36 seconds--58 seconds faster than Alex Zulle of Switzerland. Frenchman Christophe Moreau came in third, 2 minutes 5 seconds behind Armstrong.

Armstrong was considered a favorite for the time trial since winning the race prologue, also a time trial. He wore the yellow jersey for two days before losing it to Estonia’s Jaan Kirsipuu.

“I’m glad I won the yellow jersey a week ago because I was really nervous while I had it,” Armstrong said. “Maybe now I’ll be less nervous.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Tour de France

* Sunday’s eighth stage--A 35-mile time trial in the city of Metz.

* Stage winner--American Lance Armstrong, riding for the U.S. Postal Service team, won the trial in a time of 1 hour 8 minutes 36 seconds, at an average speed of 30.7 mph.

* Others--In second place for the eighth stage was Alex Zulle of Switzerland, and Frenchman Christophe Moreau came in third. The world time-trial champion, Abraham Olano of Spain, came in fourth, followed by American Tyler Hamilton, also of U.S. Postal. Another American, Bobby Julich, who came in third in the Tour last year, fell during a steep descent and was forced to abandon the race. Julich was riding for the French Cofidis team.

* Overall--Armstrong regained the leader’s yellow jersey. Moreau moved into second place, 20 seconds behind the leader. Olano edged up to third place, 33 seconds back. Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu, riding for the Casino team, slipped from first place overall into 11th place.

* Next stage--Today is a rest day. Tuesday, a 132.7-mile Alpine ride from Le Grand Bornand in the French Alps to Sestrieres in Italy.

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Lance E. ARMSTRONG

Lance Armstrong has known the highest highs and the lowest lows that an athlete can experience. Armstrong was raised by a single mother after his father left them when he was a small child. He started out in sports as a swimmer, and then became a top junior triathlete in the US, but turned to cycling exclusively because triathlon was not an Olympic sport in the 1980s. Armstrong made the 1992 US Olympic team, and was considered one of the favorites in the road race, but missed a late break, and finished only 14th. Shortly after Barcelona, Armstrong turned professional. He had some success early on, winning the 1993 World Championship road race, but was not a factor for general classification in the grand tours because of his lack of climbing ability, partly because he was heavier than most top climbers. From 1993-96 he raced the Tour de France four times, winning two stages, but finishing the race only once, that in 1995 when he placed 36th. After the 1996 season, where he had not raced well at the Olympics or the Tour, he sought treatment for a medical condition, which turned out to be testicular cancer.

Armstrong's testicular cancer was very advanced when it was found, and had spread widely throughout his body. He underwent chemotherapy, as well as brain surgery to decompress several metastatic lesions. His survival was in doubt, and he was given no chance to return to the professional peloton. But he returned to racing in the 1998 season, initially with very poor results, and he considered quitting the sport. However, he was encouraged by a late-season fourth-place finish at the Vuelta à España. He increased his training after that race, and focused his efforts on the Tour.

But when he entered the 1999 Tour de France for the US Postal team, he was not favored, although he had won the Dauphiné-Libéré earlier in the year. At the Tour he took the lead after the stage eight time trial, however, the next day was a mountain stage to Sestrières, and it was thought he would wear the yellow jersey for but a single day. But the near the top of climb, Armstrong was with the leaders Alex Zülle and Richard Virenque, when he stood on his pedals and dropped them dramatically on the way to the summit. He kept the yellow jersey and would wear it all the way to Paris for his seeming first victory in the Tour de France.

Over the next few years Armstrong became stronger and stronger and, continuing to focus mostly on the Tour, initially winning the race for seven consecutive years, though the victories would later be declared void. After the 2005 Tour, Armstrong retired, running twice in the New York City Marathon, and also ran the 2008 Boston Marathon. But he came back to competitive cycling in 2009 and rode the Tour again in 2009-10, placing third in 2009, but was back in the pack in 2010. He then announced another retirement from cycling.

After his cancer diagnosis, Armstrong started the Livestrong Foundation, which devotes its efforts to fund-raising for cancer research. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the foundation, and in the fight against cancer. His career was not without controversy, however, as he was accused numerous times of using drugs, including by several former teammates, but he never tested positive for a proscribed substance. His major one-day wins, prior to his doping revelations, included the 1993 World Championship road race and the 1996 Flèche Wallone. In shorter stage races, Armstrong also won the 2001 Tour de Suisse, the 2004 Tour of Georgia, Dauphiné Libéré in 1999 and 2002-03, and the Midi-Libre in 2002.

In 2013 Armstrong admitted that he had systematically doped throughout his professional career, after revelations by several of his former teammates. He was sanctioned by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and his Tour victories were removed, along with his Olympic results in 1996 and 2000, and his other titles. His admissions were done on national television in the United States and he went from one of the nation’s top sporting heroes to a reviled, ridiculed, and embarrassed ex-athlete. It was revealed, and he admitted, that he had not only systematically doped, but lied about it frequently, and in addition, berated, bullied, and belittled his accusers, also suing several of them in court. He won most of those suits at first, but several of the defendants have since returned counter-suits, seeking to redeem their damages, and inflict further financial penalties on Armstrong.

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Lance Armstrong wins seventh consecutive and last Tour de France

Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory today — and did it a little earlier than expected.

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PARIS — Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory today — and did it a little earlier than expected. Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won. The stage started as it has done for the past six years — with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader’s yellow jersey. One hand on his handlebars, the other holding a flute of champagne, Armstrong toasted his teammates as he pedaled into Paris to collect his crown. He held up seven fingers — one for each win — and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it. When it was over, Armstrong saluted the race he’s made his own. “Vive le Tour, forever,” he said. Armstrong choked up on the victory podium as he stood next to his twin 3-year-old daughters — dressed in bright yellow dresses, appropriately — and his son. His rock star girlfriend Sheryl Crow, wearing a yellow halter top, cried during the ceremony. “This is the way he wanted to finish his career, so it’s very emotional,” she said. Looking gaunt, his cheeks hollow after riding 2,232.7 miles across France and its mountains for three weeks, Armstrong still could smile at the end. He said President Bush called to congratulate him. Armstrong’s new record of seven wins confirmed him as one of the greatest cyclists ever, and capped a career where he came back from cancer to dominate cycling’s most prestigious and taxing race. Standing on the podium, against the backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe, Armstrong managed a rare feat in sports — going out on the top of his game. He previously said that his decision was final and that he was walking away with “absolutely no regrets.” Armstrong mentioned Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi as personal inspirations. “Those are guys that you look up to you, guys that have been at the top of their game for a long time,” he said. As for his accomplishments, he said, “I can’t be in charge of dictating what it says or how you remember it.” “In five, 10, 15, 20 years, we’ll see what the legacy is. But I think we did come along and revolutionize the cycling part, the training part, the equipment part. We’re fanatics.” Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan eventually won the final stage, with Armstrong finishing safely in the pack to win the Tour by more than 4 minutes, 40 seconds over Ivan Basso of Italy. The 1997 Tour winner, Jan Ullrich, was third, 6:21 back. “It’s up to you guys,” Armstrong said, forecasting the Tour future. Armstrong’s sixth win last year already set a record, putting Armstrong ahead of four other riders — Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddy Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain — who all won five Tours. Along the way, he brought unprecedented attention to the sport, and won over many who had dismissed it. “Finally, the last thing I’ll say for the people who don’t believe in cycling — the cynics, the skeptics — I’m sorry for you,” Armstrong said. “I’m sorry you can’t dream big and I’m sorry you don’t believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a race, this is a great sporting event and you should stand around and believe.” Armstrong’s last ride as a professional — the closing 89.8-mile 21st stage into Paris from Corbeil-Essonnes south of the capital — was not without incident. Three of his teammates slipped and crashed on the rain-slicked pavement coming around a bend just before they crossed the River Seine. Armstrong, right behind them, braked and skidded into the fallen riders. Armstrong used his right foot to steady himself, and was able to stay on the bike. His teammates, wearing special shirts with a band of yellow on right shoulder, recovered and led him up the Champs-Elysees at the front of the pack. Organizers then announced that they had stopped the clock because of the slippery conditions with more than 10 miles to go. Vinokourov surged ahead of the main pack to win the last stage. He had been touted as one of Armstrong’s main rivals at the start of the Tour on July 2, but like others was overwhelmed by the 33-year-old Texan. Armstrong’s departure begins a new era for the 102-year-old Tour, with no clear successor. His riding and his inspiring defeat of cancer attracted new fans — especially in the United States — to the race, as much a part of French summers as sun cream, forest fires and traffic jams down to the Cote d’Azur. Millions turned out each year, cheering, picnicking and sipping wine by the side of the road, to watch him flash past in the race leader’s yellow jersey, the famed “maillot jaune.” Cancer survivors, autograph hunters and enamored admirers pushed, shove, and yelled “Lance! Lance!” outside his bus in the mornings for a smile, a signature, or a word from the champion. He had bodyguards to keep the crowds at bay — ruffling feathers of cycling purists who sniffed at his “American” ways. Some spectators would shout obscenities or “dope!” — doper. To some, his comeback from cancer and his uphill bursts of speed that left rivals gasping in the Alps and Pyrenees were too good to be true. Armstrong insisted that he simply trained, worked and prepared harder than anyone. He was drug-tested hundreds of times, in and out of competition, but never found to have committed any infractions. Armstrong came into this Tour saying he had a dual objective — winning the race and the hearts of French fans. He was more relaxed, forthcoming and talkative than last year, when the pressure to be the first six-time winner was on. Some fans hung the Stars and Stripes on barriers that lined the Champs-Elysees on Sunday. Around France, some also urged Armstrong to go for an eighth win next year— holding up placards and daubing their appeals in paint on the road. Armstrong, however, wanted to go out on top — and not let advancing age get the better of him. “At some point you turn 34, or you turn 35, the others make a big step up, and when your age catches up, you take a big step down,” he said Saturday after he won the final time trial. “So next could be the year if I continued that I lose that five minutes. We are never going to know.”

The Shocking Truth Behind Lance Armstrong's Systematic Doping

Cycling legend's fall from grace.

Lance Armstrong's fall from grace stands as one of the most shocking and consequential doping scandals in sports history. The former cycling icon, who once inspired millions with his seven consecutive Tour de France victories and cancer survival story, saw his legacy crumble under the weight of widespread performance-enhancing drug use .

The United States Anti-Doping Agency's investigation in 2012 exposed Armstrong's sophisticated doping program, leading to the stripping of his Tour de France titles and Olympic medal. This revelation sent shockwaves through the cycling world and beyond, shattering the carefully crafted image Armstrong had built over his career.

Armstrong's eventual admission to using banned substances in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey marked a dramatic turning point. It laid bare the extent of deception that had propelled his unprecedented success in professional cycling, forever altering public perception of one of sport's most celebrated figures.

Lance Armstrong's Cycling Career

Lance Armstrong's cycling career was marked by incredible success and devastating controversy . He rose from humble beginnings to become a global sports icon before a doping scandal brought his achievements into question.

Rise to Prominence

Armstrong began competitive cycling as a teenager, quickly excelling in triathlons and road races. In 1991, he became the U.S. amateur national champion at age 20. His professional debut came in 1992 with the Motorola team.

Armstrong won stages in the Tour de France in 1993 and 1995. He claimed his first major victory at the 1993 World Championships in Oslo, becoming the youngest road race world champion at 21.

His early career also included wins at the Tour du Pont and Clásica de San Sebastián. These successes established Armstrong as a rising star in the cycling world.

Tour de France Victories

Armstrong's dominance at the Tour de France defined his career. He won an unprecedented seven consecutive titles from 1999 to 2005. His performances were characterized by strong time trials and mountain stage victories.

Key moments included:

1999: First Tour win after cancer recovery

2001: "The Look" on Alpe d'Huez

2003: Narrowest victory margin (61 seconds)

2004: Record-breaking sixth win

Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team played a crucial role in his success. His victories brought cycling to mainstream attention in the United States.

Battle with Cancer

In October 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. He underwent aggressive treatment, including brain surgery and chemotherapy.

Armstrong's recovery was remarkable. He returned to cycling in 1998, signing with the U.S. Postal Service team. His comeback story inspired millions and led to the creation of the Livestrong Foundation.

The cancer experience reshaped Armstrong's approach to cycling and life. It fueled his determination and made his subsequent Tour de France victories even more dramatic.

The Doping Allegations

Lance Armstrong faced persistent accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his cycling career. These allegations eventually led to a full-scale investigation and the stripping of his Tour de France titles.

Initial Accusations

Suspicions about Armstrong's potential doping began to surface in the late 1990s. Several former teammates and support staff claimed to have witnessed Armstrong using banned substances. In 1999, traces of corticosteroid were found in his urine sample during the Tour de France. Armstrong provided a backdated prescription for a saddle sore cream, which was accepted by cycling authorities.

Some journalists and competitors raised doubts about Armstrong's seemingly superhuman performances. His rapid recovery from testicular cancer and subsequent domination of the sport fueled speculation.

Floyd Landis Whistleblowing

In 2010, Floyd Landis, Armstrong's former teammate, made explosive allegations. He claimed Armstrong and other U.S. Postal Service team members systematically doped during their careers.

Landis detailed specific instances of drug use, including testosterone patches, human growth hormone, and blood transfusions. He alleged the team had a sophisticated doping program overseen by team doctors and managers.

These accusations prompted a federal investigation into Armstrong and his team. Landis's statements marked a turning point in the case against Armstrong.

Investigation by USADA

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) launched a formal investigation into Armstrong in 2011. They interviewed numerous witnesses, including former teammates and support staff.

USADA collected substantial evidence of Armstrong's doping practices. This included eyewitness accounts, financial records, and scientific data. The agency concluded Armstrong had used banned substances throughout his career.

In 2012, USADA charged Armstrong with doping violations. He chose not to contest the charges, leading to a lifetime ban from cycling and the stripping of his seven Tour de France titles.

The Evidence of Doping

Lance Armstrong's doping scandal involved multiple performance-enhancing substances and methods. Investigators uncovered a sophisticated program that included testosterone use, blood transfusions, and erythropoietin (EPO) administration. Testimonies from Armstrong's former teammates provided crucial evidence against him.

Testosterone and Blood Transfusions

Armstrong used testosterone to boost his strength and recovery. He took it in various forms, including patches and drops. The cyclist also engaged in blood doping through transfusions. This method involved removing blood before competitions and reinfusing it later to increase oxygen-carrying capacity.

Armstrong's team developed elaborate schemes to avoid detection. They used code words like "oil" for testosterone and "BBs" for blood bags. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) found evidence of blood transfusions during the 2009 and 2010 Tour de France races.

Erythropoietin (EPO) Use

EPO was a key component of Armstrong's doping regimen. This hormone stimulates red blood cell production, enhancing endurance. Armstrong began using EPO in the mid-1990s, according to teammate testimony.

The cyclist and his team developed methods to evade EPO tests. They timed doses carefully and used saline IVs to manipulate blood values. Armstrong also allegedly paid off cycling officials to cover up a positive EPO test from the 1999 Tour de France.

Teammates' Testimonies

Former teammates provided critical evidence against Armstrong. Riders like Floyd Landis, Tyler Hamilton, and George Hincapie gave detailed accounts of the team's doping practices.

Their testimonies revealed:

Shared EPO vials and testosterone patches

Group blood transfusions during races

Armstrong's role in organizing and enforcing the doping program

These firsthand accounts, along with corroborating evidence, formed the backbone of USADA's case. The consistent nature of their statements across multiple riders strengthened the credibility of the allegations against Armstrong.

Legal and Ethical Ramifications

Lance Armstrong's doping scandal led to severe consequences , including legal battles, financial losses, and public confession. His actions sparked debates about ethics in sports and the responsibility of athletes .

Doping Program and Cover-Up

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) conducted an extensive investigation into Armstrong's doping activities. Evidence revealed a sophisticated doping program within the U.S. Postal Service cycling team.

Armstrong and his teammates used performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions to gain an unfair advantage. The program involved a network of doctors, team officials, and other cyclists.

USADA's findings resulted in Armstrong receiving a lifetime ban from cycling. He was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and Olympic bronze medal.

SCA Promotions Lawsuit

SCA Promotions, a Texas-based company, sued Armstrong for $12 million in bonuses paid for his Tour de France victories. The lawsuit claimed Armstrong had defrauded the company by lying about his doping.

In 2015, an arbitration panel ordered Armstrong to pay $10 million to SCA Promotions. This ruling was one of the largest financial penalties faced by Armstrong due to his doping scandal.

The case highlighted the financial repercussions of Armstrong's actions beyond his cycling career.

Oprah Winfrey Interview

In January 2013, Armstrong participated in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. During this interview, he publicly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his cycling career.

Armstrong confessed to using EPO, testosterone, cortisone, and human growth hormone. He also admitted to blood doping and lying about his drug use for years.

The interview marked a significant turning point in the scandal. It provided closure for many but also raised questions about the extent of doping in professional cycling.

Consequences and Sanctions

Lance Armstrong faced severe repercussions for his doping practices. His actions led to the stripping of titles , lifetime bans , and financial penalties. The scandal also impacted his charitable work and cycling legacy .

Armstrong's Confession

In January 2013, Lance Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. He confessed to doping throughout his seven Tour de France victories. Armstrong revealed he used banned substances including EPO, testosterone, and blood transfusions.

The confession came after years of denials and legal battles. It shocked fans and the sports world. Armstrong cited the pressure to win and the prevalence of doping in cycling as factors in his decision to use banned substances.

Striping of Titles and Ban

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stripped Armstrong of all competitive results from August 1, 1998, onward. This included his seven Tour de France titles and Olympic bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games.

Armstrong received a lifetime ban from all sports that follow the World Anti-Doping Agency code. The International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified USADA's decision. His name was removed from the Tour de France record books.

The ban prevented Armstrong from participating in sanctioned cycling events or triathlons. It effectively ended his athletic career and tarnished his legacy as one of cycling's greatest champions.

Impact on Livestrong Foundation

Armstrong's doping scandal significantly affected the Livestrong Foundation, a cancer charity he founded in 1997. In October 2012, Armstrong stepped down as chairman to distance the organization from the controversy.

The foundation lost major sponsors and faced a decline in donations. Many supporters felt betrayed by Armstrong's actions. Despite the setbacks, Livestrong continued its mission to support cancer patients and survivors.

The organization rebranded and shifted focus to separate itself from Armstrong's image. It faced challenges in maintaining public trust and financial stability in the wake of the scandal.

Personal and Professional Aftermath

Lance Armstrong's admission to doping had far-reaching consequences on his career, public image, and legal standing. His fall from grace led to significant personal and professional challenges.

Armstrong's Post-Scandal Career

Armstrong faced immediate repercussions in his professional life. He was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from competitive cycling for life. His lucrative endorsement deals vanished, with companies like Nike, Trek, and Anheuser-Busch severing ties.

Armstrong stepped down as chairman of Livestrong, the cancer foundation he created. The organization distanced itself from its founder to preserve its mission and reputation.

In an attempt to rebuild his image, Armstrong pursued other ventures. He launched a podcast called "The Forward" in 2016, focusing on conversations with athletes, entertainers, and other public figures.

Public Perception

The doping scandal drastically altered public opinion of Armstrong. Once hailed as a hero who overcame cancer to achieve cycling greatness, he became a symbol of deception in sports.

Many fans felt betrayed by Armstrong's years of denial and attacks on accusers. His admission shattered the inspirational narrative that had captivated millions.

Some supporters remained loyal, citing his contributions to cancer awareness and research through Livestrong. However, the majority view shifted from admiration to disappointment and anger.

Media portrayals of Armstrong became increasingly critical, with documentaries and books examining his fall from grace.

Continued Legal Challenges

Armstrong's legal troubles persisted long after his confession. He faced multiple lawsuits from former sponsors and teammates seeking to recover money paid during his cycling career.

The U.S. government joined a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former teammate Floyd Landis. This case, alleging fraud against the U.S. Postal Service (Armstrong's former sponsor), resulted in a $5 million settlement in 2018.

Armstrong also paid $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit with The Sunday Times, which had previously paid him libel damages over doping allegations.

These legal battles significantly impacted Armstrong's wealth, with estimates suggesting he lost tens of millions of dollars in settlements and legal fees.

Doping in Cycling Culture

Performance-enhancing drug use has been deeply ingrained in professional cycling for decades. The sport's doping culture involves complex networks of doctors, team managers, and riders engaging in sophisticated cheating methods to gain competitive advantages.

Role of Michele Ferrari

Dr. Michele Ferrari played a pivotal role in cycling's doping era. The Italian sports doctor worked closely with Lance Armstrong and other top riders, devising intricate doping programs. Ferrari specialized in blood doping techniques using erythropoietin (EPO) to boost riders' oxygen-carrying capacity.

He developed methods to evade detection, like microdosing EPO and using saline infusions to mask blood values. Ferrari's scientific approach gave his clients an edge, but also exemplified how deeply doping had penetrated cycling's highest levels.

The doctor faced bans from working in sport but continued to consult riders secretly. His name became synonymous with cycling's systemic doping problem.

Peloton Attitudes Toward Doping

Within the professional peloton, doping was often viewed as a necessary evil to compete at the highest level. Many riders felt pressured to use performance-enhancing drugs to keep up with doped competitors and maintain their careers.

A "code of silence" known as omertà prevailed, with riders reluctant to speak out against doping practices. Some justified drug use as leveling the playing field rather than cheating.

Attitudes began shifting in the late 2000s as high-profile doping scandals damaged cycling's credibility. Younger riders increasingly voiced support for clean competition, though skepticism remained about the prevalence of doping.

Cycling's Efforts to Clean Up the Sport

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has implemented stricter anti-doping measures in recent years:

Biological passport program to track riders' blood values over time

Increased out-of-competition testing

Longer bans for dopers (up to 4 years for first offense)

Adoption of 2015 World Anti-Doping Code

Teams have also taken steps like internal testing programs and no-needle policies. Despite these efforts, doping cases still occur periodically in professional cycling.

Critics argue more needs to be done to change the sport's culture and incentives that drive cheating. Rebuilding trust with fans and sponsors remains an ongoing challenge for cycling.

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