Born on September 18, 1971 as Lance Edward Gunderson, Lance Armstrong is a former professional cyclist from the United States. Known for his cycling prowess, his career has a history of outstanding achievements and also controversies linked to doping.
His athletic journey began with the City of Plano Swim Club at the age of 12. Early on, he made a splash by placing fourth in the Texas 1500-meter freestyle championship. But his path in the sport changed when he spotted an ad for a triathlon and decided to give it a try, where he had a standout win.
During the years 1987-1988, Armstrong earned the number one spot on the U.S. triathlon calendar in the 19-and-under age group. His triathlon skills were evident, and at age 16 he became a professional triathlete. As a teenager, he won national sprint championships in 1989 and 1990, and despite his triathlon success, he demonstrated a knack for cycling.
This was confirmed by winning the amateur championship in 1991 and the professional Lombard Week race. His performances enabled him to represent the United States in road racing at the Barcelona Olympics.
He gained fame in cycling when he joined the Motorola team and achieved his first victory in the Trofeo Laigueglia in Italy. In 1993, his sporting career hit a high point when he won the World Road Championships in Oslo, Norway. A year later, in 1995, he again won the San Sebastian Classic and a stage of the Tour de France.
Everything changed for Armstrong in 1996 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer with lung and brain metastases. After surgery and chemotherapy, he began his slow recovery.
He returned to cycling in 1998 in Paris-Nice, although he abandoned the race and considered retiring. However, after much reflection and support from his coach, he decided to continue competing. He surprised everyone by winning the Tour de France in 1999, the start of a historic streak of seven consecutive victories.
Although he announced his retirement in 2005 after winning his seventh Tour de France, he announced his comeback in 2008. In 2011, he retired for good, but his legacy was tarnished by doping allegations.
In 2012, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued a report accusing Armstrong of doping, as a result, he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. In 2013, he confessed that he had used banned substances during his career.
In addition to his cycling career, Armstrong founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation to fight cancer and raise awareness of the disease. He also wrote "It's Not About the Bike," a book in which he talks about his experience dealing with cancer.
Today he is a public figure in the United States with his own podcast, 'The MOVE', in which he discusses cycling today along with his former sports director Johan Bruyneel and his former teammate George Hincapie.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
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