Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong (Lance Edward Gunderson) was born on September 18th, 1971 and is currently 54 years old. Lance Armstrong was born in Richardson, Texas, USA.

Lance Armstrong is a former professional cyclist once deemed the best to ever ride before he was stripped of all his titles for doping. Before the doping allegations, Armstrong won an unprecedented seven Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005.

Armstrong began riding in 1992 when he became a member of the professional Motorola team. He would prove his mettle as he was part of the team that won several stages of the 1993 and 1995 Tour de France, even if he withdrew from some of the stages.

Following the Tour de France competition of 1996, Lance was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had metastasized to his brain and lungs. While he had to undergo months of treatment, he would make a comeback and win the 1999 edition of the Tour of Luxemburg before winning the Tour de France and making history as the first person to win it for an American team.

He tied Miguel Indurain’s Tour de France record when he won his fifth Tour de France title in 2003. Armstrong would win his sixth consecutive title the following year setting a record. He retired when he won the seventh in 2005 but came back briefly in 2009 before retiring from the sport for good in 2011.

In 2012, Armstrong was accused of doping following confessions from some of the teammates he had been riding with since the late 1990s. He was found guilty and was stripped of all his awards and prizes and was banned from competitive cycling for life.

Lance Armstrong published It’s Not All About the Bike in 1999. He tells of a night when he started experiencing excruciating pain and was soon diagnosed with lung cancer. He underwent surgery for what his very aggressive chemotherapy could not reach but there was still very little chance of recovery. It took him five months to get back onto the saddle and scarred emotionally and physically, he developed a new appreciation for marriage, good health, friends, and family.

Following his debut, Lance Armstrong published Every Second Counts in 2003. This new work is all about Armstrong’s challenge of living after he came back from a horrific cancer diagnosis. He also speaks of the doping accusations he dealt with in later years and writes about his achievements in recent years, such as restoring a chapel in Spain which has always been one of his favorite countries.

Lance Armstrong: Awards & Accolades

Armstrong's book, It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life won the Audie Award, Faith-based Nonfiction Award, in 2001.

Related Authors

Fans of Lance Armstrong also enjoy these authors:

1. Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
2. John Grisham, author of the Jake Brigance Series.
3. Dan Brown, author of the Robert Langdon Series.
4. Frank Herbert, author of the Dune Series.
5. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings Series.

Lance Armstrong: F.A.Q