Cyclist Armstrong: biography and career

Lance Armstrong - cyclist, personality in sports is ambiguous. Becoming a real legend in the sport, having won various prestigious tournaments, including 7 times the Tour de France, he was accused of using dope and lost all the titles he won earlier.

Childhood and first successes

Cycle racer Armstrong was born on September 18, 1971 in the US (Plano, Texas). At the age of 12, Lance began to practice triathlon. Armstrong constantly participated in various youth competitions, which contributed to the formation of strong-willed character. At the age of 13, he defeated Iron Bowles Traitlon, and at the age of 16 he became a professional in the triathlon. This sport includes running, cycling and swimming for a long distance. It was not difficult for Lance to choose one of these three. According to him, he was born to ride a bicycle.

When Armstrong was 16 years old, he was noticed by coaches who worked in the US Cycling Federation. Lance had good inclinations for a successful sports career. The doctor who examined him, somehow said that he had never met such a volume of lungs. In addition, the amount of lactic acid, which causes muscle pain after physical exertion, is lower in Armstrong, which in most people.

Education at the university and the conquest of titles

The young man combined his studies at the university with intensive training with the United States Olympic team. This almost led to his expulsion from the university. However, everything worked out. After graduating from university, Armstrong devoted himself entirely to sports.

Lance showed an excellent result already in 1991, winning the United States Cycling Championships among amateurs. At the Olympic Games, held in 1992 in Barcelona, he finished 14th in the overall standings. At the age of 22, the rider Armstrong won the World Cup, becoming one of the youngest athletes who managed to do it. In general, 1993 was very successful for the sportsman. He brought to Armstrong 10 prestigious titles. Lance realized that he was responsible for appearances not only for himself and his team, but also for the whole country. And he did not let his country down. Armstrong is the first American to win the Classic San Sebastian. He was voted the biker of the year in the US in 1995, and the next - the number 1 cyclist in the world. In 1996, Lance signed a contract with the team "Kofidis" from France for $ 2 million.

A terrible diagnosis and a return to sport

Cycle racer Armstrong, whose career began so successfully, halfway to triumph was forced to temporarily leave his ambitions. In October 1996, the athlete found scrotum cancer in neglected form, with metastases in the lungs, abdomen and brain. Doctors gave disappointing predictions for the survival of Lance. Despite this, Armstrong racer did not drop his hand. His biography attracts not only sports achievements, but also perseverance, manifested in the fight against the disease. This difficult test only strengthened the will of the athlete. Cycling racer Armstrong knew that he had nothing to lose, so he agreed to undergo long-term treatment using the newest methods of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The sportsman had to postpone several operations. However, just a few months after the hospital bed, droppers and injections exhausted and balding Armstrong once again got on a bicycle.

New contract and new victories

His name after the treatment was almost forgotten in big sports. Without paying the money under the contract, the "Kofidis" team simply broke the contract with him. However, this did not break Armstrong. He wanted to prove to everyone what he could do. The future champion signed a contract with the US Postal Service, a little-known team. In the Spanish Vuelta already in 1998 he took the 4th place.

Cycling racer Armstrong, thanks to his diligence, perseverance and desire for victory, became the champion at the Tour de France in 1999. And with the 8th stage, which was only 17, he rode in the leader's shirt.

Lance easily defended his title in 2000. He did not leave any rivals a chance. The American athlete drove 58.5 km of "cutting" at an incredible speed - 53,986 km / h! This result is the second in the entire history of the "Big Loop". Greg Le Monde, another American, 11 years ago showed a speed of 54,545 km / h, but the distance was then shorter than more than 2 times. The only competitor to Armstrong was Jan Ulrich, but in the end, this athlete lost to Lance about 6 minutes.

In 2000, at the Sydney Olympics, the American athlete took third place. And this is despite the fact that on the eve of the competition Armstrong flew to the truck during training and was injured in the spine (it must be said that this was not the only time Lance had an accident: he was struck three times by this accident).

Career Rise

In Armstrong's life, before the third victory in the Tour de France race, a miracle happened - in his body was found the complete absence of cancer cells. The American athlete won the Tour de France on July 29, 2001 for the third time. In 2002-2005 he had no equal. For the first time in the history of cycling Armstrong 7 times in a row became the champion of the French multi-day event. Fans admired him, sponsors and television worshiped. In 2005, Lance decided to end his career as an athlete, since no one could compete with him.

The 2000s were successful for him not only in sports. Armstrong's invincibility and his heroic fight against cancer made a huge impression on the multitude of firms that offered Lance multimillion-dollar contracts. Various publishing companies fought for the right to release a biography of the great athlete. Armstrong at this time was at the peak of popularity.

"Not only about cycling: my return to life"

This book, written by Armstrong, was published in 2000. Its co-author is Sally Jenkins. This autobiographical work, which tells about the struggle of Lance Armstrong with cancer. According to the authors, the book should give hope and motivation to all patients with this disease, help them in their struggle. Also, it can support people forced to watch how their loved ones die. Armstrong's serious attitude towards cancer and his desire to help others has elevated him to the rank of a hero.

Leaving Sports

The departure of the athlete was very unexpected both for his fans and for his competitors. The latter finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief and begin to look for a new candidate for leadership. But in the society there were various gossips. The main conjecture was the idea that the athlete may have had a relapse of cancer. However, Armstrong refuted this conjecture, stressing that personal life, family and recreation are now for him in the first place. Gossip and speculation quickly disappeared, and Armstrong remained a recognizable figure in the world of sports. Lance gave a presentation of his book and gave a series of interviews.

Armstrong's return

In 2008, the cyclist decided to return to the sport. The victory at the competitions was not his only goal. Armstrong thus promoted the fight against cancer. In 2009, Lance took third place at the Tour de France. At this time he was 37 years old. Next year at the same tournament team Team RadioShack, created by Armstrong, won the championship in the team event. The 40-year-old athlete in 2011 finally completed his career.

Armstrong cyclist disqualified

However, the defeat of Armstrong was ahead. It turned out that not quite fair victories won at the competitions rider Armstrong. The rules of life are such that all the secret sooner or later becomes obvious, and you have to pay for lies. Of course, there are exceptions, but among the favorites of fate is clearly not Armstrong, whose fortune sometimes presents unpleasant surprises.

The famous sportsman lost everything that he had won during many years of training and performances. He was disqualified for life, deprived of all 7 titles at the Tour de France, won by him between 1999 and 2005. The fact that the athlete was accused of using dope. The accusation was made by the American Anti-Doping Agency.

The first question about the use of prohibited substances by Armstrong was raised in 1999. However, he quickly decided, because the substance found was in a cream that was allowed for use. In 2011, a new scandal was launched, and in 2012, Lance was presented with specific charges of using doping.

Armstrong for a long time denied the use of illegal drugs. However, in January 2013, on an American television show, he confessed to the use of doping. The athlete said that 7 times in a row to win the Tour de France without its use is simply impossible. He also noted that he does not regret taking doping. Armstrong said that all athletes in cycling use banned drugs, but only he managed to become invincible.

Cancer Foundation and Breaking Contracts

Lance founded the Cancer Aid Foundation. His activities consist of rehabilitation of patients with this disease, solving various health problems, as well as supporting medical research. After the scandal that erupted around his name, Lance was forced to abandon the position of the head of the Foundation, so as not to tarnish the reputation of this organization.

However, and this is the problem in the life of Lance Armstrong did not end. The company Nike immediately after the recognition of Lance in the use of doping broke off his contract with him. After all, no one wants to spoil the reputation when dealing with an dishonorable person.

Despite all the scandals and problems associated with the use of illegal drugs, Armstrong - a cyclist, who forever entered the history of world sports.

Personal life

Lance Armstrong, unfortunately, does not apply to those lucky people who have been fortunate to live with a single person all their lives. The sportsman created the family twice. With his first wife he lived for 5 years. It was this woman, Christine Richard, who helped him defeat cancer. She also became an activist of the volunteer movement, whose members worked with sick oncology. The couple had three children, but in 2003, when Lance's career was very successful, the marriage broke up.

American cyclist Lance Armstrong met with the famous singer Sharol Crowe, but their relationship did not last long - in 2 years they broke up. His companion of life today is Anna Hansen, who gave Armstrong two more children. Thus, by 2010, the athlete became the father of five heirs. In October 2010, his youngest daughter was born, and the eldest son was born in 1999, when he achieved his first big success rider Armstrong. His photo with his wife Anna Hansen and children is presented above.