ANALYSIS: Has American cycling ever recovered from the Lance Armstrong scandal?

Lance Armstrong was once considered a global icon, revered not just for his dominance in cycling but also for his inspiring comeback from cancer. However, the extensive doping scandal that led to his downfall had a profound and long-lasting impact on cycling, particularly in the United States.

We all know the story, but have we truly considered it’s impacts? We can doubt the brilliance of Tadej Pogacar, and other cycling greats, but is there not a more interesting question to ask?

The question that I want to address today is: Has American cycling ever truly recovered from the Armstrong scandal?

Armstrong’s Career and His Influence on American Cycling

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Lance Armstrong transcended cycling. He won seven consecutive Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005, establishing himself as a household name. His story, however, wasn’t just about his victories; it was also about his battle with testicular cancer. Diagnosed in 1996 with advanced cancer, Armstrong’s recovery and return to professional cycling was nothing short of miraculous.

It earned him a status in the US that can be compared to sporting legends like Tiger Woods and LeBron James, as he dominated the sport both on the road and in the media. Of course, this is not the norm for a professional cyclist, especially not in the US. His Livestrong Foundation raised millions of dollars, and his yellow wristbands became a symbol of hope for cancer survivors globally​.

At the peak of his career, Armstrong was a cultural icon in America, helping popularize cycling in a country where the sport traditionally struggled to gain traction compared to Europe. Races like the Tour of California, the Tour of Georgia, and the Tour of Utah grew in prominence, and American riders were suddenly seen as capable of competing with the best in the world. Armstrong’s impact on cycling in America was undeniable.

The Scandal and its immediate fallout

Despite the triumphs, rumours of doping followed Armstrong for much of his career. The turning point came in 2012, when the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) released a damning report detailing Armstrong’s involvement in "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."​

The fallout was swift and severe: Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, banned from competitive cycling for life, and his once-glowing public image was shattered.

Armstrong’s downfall also dragged down many of his teammates, including Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, both of whom came forward with testimonies about the doping culture within the U.S. Postal Service Team. Hamilton’s revelations were particularly telling, as he described a team where doping was not just condoned but encouraged​.

The scandal not only destroyed Armstrong’s legacy but cast a long shadow over American cycling.

The impact on American cycling

The immediate impact of the scandal was catastrophic for American cycling. Races like the Tour of California and the Tour of Georgia, which had gained international attention, either scaled down or disappeared altogether. Cycling sponsors were wary of associating themselves with the sport, and public trust in American riders was deeply eroded.

Now, let’s make one thing clear. There’s a whole lot of other reasons why cycling in the USA is faltering, it’s not just down to Lance Armstrong. But, there is no denial that the sport’s downturn in popularity in the country has coincided with the fallout from Armstrong’s doping admission. In fact, By 2024, the UCI World Tour calendar no longer featured any events in the United States, a stark contrast to the period during Armstrong’s reign when American cycling had real momentum​.

Between 2012 and 2024, only two American riders have won Grand Tours—Chris Horner, who won the 2013 Vuelta a España, and Sepp Kuss, who claimed the same race a decade later in 2023. This is a paltry return for a country with such a large population and resources, especially when compared to a cycling powerhouse like Slovenia, a country with only two million people but home to stars like Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic.

In terms of Olympic success, the United States continues to dominate across various sports. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, the U.S. topped the medal table, winning 40 golds and 126 medals in total. Yet in cycling, the country remains a minor player in the world of road racing, raising questions about why a nation so successful in other sports has struggled to reclaim its place in the cycling world​.

A shift towards gravel?

One of the more interesting developments in American cycling post-Armstrong has been the rise of gravel racing. Unlike road racing, which has struggled to regain its footing, gravel events have flourished. Races like Unbound Gravel and Belgian Waffle Ride are immensely popular, attracting thousands of participants. This rise suggests that while road cycling has suffered, cycling as a whole in America has not disappeared, it has simply shifted focus​.

Many American riders, perhaps wary of the pressures and reputational risks associated with road cycling, have chosen to focus on gravel racing instead, where the stakes are lower and the culture is more inclusive. This shift has somewhat insulated American cycling from complete irrelevance but has also diluted the country's talent pool on the road.

The doping legacy and Armstrong’s continued relevance

Even today, Armstrong remains a controversial figure. While his public image may never fully recover, he has managed to stay relevant, partly through his podcast, The Move, where he provides commentary on cycling races. Ironically, despite being one of the most notorious cheats in sports history, Armstrong’s insights still attract a considerable audience, highlighting the complicated relationship the public has with him​.

Doping scandals have long plagued cycling, and Armstrong’s fall from grace only added to that legacy. While doping remains an issue in professional cycling, Armstrong's case was uniquely damaging because of the scale of his deception and the way it unravelled cycling’s credibility in America. The sport has made efforts to clean up its image globally, but the question remains whether the U.S. cycling scene, especially on the road, will ever recover fully.

Armstrong's scandal is not the only high-profile case of cheating in sports. Several other athletes have been caught in similar controversies, impacting not only their careers but also the reputation of their sport. One notable example is Marion Jones, the American sprinter who won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Jones admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, and her medals were stripped in 2007. Her fall from grace deeply hurt American track and field, which struggled with doping scandals long after her confession​.

In fact, track and field shares plenty of similarities with road racing in the US. They’re both sports with declining professional popularity, they both have been marred by doping scandals involving icons, and both are seeing their talent pool drained as athletes select other, more lucrative sports.

In baseball, the steroid scandal that implicated stars like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire tarnished the image of Major League Baseball (MLB). However, while the league implemented stricter testing and penalties, the sport’s popularity eventually recovered due to its deep-rooted cultural significance in the U.S. Similarly, in cricket, Australia’s ball-tampering scandal in 2018 involving Steve Smith and David Warner was a national disgrace. However, despite the public outrage, Australian cricket has largely bounced back​.

These cases suggest that while scandals can hurt a sport's reputation in the short term, recovery is possible. However, Armstrong case stands out because it affected not just an individual but an entire nation’s view of a sport that was already struggling for mainstream attention in the U.S.

In short, American cycling has not entirely recovered from the Lance Armstrong scandal. While cycling events like gravel racing have found success and a new generation of riders like Sepp Kuss have emerged, the scandal's long-lasting effects continue to hinder the sport’s growth. Major races like the Tour of California are gone, and American representation in elite road cycling remains minimal compared to Armstrong’s era.

The doping culture that Armstrong embodied damaged not just his reputation but the sport itself. As a result, fewer Americans may be inspired to take up cycling at a professional level. Until the sport in the USA can rebuild trust and attract major sponsors, it’s unlikely that American cycling will return to the heights it once enjoyed.

In some ways, Armstrong’s legacy will always haunt the sport. As long as he remains a public figure, his story will serve as a cautionary tale for both athletes and fans. The path to recovery for American cycling is not impossible, but it will require a concerted effort to distance itself from the shadow of its most famous, and infamous, son.